I remember training for the one and only Half Ironman I ever raced in. It’s called the Ironman 70.3 for the cumulative distances of the 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, and 13.1-mile run. Each of these alone is quite the workout; put together, I honestly felt like it would take me all day.
To tackle this, I began repeating a simple phrase to myself: "It’s just one long day."
Said as if, "What’s the big deal?" Out of the numerous days on this earth, this is just one long one. Once it’s over, I’ll return to life as usual and likely receive some much-needed R&R. Even if it does actually take me all day, it’s just one day. That’s all.
It served me well as I kept from drowning for 1.2 miles in the Galveston Bay, heard “on your left” for 56 miles on my bike as the entire field passed me, and trudged through a half marathon “run” if you can call it that. But hey, I finished.
I’ve never registered for another Ironman event, but I continue to use this phrase whenever a daunting task lies ahead for me or my family. It’s come in handy when staring down 24-hour workdays, drawn-out days of travel, our longest hikes, or when there’s company that’s not my favorite and there’s no escape.
We will all have those days, whether by choice or circumstance. Try it out next time and see if it reframes the day for you and makes it a little easier to get through.
It’s just one long day. That’s it.
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