So he set out on what he dubbed the samlongfullsend. After watching a video of fan-favorite Canadian pro triathlete Lionel Sanders achieving the fastest-known time riding 26 miles up Mount Lemmon, he went out and beat it.
This sparked a friendly, smack-talk-fueled rivalry between the triathletes , with the KOM time ultimately trading back and forth a couple of times over the next month. And, with a captive—and professional sports-deprived—audience following along on their phones, samlongfullsend went viral.
The sudden influx of interest from all over was thrilling for someone who always considered himself an under-the-radar athlete. Long then won back-to-back races when competitions resumed last September, and he went on to become the youngest American to break the eight-hour mark with this third-place finish at Ironman Florida in November.
Add the continued anxiety of living through a pandemic in the mix, and Long felt like he was walking a tightrope, pushed harder than ever to maintain his status in the sport. As a proactive way of taking control of his stress levels, mental health, and recovery time, Long made an intentional decision to lower the volume on the intensity in his life and quietly turn inward, if just for a couple of hours a day.
He talked with his mom, Betty, a therapist, who suggested he begin daily deep-breathing sessions and meditation. He also signed with a new sponsor, Boulder-based Miraflora Naturals, which offers a line of CBD hemp flower products, and he tried all of their offerings in earnest. In , the World Anti-Doping Agency removed CBD from its list of banned substances and doping officials no longer test for cannabis outside of competition.
Click here for more info on CBD for athletes. And as he gets closer to the start of his race season, which kicks off at Ironman Since finishing ninth in a stacked international field at the Professional Triathletes Organization Champs at Challenge Daytona in December, he has dug into training deeper than ever. Like a top finish at the Ironman World Championships.
The night before the race I always write down a mantra. This time my mantra was Pain is a Privilege. This captured my mindset in training, and I transferred it to the race. This Mantra resonated with me for two reasons. First, I started to hold myself back more in training and had not truly pushed my limits in several months. It would be a privilege to be able to go as hard as I could. I was excited to push. Second, it captured the gratitude of being able to toe a start line again—which cannot be taken for granted since Covid.
How did the mental preparation set me up on race day? After a disappointing swim, I exited the water and was faced with a mental showdown. I nearly gave up then… But then I quieted the mind. You got this. Head down. Just go. I forgot about trying to get a place and just settled into the pain. I settled into the disappointment with my swim and used it in a positive way. Then halfway through the bike I discovered I had a fighting chance. I could still win! On the way back there was a ferocious headwind.
I loved it and I buried myself to get into the race. I finally caught the front of the race with 10 miles to go. We came into transition two and I went for it. I suffered on the run but gave it everything I had. My mental preparation set me up to bounce back from setback.
I am capable of more! I learned I could crawl myself back after a terrible swim and get time back on the best cyclists and runners in the sport.
Every race I go to, I believe in myself and know that with a strong mind anything is possible. I would rather shoot for the stars and fall a little short then tell myself I cannot ever get there at all. Onwards and upwards to Ironman Tulsa. Your Cart is empty Empty carts are like tired legs.
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