As Meredith makes her final preparations to defend her title at Ironman New Zealand, I asked this amazing and inspiring athlete some questions on her mindset and what has led to her multiple successes in the sport.

At the end of last year you had two back-to-back wins with Ironman Arizona and Ironman 70.3 Taupo, these came 6 weeks after a disappointing performance at the Ironman World Championships.  How do you develop a confident and winning mindset after disappointment, in such a short space of time?

The mindset for any triathlete needs to encompass the fact that you will fail. Failure is growth. Failure is learning. Triathlon is a journey and a race is a small blip on the overall time horizon to reach your athletic and personal goals. After you race, you evaluate the performance, good or bad, learn from it and try, try again. If you do not embrace the reality that not every race is going to go perfectly, you will be mired in a perpetual funk. Absolutely, it stings emotionally when a race doesn’t go quite as planned and of course, you look back at all the hard work and wonder ‘Why?’ However, if you view racing as a hiccup in this great journey vs. a disappointment, you will learn to move on and focus on the next objective. As a triathlete, we are all searching for that elusive perfect race – this is what keeps us coming back to the sport and the highs and lows make us human.  As I have always said, we can never let success get to our heads nor failure to our hearts. It's really important to remember that. 

What is your ideal performance state?

The term controlled chaos should be what every triathlete strives for in racing. What I mean by this is around race time and in the moment, the triathlon racer is in chaos. From traveling to the race, building up your bike, registering, pre race nutrition and duties, the washing machine of the swim start, crowded bike course, etc…you are constantly battling something that potentially could derail your entire race.

My ideal performance state comes from knowing that the work has been done in effort to toe the line as close to 100% as possible. This knowledge breeds comfort that you can use when the chaos begins to help control the situation to the best of your abilities; control the mind and body even though there is a lot going on around you before and during the race. Most importantly, a huge part of my personal performance state stems from keeping LIFE balance as well as nurturing our chi. Keeping the VIP's in your life close to your heart. When we surround ourselves with people that LIFT us and enrich our lives, this brings happiness into our space and our being. We have to channel our energy to people that matter the most to us and that is always a focus. When I toe the line happy and balanced, I am calm and ready. 

The times I have felt the most comfortable are our lead ins to Ironman New Zealand. We are on the other side of the world from ‘real life’, time slows down where we can concentrate on the task at hand, we have our routine in Taupo, and we try to control our environment. Even the times when it should be chaos, like when I was riding a new bike for the very first time ever before IMNZ, I felt a sense of calmness - my chi was in tact. 

You talk often about 'being comfortable being uncomfortable' - how do you override your mind that says 'stop' when things get uncomfortable?  Do you use any tools or techniques?

‘Getting comfortable being uncomfortable’ (GCBU-ing!) happens way before you are in the midst of a race. It occurs particularly on those training days when you push yourself to the absolute brink of what you believe your body can handle. It is those raw, tender, goth and precious moments of despair where the magic really happens in both sport and in life. You prevail and realize that the body is a pretty amazing machine and it can handle a lot more drama than you thought it could in those intense moments. These are the times that you bank in your memory for when you are on mile 22 of the run and that finish line could not feel farther away. You remember what is was like to forge ahead to the point of no return on that beefy treadmill set two months prior and how you survived that with gusto. This knowledge will help give you strength, zest and fortitude to the finish line.  Hard work is about making our lives meaningful and enriching - managing and conquering GCBU-ing makes it even more satisfying in that capacity.    

The mind is our battleground. It is the place where the fiercest and most ruthless conflict can reside at times. It is also often the place where your expectations can get the best of you.  This is precisely why it is important to keep that mind CALM when under duress. 

When in the pockets of doom - the following is very heavy on the mind:

1. Those individuals that CANNOT. Those that would love to be in my position - to be able to RACE. Whether is an injured or sick training partner or friend or someone that is physically unable to compete.  

2. Remembering what it is like personally, to be on the sidelines - with injury and thus to not be out there doing what I love. 

3. Our INNER CIRCLE. TEAM. COACHES. TRAINING PARTNERS. VIP's. FAMILY. FRIENDS. COMMUNITY. FANS - all of those people that LIFT you.

3. Everything ends. This will too.  You won't remember the pain you are in at this VERY moment, as soon as you cross the line. 

You are a multiple champion at races such as Arizona, Vineman, and Taupo, what strategies do you use to cope with the pressure of being an expected/returning champion?

Being a multiple Ironman champion at a particular race is a real honor and it is important to approach the race with that exact mindset; This is a lot different mindset from being the underdog; the dog chasing the rabbit analogy. Racing with a target on your back, for example Daniella Ryf and Rinny in Kona, is something that becomes a matter of pride. We transform with pressure. Pressure is a responsibility. We need to push ourselves because of our own self motivation to repeat what we did the prior year(s); the fire needs to ignite from within. All returning and past champions need to value and respect the race itself and their individual footnote in the history of the event.

We all have raced chasing that carrot and trying to prove to others that we belong. This is a different mindset and motivation all together. You see athletes all the time feeding off this underdog mentality and the ‘world is against me’ mindset. There is no denying that this is a strong form of motivation. However, maintaining your position when everyone else now has that chasing mindset is a whole different beast, though equally as powerful if you approach it the right way.

The original latin meaning for the word 'competition' is to 'strive together', can you give insight into this meaning from your own extensive race experience.

One cannot be their best selves until they find their TRIBE. It is nearly impossible for an athlete to perform their triathlon journey alone. We are JUST the technician yet there is a team of people around us that help us succeed. It can be a lonely venture if you attempt to do it without the support of friends and family along the way. I don’t know where I would be without my ‘inner circle’ of my husband, training partners, coaching consultants, and of course family and friends who allow me to step away from the all encompassing triathlon journey, stay balanced and enjoy life. Whenever times get tough in a training session or out on the race course, you can always think about those individuals who are most important in your life to help pick you up the rest of the way.

Does this statement ring true to you, and how so... 'sport is a vehicle for personal growth'?

Sport is so popular throughout the world because it is indeed a vehicle in which we can challenge ourselves and our beliefs. You are vulnerable, times get tough, you fail, you succeed, and you learn and grow. In what other endeavor can you go from such intense highs and painful lows all in one day or training session? How you handle yourself in all of these moments of raw emotion you can translate to your everyday life with family, friendships, and business.