Forget Finding Your “Why”

Forget Finding Your “Why”

For years, I’ve heard the phrase “find your why” as if tapping into it is the holy grail of motivation and perseverance, especially in endurance sports. But I’m here to offer a slightly different perspective.

During Ironman Wisconsin 2024, I faced one of the toughest challenges of my endurance career. I was sick, race-day sick. Not “sniffles” but “you should probably be home in bed” sick.

But Ironman day isn’t a sick day - it’s race day.

So instead of packing my bento box with just gels and hydration, I added cold medicine and throat lozenges and hoped for the best.

It was a brutal day. But it was also a good one. While it wasn’t a personal record, I still finished 6th in my age group. There were five spots available for the World Championship in Nice, France and I earned a spot with the help of the roll-down.

So what got me through that race?

First - perspective. I get to do triathlons. I don’t have to. When things got dark, my internal dialogue stayed simple:

👉 “I GET to do this. I don’t HAVE to do this.”

Second—my kids. They were there. I wanted them to see me finish. I wanted them to know that when things get hard, quitting isn’t the default. A DNF was never really on the table - not because it wouldn’t have been understandable, but because I knew I was capable of finishing.

For most of the race, I thought this was my “why.”

But somewhere out on the course, a different thought took over - one I’ve used in life long before endurance sports:

👉 “Because you said.”

That’s it. No poetry. No narrative arc. Just a relationship with your word.

When you say you’re going to do something and you do it, you build trust with yourself. When you don’t, you quietly erode it. I said I would do this Ironman. Period. No negotiating. No reframing. No excuses.

And here’s the part I want to be clear about.

If you have a “why” that works for you - keep it. Don’t abandon something that fuels you. Use what works.

But I’d argue this: even the most passionate “why” only matters because you declare it to matter. Your “why” is powerful because you say it is. Strip it all the way down, and underneath it is the same foundation:

👉 You follow through because you said you would.

Endurance sports sharpen that muscle. Training groups strengthen accountability. Showing up - again and again - builds a reputation with yourself that no mantra can replace.

Your “why” can inspire you.Your word defines you.

And when things get hard—when stories fall apart and motivation fades - this one line still works:

👉 Do it because you said you would.

No debate. No second-guessing.Conversation over. Take it to the bank.

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