Extrinsic vs intrinsic motivation
Who needs a red carpet and medals when you can finish a personal challenge surrounded by friends at home?
That question echoed in my mind as I was just about to start my self-supported IronMan on a Sunday at 5 AM - standing barefoot and shivering on the beach - terrified of the open water swim, just minutes before starting the biggest endurance challenge of my life: A self-supported IronMan triathlon. No crowds. No finish-line arch. No medals. Just me, my breath, and two people who were there to surprise and support me.
What is an IronMan, anyway?
For context, a full IronMan distance is:
3.8 km swim (open water)
180.2 km cycle (hilly, self-navigated route)
42.2 km run (a marathon)
But in my self-designed version? I ended up doing even more. All in one go. All self-led. All powered by something far stronger than external rewards: Intrinsic motivation.
Extrinsic motivation is loud — But not always lasting
In organised races, we chase PBs (Personal Bests). We race for medals, crowds, and Instagram-worthy finish line photos. And that’s okay — there’s nothing wrong with loving the celebration.
But what happens when the finish line disappears? When no one’s watching? When there’s no medal waiting for you at the end? What will keep you motivated during an endurance challenge?
Intrinsic motivation is quieter — But deeper
Intrinsic motivation is why I kept going when my whole body screamed to stop after 15 hours racing by myself. It’s what got me back on the bike after I had a mechanical wobble halfway through. It’s the reason I planned the whole thing in the first place — because I wanted to prove something to myself, not a time chip. Well, actually it was planned in the second place because I planned to do the challenge with the organisation. Unfortunately I was very disappointed with the whole organisation and decided to do it by myself. You can read more in my other article about it.
We get to define our own milestones
This IronMan was about proving to me and to the world that we can do anything we set our mind to. But after finishing it, it became a lot more for me and it has change the way I see organised events / races. These days, it’s about reclaiming what endurance means to me. About showing that we can be both soft and strong. That we don’t need permission, big money or a race entry to go after the impossible.
Sometimes the most meaningful finish lines are the ones we draw ourselves — right in the middle of our own lives.