Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Pebworth.
Hi Nick, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Once I graduated from college, I set my mind to get into the best physical condition that I can. During my college days, I learned of the Ironman race that occurs throughout the world and the big endeavors that are involved in that race. Naturally, I tied my physical fitness goals to accomplishing an Ironman no matter what it takes. With the onset of Covid, I took that as my moment to begin the journey and spend the necessary time to learn the skills and habits needed to complete an Ironman. 5 years later, countless early mornings swimming and smelling like chlorine, countless hours pedaling on a stationary bike or indoor training yet going nowhere, and all the miles ran in the Texas heat, treadmill, and wet conditions, I was able to cross the finish line in Florida and be called the top .01%.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Along the way there were plenty of challenges and struggles. The biggest challenge when doing a race like an Ironman is the mental fortitude that is required. Most of the training involved is actually not a physical task, but more so a mental task. After a certain point, the workouts would essentially get longer and farther, but that adjustment was a minor challenge. Going that extra hour or those extra miles or extra laps required your mind to adapt more than anything. Early on in my journey, the shorter distances were manageable and I didn’t think much about it. Once I started prepping for Olympic Triathlon distances and further, staying focused and motivated became harder than actually physically performing.
The biggest struggle that I encountered during this journey was failure. The year prior to completing a full Ironman, I aimed to complete a half Ironman. In that race, I got about 2/3s of the way through the bike section, but then had to call it quits. Working and grinding for 4 years up to that point and getting with a coach to help propel my physical capabilities to complete this goal almost felt like a waste. In the end, I learned a hard lesson: in order to do hard things, you can’t be cheap on how you go about doing them. Leading up and into that race, I was using an entry level bike, but doing that race was well beyond what that bike was made for. In effect, I completely burned out my legs on the bike course and knew that I was not going to be able to complete the run portion. When doing hard and tedious things, you have spend the necessary dollars for the equipment or tools to complete the job in the most efficient manner as possible.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
During the day, I’m an IT Auditor who has lead a very small team through 3 merger and acquisitions, and now from being a private company to public company with full SOX compliance. At night I’m an aspiring DJ where I plan to start funneling more of my free time into and hopefully can play at clubs, spaces, and events in Dallas.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Perseverance is something that I think determines the success of many. We all have problems and issues in life that arise and our ability to take the hits and keep going is what shows how much we want whatever we want to accomplish. Perseverance also applies to acknowledging when you are wrong, in the wrong, or not heading in the right direction and then doing a pivot to understanding and accepting why you were in wrong. It takes more to perseverance to change your beliefs and outlook when things aren’t going right or in the wrong direction.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @pebz_sounds
