When I got involved with triathlons a year and a half ago I couldn't see myself ever doing an Ironman. Now that it is within reach I don't see myself being able to stop until I cross that finish line. These past eighteen months I’ve worked my way through the various distances in triathlon racing. I’ve been through the good, the bad, and the just plain ugly of it all.
I spent all of last year training for a half Ironman, teaching myself how to swim, researching and buying better equipment, and trying to learn as much as I could about preparing for a long distance triathlon. I thought the half Ironman was my ultimate triathlon goal. I had placed so much stress on myself to just finish that race. Turns out the bast part of the experience wasn't crossing the finish line. The bast part came a few weeks later after I had time to reflect on the race and when I realized that the Ironman wasn't as out of reach as I had once thought. Don't get me wrong, the half Ironman was hard enough. I shed a tear or two on the run course and every single bad word I know went through my mind at least once. It was an emotional day to say the least but it taught me a good lesson about myself. I learned that I'm not one to give up easily; if there's something I want bad enough, regardless of whatever hardship it causes me, I won't quit until I get it. It was with this new found self realization that I began to consider the Ironman.
I’ll admit it, the Ironman scares me, but I’m not one to go through life wondering "what if". Anyone who has done an Ironman knows how difficult it is. Getting registered alone is a stressful enough task, not to mention a typical six month training period all for a one day, give it all you got, race. All this equals a lot of time, money, energy, sacrifice, and stress. However, if this all goes the way I plan it will be worth. You see, to finish an Ironman isn't like any other accomplishment, it's one that will stay with me throughout the rest of my life. It will define my sense of adventure and my thrill of the unknown. It will instantly alter the way I view tasks that seem impossible. It will forever prove the strength of my mind, body, and spirit. To me, the Ironman equals greatness. I’m hoping that with enough dedication, passion, and determination I'll be able to call myself an Ironman at the end of all this.