Why Ironman?

When I first started competing in triathlons, it was at the sprint triathlon level in Charleston, SC. I was ok at the beginning, but I never thought it would become as much of a part of my life as it has become now. I remember that first triathlon...staring out over the water, wondering how in the hell I had gotten myself into this mess. The gun went off, and everything was a blur. I swam hard, got kicked hard, pushed hard, and cussed out a few times for cutting people off. Once I exited the swim, I knew I was going to be ok. After all, anyone who grew up in America knows how to ride a bike and run. It does not take much skill. As I crossed the finish line, I felt a sense of triumph for accomplishing something that not many people in the world had done. It was like my first taste of a new drug (confidence) and I wanted more.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever told you on the day of my first triathlon in June of 2003 that I would consider competing in an Ironman. That day, I swam 500 yards (.3 miles), biked 13 miles, and ran 3.1 miles. An ironman is a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run. Craziness...absolute insanity. That is what I said when I found out that my buddy would compete in the Ironman in Lake Placid, NY in 2004. What in the hell is this guy thinking?

However, as one sprint race turned into 2, and then the medals started coming, I pushed myself to try an even stronger drug, this time opting to compete in the olympic distance triathlon in Clermont, FL (1500 meter swim, 24 mile bike, 6.2 mile run). It was a whole new experience for me and gave me even more confidence that I could set goals and accomplish them.

The next year, it was on to bigger and better things as I signed up for my first half ironman. Making the jump from sprint distance to olympic distance was nothing compared to the jump to half iron distance. I was so under-prepared for the first half ironman that I ended up walking, really limping, my way to the finish line. It was a humbling experience, but I could still say that I had finished a race of that distance, so the confidence kept building.

Now, two years later, I have completed over 20 sprint triathlons, 8 olympic distance triathlons, and 6 half ironmans. I have qualified for the national championships in the olympic distance and in the half ironman. I am a USA Triathlon certified coach...yet, something is still missing from my racing resume. IRONMAN.

Ironman is the end all for a triathlete. It is a validation. It is the culmination of every early morning workout and every refusal of dessert at dinner. It is the ultimate test of physical and mental capacity. It is, in essence, a dream that is attainable. How many times does a person actually dream of something and have the capacity and the guts to go out and make it come true? Well, now I do. I want this...I need this. My drug of choice is triathlon.

So, November 1st 2008 will be a day that will go down in history. I will tell my kids that their father is an Ironman. It is something that no one can ever take away from me, and it will carry me through all of the hard times in life. Swim 2.4 miles. bike 112 miles, run 26.2 miles, brag for the rest of my life.

Get out there and chase a dream...it is achievable.