Yesterday I went on a six mile run/shuffle/walk as an attempt to get back into this thing called "training." During my exercise, I had to chuckle to myself as I was "running" through the different things my brain was thinking about (pun intended). I think being in my head would be equivalent to being on a crazy roller coaster ride at a poorly run carnival (I'm all over the place). It's kinda like A.D.D., which is probably why I LOVE the sport of triathlon. Just when you get bored with swimming, you get to bike! Just when you are bored with biking, you get to RUN. And just when you want to give up and never exercise again, you reach the finish line. Then a few days/weeks/months later, you sign up for another race.
But the reason I'm blogging about all of this nonsense is that when I was running yesterday, I started thinking about what it means to do an Ironman race. It was a great exercise in distraction because for those few minutes of thought, I forgot that I was running and that I was tired, fatigued, and dehydrated. I began to feel stronger and jazzed about this next adventure called Ironman Canada 2011.
Ironman, strictly speaking, is a race that comprises a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run/walk. Oh, and it's a race with strict time cut offs and a deadline of 17 hours MAX! But beyond that, Ironman is different for everyone.
For me, Ironman is a journey. It is finding out what your limits are and then realizing you are capable of even more. It is personal. It is a test of mental toughness. It's a battle with negative thoughts where winning is more than positive thinking. Winning is getting tough with yourself and telling yourself to keep going no matter how much you want to quit. It's about the indefatigable human spirit and the incredible power of the mind. Anyone can complete an Ironman, but the key is wanting to complete it. You have to have the desire and commitment. Ironman is not for the faint of heart. Actually, that is not true because even if you start with a faint heart and commit to the journey, by the end you will have a lion's heart.
Ironman is even more than the personal journey. It is about community and feeling so incredibly supported by friends, family, and total and complete strangers that you feel like a superhero. Because when you finish and celebrate, your family/friends/the crowd celebrate with you.
Ironman is amazing and this is a poor attempt to fully describe it in words.
My attempt this year is to blog about this 2nd chapter in my Ironman racing journey. Join me if you want...I'd love to have the support.
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