Captain, Why Ironman?

Let’s get the question everyone asks out there: Why Ironman?

140.6 miles of swimming, biking, and running is a long way in a day. So long that right now, I still can’t wrap my head around it. Maybe I’ll be able to as it gets closer to the race. But what kind of person signs up for such a pleasurable day?

On any given Ironman race day, approximately 2000 people jump into the water to begin a day covering 140.6 miles. That’s 2000 stories of personal journey leading up to the race. The major common theme among all of them that will get them to the finish line is desire. This race is going to beat you down in ways you could never imagine, but the desire to finish, the desire to be an Ironman, is what is going to keep you going forward.

Once I saw the 2004 Ironman World Championships televised from Kona, I knew that I wanted to be a part of Ironman. The personal stories of the average, everyday people that were out there doing the Ironman were amazing, and the fact that they were doing the Ironman, and taking on the challenge made me want to take on the challenge as well. They were out there doing it, why can’t I? What excuse do I have to not do it? I really had no good excuse. Sure, it’s a big, gnarly, scary race distance to attack. But if you never try, how will you know?

So why Ironman Arizona 2007? Looking at it, it’s kind of a silly reason. February 4, 2007 will be my 30th birthday. I figure, what better way to welcome in a new decade! And the race HAD to be Ironman Arizona. There’s no guarantees that this race venue will be around in a few years. I’m a 3rd generation native Arizonan, so I had to do the race that was in my home state. So really, it’s just timing and opportunity that bring me to Ironman Arizona 2007. Would I be doing an Ironman this year if the venue wasn’t in Arizona? Maybe…maybe not. But that doesn’t matter. All that matters is that I’m committed to doing this race.

Now, I’m not a fast racer. Look me up in race results and you will often find my name at the bottom of the results for my age group. But for me, Ironman isn’t about speed. It’s about the challenge. When I made the jump from shorter tris to the Half Ironman distance, I noticed how much the mental game plays into the race. I think I’ve got what it takes to mentally get me through Ironman. I’ve seen people that were ill-prepared for Ironman do the race and finish. For whatever reason, they weren’t able to fit all of the recommended training in. Yet they pulled through and finished the race. That’s all in the mental game. Don’t get me wrong…I’m still planning to put my training time in. So much so that I’m practically obsessing over the training plan. Work is going to have to have a darn good reason to send me on travel from November 27, 2006 – April 10, 2007 before I will go.

So that’s my story. Most likely I will need to read this entry over and over again in April as the race date approaches and I begin freaking out.

P-)