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What finally did it?
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 2008-08-24 10:43 AM |
Expert  1244    New York |  Subject: What finally did it?I'm relatively new to triathlons (two years, handful of sprints, an oly and a half), though not to endurance sports (long distance running: marathon/half mary, etc.). I'm definitely hooked for life on tris. I think Olympic is my perfect distance, though the Half was a heckuva lot of fun. Of course, now my friends keep asking me if/when I plan on doing the full Ironman. (Ack, pressure). Personally, I think I should get at least one more half under my belt before I will feel ready to consider it, but I could potentially do one in late 2009. Recently I've gotten really into following the training/successes/struggles/race reports of some of the Iron folks on BT--you are all incredibly inspiring. And I know it's different for every athlete, but for those of you who have done one or are training for one now, what was the thing that finally made you actually register for a full? How did you know you were ready to take it on? |
| 2008-08-24 11:08 AM in reply to: #1623923 |
Extreme Veteran 426 Dearborn, Michigan, USA. | Subject: RE: What finally did it? I started in the sport a long time ago, 1984. 24 years ago by my math. When I began you only really did other races to try to get to Hawaii. I made it to Hawaii in 1986. It was much easier to qualigy back then. It was before aerobars and triathlon bikes and wetsuits. The Powerbar hadn't even been invented yet. I'm pleased the sport has outgrown just being a means to get to one big event. Our sport and the people who do it are so much bigger than that. It took me years to learn that- as it does most good lessons in life. I've done either five or six Ironmans, can't recall specifically how many. They are a great race but in the eight months before you live the life of a monk: Training, training, training for that one big day. I prefer the life of a Formula 1 driver (in triathlon terms of course) where I'm travelling and racing every weekend- doing the sprints, the Olympic distance, a couple halfs every year. The feeling you get when Tom Ziebart or one of the other Ironman announcers shouts your name over the microphone as you enter the finish chute is something to experience in our sport. If you do it, it will be a treasured experience. It takes work to get there, but what worhtwhile endeavor doesn't? What made me make the decision? When I started it was what you did- you worked hard until you got to Ironman. It was the epitome of the sport. Ironman has grown tremendously since then but I'm pleased to say the sport has grown more. |
| 2008-08-24 11:35 AM in reply to: #1623923 |
Pro 4608  Brooklyn, NY | Subject: RE: What finally did it? I'm even newer at it than you - this is my first season. I have done two sprints and one oly. I decided to do IMWI '09. I have two HIMs on the schedule before it, but nothing until '09 (out for injury rest of the season). The reason I decided to do it was simple. I didn't know how to swim at all until May of this year. I went to the pool 5 times a week and just kept trying until I learned and the feeling of accomplishment was one of the most satisfying experiences I've had. I used to think the IM was too difficult, that I might not be able to make the time limits and finish. But after gaining some confidence, I realized I can do it if I really commit to it and put in the training. A lot of people recommended I wait until I had a few seasons under my belt, but I figured why wait? I am prepared to make the sacrifices needed to train and I'm really excited about the challenge. I'll be signing up in person two weeks from tomorrow after volunteering and experiencing this year's race. So far I haven't once second-guessed my decision and I'm looking forward to starting the training. |
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