IronMan is an ultra distance endurance triathlon. It starts with a 3.8 km (2,4 mile) swim, followed by a 180 km (112 mile) cycle, then finishes with a 42,2 km (26.2 mile) marathon run. Competitors have 17 hours to complete the course - from 7 am to 12 midnight. There are also various time cut-offs along the route.
IronMan boasts the reputation for being the toughest 1 day endurance event that a person can complete. Number of entries are usually limited to about 2,000 entries, but generally less than 2,000 people attempt the challenge.
Training for IronMan is all consuming, with a competitor training in swimming, cycling and running. They will train about 25 hours a week (7 days at 16 'awake' hours per day = 112 hours, making training 22% of awake hours). If 40 % is work hours and you add in exercise warm-up, cool-down, travel - to work and training, preparing meals to take to the office, packing gym bags, stretching, wetsuit washing, bike maintainance, meals and family and social time; then you understand the time demands.
So, why do I want to do it? The challenge! The excitement! Everyday I have to juggle time, solve time and time schedule problems, maintain discipline in training, nutrition and sleep. I have training variety and all-body fitness, I set goals, I achieve goals, I need to remotivate myself after missing a goal...... I am alive, under my own pressure and feeling challenged. I have a dream that I am working toward. I am out of my comfort zone, learning, growing, learning about myself, testing my limits, exceeding my limits.... everyday is exciting and new. If you prefer routine and staying to what you already know; I suggest that you stay at your desk after everyone left the office! :-)
And as my brother told me last night, "after you have completed an IronMan, you know that you can do anything"
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