Ironman Triathlon...Seriously?

Well over a year ago, my friend Will Hager suggested we should take our mediocre triathlon talent to the next level and the ultimate stage. He suggested we should sign up for an Ironman-distance triathlon. For me, when I thought about doing Ironman images of Julie Moss doing the 1982 Hawaii Ironman flashed in my head. If you have not seen her jaw-dropping deconstruction where she eventually crawls over the finish line- check it out on YouTube. Yet, for some jacked-up reason it took me about 1 minute on the phone to take the bait and decide to sign up. Maybe it was my long ago adopted motto I learned doing this sport, that "you pass out before you die" which gave me the inner-peace of knowing I wouldn't feel a thing if things went sour that day. Or was it my unknown Colombian genetics which may have involved some guy who loved the thrill of smuggling drugs or possibly just taking them, that enabled me to make such a quick decision? Either way, Will and I agreed to play the game that is trying to register online, 1 year in advance, for a race that usually sells out in 3 minutes. Crazy scenario but unfortunately we won, and were now 2 of 3000 people who got a slot for the 140 mile (thats 226K for my euro buds)race known as Ironman Florida.

How does one prepare? You tell your girlfriend, friends, family, dog, and life that you love them, but you'll see them in a year. You tell your accountant that I you understand the expenses equal a good down payment on a home. You tell your body that sleep is overrated and that God sent down manna from Heaven because they were carbohydrates and He wants you to marry them for 12 months. You tell people "I hate you" for them asking you why you are so skinny all the time. Yet you tell yourself, "only the insane do this", and in that notion a smile always forms and everything is justified.

There is something to be said about the feeling you get when you notice someone reaching for a coffee early morning to wake up, and you've already ran 10 miles and swam 3000 meters. Yet, one will always remember the sick feeling of seeing a family enjoy a nice picnic on a beautiful Tennessee day, and you got a date with your triathlon bike(that cost more than your life) for the next 5 hours! However, through all these moments, you begin to love it. You love how you body changes from a wannabe slob to a regimented machine. You love the fact that in a weird way you begin to feel like Jason from the Bourne Identity. You love the camaraderie of the OCD community that is endurance athletes. You love how after running 20 miles on Sunday you can eat 30 fried chicken wings, drink 4 beers, and finish it with 3 bowls of Moose Tracks ice-cream w/ chocolate sauce! It may not be a life for many, but for those who embark on this strange sport and event called Ironman, its kind of fun!

So after 10 months of solid training and preparation, 3 half-ironman races, 2 olympic-distant races, 1 sprint race, it was time to tackle the Beast. Was I going to reap the benefits of hard work or was this thing going to put me in the fetal position like it did Julie Moss and many others who were probably much more prepared than I? Stay tuned as I'll give everyone the race report from a fool who didn't really know what he was getting himself into but for some reason was really glad to be there!