Ironman - Part One

Ironman, a sport in which ordinary people achieve the impossible.

How often do you achieve the impossible?

I have managed to do it five times so far. Every time it is different, every time I want to quit, and every time I continue.

After five races, I feel that I have only managed to come close to the edge once. I think that in order to really tap into your potential, you need to prepare your mind and comfort your psyche. At a very deep level, your spirit needs to know that "everything is going to be all right". Once you have this inner peace, your mind will allow you to push beyond nature's restrictions. My goal for next season is to have a race where I know that I couldn't have pushed harder. I hope it's an Ironman.

Ironman is all about "will". The will to sign up for the race. The will to do the training. The will to continue when your body asks, and your mind begs you to slow down. They say that getting to the line is half the battle, but on a bad day, the only way you are going to finish is for insanity to triumph over reason. There aren't many opportunities in life where you can push mentally and physically right to the edge. Success is never guaranteed and nasty pitfalls await the reckless. I love it.

Everyone who finishes an Ironman has a special knowledge. Knowledge of their core self. Some folks don't like what they find out. Most love it. If you approach the event with respect, and race for the right reasons, I don't think it is possible to have a "bad" race. Even on the worst day, there's no place I would rather be.

What is your definition of speed? Mine is Kona. Anybody who can qualify for Kona is fast in my books. I've had many conversations with people who have qualified, and you know what? They very rarely equate their success to having chosen their parents well. They have the Knowledge. They know the amount of hard work it took to achieve their objectives.

Perhaps people who credit success to a gift are really just trying to protect themselves. What kind of gift? I've heard about many gifts: genetics, family connections, the right school, wealth, and others. From what are they trying to protect themselves? From the Knowledge. From the fact that they are in charge of their own destinies, that their potential is unlimited, that they can achieve anything they truly desire.

The knowledge that we can all achieve the impossible, that's what Ironman means to me.

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