On this same day next week, I will be competing in the toughest race of my life. I'm moved into the tapering phase of my training and I've been spending time thinking about the race. For many, this is an important time to prepare oneself mentally for race day. It is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one. In fact, some say that you race with 70% of your mind and 30% of your physical body!
I enter into the final week of training with an enormous amount of respect for the Ironman Triathlon. I realised that this is truly a race not for the faint-hearted. Visualising the gruelling event itself brings a sense of immense awe and fear. It is a very humbling experience to put oneself through 3.8km of swimming, 180.2km of cycling and 42.2km of running. There is no glamorous factor in this at all, not so when you subject your body to so much stress and pain.
It can be life-threatening even, especially when insufficient preparation and nutrition lead to serious heat injuries and extreme fatigue. I have read stories of triathletes who never made it past the finishing line but hung on dearly to life support due to extreme heat exhaustion. Then there are those who crossed the line, but were rushed to hospital due to the body's inability to cope with the intense physical exertion.
Ironman, A Metaphor for Life
Why do I still do it? Apart from the passion and love for endurance sports, I think in many ways, Ironman is a metaphor for life. During the course of training and the race itself, you go through physical and mental trials mirrored in real life. I like this aspect because it builds CHARACTER, knowing that I can apply the same principles in being successful getting through an Ironman and its training to other areas of my life, such as being successful as a corporate trainer or musician or in relationships.
Conquering obstacles is paramount to finishing Ironman, and one can draw similarities between Ironman and how we solve all the problems that exist in all our lives. I think about my resolve disappearing with 3 km to go. How many of us have experienced the same despair? Did we conquer that despair or did we let it dominate us? The same despair exists in Ironman; do we have the fortitude to get past this despair and get to the finish line or do let it consume us and we drop out of the race?
A Pioneering Spirit
Then there is the challenge of doing something we could not before. Humans are pioneers in spirit; we are really good at pioneering externally - building, exploring, travelling to the unknown. But here, I believe Ironman is pioneering internally. It is exploring what you really can do and breaking down mental barriers and beliefs which prevent you from doing them.
Racing Ironman is like taking the ultimate test. We all have beliefs ingrained in us from people and situations in our past which put limitations on ourselves. It is about personal growth and breaking through those barriers which have been around so long. Ironman is about perfecting our technique, certainly in our racing, but also taking that out to all the other areas of our lives, thus making us more resilient.
This is what I believe about Ironman.
This is why I will continue to race the Ironman Triathlon – in the hopes that I will continue to improve and grow in character, and not stagnate in life.
*****
I guess that's why they call it Ironman and not Flower man or Easy man or Simple man. Ironman is a hard trial and is available to anyone who wants to take up the challenge.
*****
I think the true Ironmen are the people who finish after 15, 16 or right before the course closes at 17hrs. It is hard enough to keep going at 13 hours, and I admire their ironwill to make it to the finish line after that many hours of being out there, stiff and in pain.
So, wanna take on an Ironman someday?
Fishmonger
