Member-only story
Harness the mental prowess of an Ironman
Apply curiosity, mental fortitude, and stamina to every area of your life, like an endurance triathlete brings to the Ironman.
I could have quit that first race back in 2007 before I ever started. Four-foot waves crashed on the shores of the mid-Atlantic, washing grown men onto the sand after they failed to get past the breakers. I trembled on the beach, eying them — these triathletes who looked so much more experienced than I was. They had it all: the tri suits, the nice goggles, the chiseled bodies.
Then I went out. I dove through the waves. I swallowed some ocean. I completed that swim, and, after the bike and run segments, I crossed that finish line and cried. That was a sprint triathlon. My first ever. Since then I’ve competed in countless races of all distances.
It was around then I remember someone asked me, “Would you ever do an Ironman?” to which I replied, “No way.” But sometimes you find your dreams, and sometimes your dreams find you. Either way, never stop looking.
As a noun, the Ironman is both a race distance, and a title earned by those who complete it. The first Ironman was held in 1978 and since then, it’s estimated only .01% of the world’s population has completed an Ironman, or 1 in 10,000. This…
