Some reflections on the Ironman

To understand Ironman training, one must understand that it's all about the bigger picture. It's easy to become so anxious or excited about such a huge undertaking that it causes some to push too hard too early on in their training, not focusing on the long term goal. Others will let their training slip, and then try to make up for it with highly intense yet sporadic training sessions. Neither approach is ideal and will lead to burn out, injury or premature "peaking". Rather, proper Ironman training requires a constant, concerted and consistent effort over the course of several months and years. Training sessions should be tailored to a particular athlete's own fitness level, taking into account their own strengths and weaknesses. Thus, each individual's training program will vary. If a relatively inexperienced athlete assumes a training regimen that is overly aggressive, they risk injury and sickness. On the other hand, if a more experienced athlete plans a training program that doesn't challenge them, there will be very little growth.

A moment with the legend Mark Allen. He begged me for a photo, so I obliged.

Surprisingly for me, training for the Ironman was a lesson in moderation. It may sound crazy that such an extreme event could be characterized as moderate. It is nevertheless true for the reasons I have noted above. It required patient dilligence over the course of many years to get to the point where I was capable of enduring the rigors of such an event. It required an incredible amount of long term focus and sacrifice. It required thoughtful planning of an effective nutrition program. It's amazing how much I learned about my body during this whole process. What foods my body needed to go the distance. How much physical strain my body could endure. How much rest was required, and rest was a very important aspect. In fact, it was probably the most crucial element of the whole process. Mosiah 4:27. I never trained on Sunday...ever. It was a perfect day to rest my body, and in the end, it made me stronger.

Could my sisters get any freakin' cooler?!

When I was finally able to put all that training aside and actually focus on the reason for which I had trained so hard, I was confident because I knew I had done the work required. The week leading up to the race was a very thoughtful time for me. I went to Hawaii a week early, and I was alone for 5 days before my family arrived. This allowed me a lot of time to reflect on my life, my training, and everything that had led me to that point. I was able to process within myself all the reasons I was there. I realized that for me, it was more than just a race. It was a celebration of life and the beauty of human achievement. More importantly, the opportunity filled me with an indescribable sense of gratitude for all my blessings. My life, my family, my health, my faith, my opportunities, my strengths, my weaknesses. I knew that the race would test me mentally and physically more than I had ever been tested in my life, and this reflection was all part of that mental preparation.

Start of the swim. I'm in there somewhere!

The night before race day was sleepless as usual. When I awoke at 4am race morning, my family was ready to go, and I wanted to puke. We drove into town together, and my dad and brothers followed me through body marking and into the transition area where I finished my preparations. I walked with my dad to the sea wall and said goodbye to my family one last time before the race. The sun was rising over Hualalai volcano just as the starting gun fired to start the 2007 Ford Ironman World Championship. I had the best swim of my life. I felt great. When I reached the turnaround boat, I glanced at my watch..30 mins had passed. I felt a surge of excitement when I realized I was already halfway through the best swim of my life! The swim back to the pier was even more crowded than the outward leg. I had my goggles ripped off, and someone elbowed me in the face, immediately giving me a fat lip. Toward the end of the swim, I got a terrible cramp in my leg, and I really thought my race was over.

Final bike adustments before the race. Thanks, Brian!

Once I got onto the bike, and headed out into the lava fields for a 112 mile bike ride, the pain in my leg made it very easy for countless negative thoughts to creep in. This lasted for a couple of hours as I kept thinking that I wanted to quit. It wasn't until I recognized what I was doing that I was able to block the negative thoughts and focus on all the reasons I was out there. I thought a lot about my family and close friends who were supporting me. I prayed a lot, too. This helped tremendously as I realized that I had way too many reasons to keep going, and only 1 reason to quit. It made me forget about the pain in my leg and more able to endure the brutally hot and windy conditions. By the end of the bike, I had been riding into a strong headwind for the last 40 miles, and the cramp in my leg still hadn't subsided. I think it posed more of a mental challenge than a physical one for me.

Mile 4 of the marathon

The thought of starting a marathon at that point was stifling, especially because I wasn't fresh, and my leg was still killing me. As I laced up my shoes in the Transition area, my leg kept cramping each time I bent my knee. The volunteers noticed my condition and asked if I wanted to continue. I didn't even have to think about it. "Of course I want to continue!" Even If I had to walk the entire marathon, I was going to finish. I walked the first 4 miles of the marathon until I was confident that my cramping leg would be able to endure the rigors of running a marathon. Thanks to the support and encouragement of my family at mile 4 of the marathon I decided to start running. I can't describe the power of a positive word in that situation. My family's encouragement was an incredible boost. I ran from mile 4 to the finish That's 22 straight miles with a cramping leg. But the cramp didn't bother me, and with each mile, I felt stronger and stronger until I couldn't run fast enough. I knew the strength was not my own, and the words of my dad's blessing from the night before kept repeating in my head that "angels would be pushing me". I knew that promise had been realized, because I had never felt so strong in my life. The final 10 miles of the marathon were absolutely amazing. I felt so good. As I drew near the finish, I could hear the crowd and the music. I knew that I would soon be greeted by my family, and that feeling was totally exhilerating! It made me push even harder. If my family hadn't been there, there would have been no reason to do that race. Had my family not been waiting for me at the finish line, I never would have been motivated to finish. It was the singular thought of seeing the people I love at the finish that pushed me to keep going, faster and faster. As I crossed the finish into the warm and loving embrace of my father, mother and siblings, I was overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude and love and accomplishment that was unparalleled. I can't describe the feeling. The first thing I said to my mom as I hugged her at the finish, "Mom, I'll never do this again. You don't have to worry". Her response, "Good".

My amazing parents. I owe them everything.