On September 14, 2009, I did one of the most exciting and scariest things I've ever done...I stood in line for two hours to sign up for Ironman Wisconsin 2010. Exciting because I am finally embarking on my Ironman journey - a life goal that has been in the back of my mind since I started doing triathlons about eight years ago. Scary because I am finally embarking on my Ironman journey....
The day before I signed up for this crazy adventure, I volunteered at Ironman Wisconsin 2009 - I wanted to "make sure" I really wanted to do this (added benefit was volunteers get first dibs at registration for next year - the race usually sells out the day registration opens). On a beautiful Madison morning, I witnessed ~2500 athletes start their Ironman swim, and then volunteered for eight hours on the run course, witnessing all of these normal looking people accomplishing an absolutely amazing feat. The whole day was emotional for me as a spectator and volunteer - I always get choked up at races watching people accomplish their goals. At the end of a long, hot day for even me as a volunteer, I knew without a doubt that I wanted to do this.
The Ironman triathlon is a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run. It is a test of endurance - coming down to how one's body handles up to 17 hours moving, which is why often people refer to nutrition/hydration as the fourth event. Over the course of the next ten months, I will spend A LOT of time mastering each of these events, and I've created this blog to record my thoughts over the journey. Maybe people will read it, maybe not, but at the end of it all, I want to look back and remember the ride....
The day before I signed up for this crazy adventure, I volunteered at Ironman Wisconsin 2009 - I wanted to "make sure" I really wanted to do this (added benefit was volunteers get first dibs at registration for next year - the race usually sells out the day registration opens). On a beautiful Madison morning, I witnessed ~2500 athletes start their Ironman swim, and then volunteered for eight hours on the run course, witnessing all of these normal looking people accomplishing an absolutely amazing feat. The whole day was emotional for me as a spectator and volunteer - I always get choked up at races watching people accomplish their goals. At the end of a long, hot day for even me as a volunteer, I knew without a doubt that I wanted to do this.
The Ironman triathlon is a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run. It is a test of endurance - coming down to how one's body handles up to 17 hours moving, which is why often people refer to nutrition/hydration as the fourth event. Over the course of the next ten months, I will spend A LOT of time mastering each of these events, and I've created this blog to record my thoughts over the journey. Maybe people will read it, maybe not, but at the end of it all, I want to look back and remember the ride....
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