My long journey to the Ironman is nearly here. Two weeks from today I will be in Tempe, AZ to participate in what amounts to a 3 part physical proportion final exam taken after 12 long months of training. The test is comprised of three sections. The first section covers 2.4 miles of swimming and will be an open water swim in which my fellow participants will be right there next to me crawling over me in the water. I feel very comfortable with this portion of the test. 35.7 miles of swimming over the last 12 months has prepared me well for this challenge.
The next section of the test will be riding 112 miles on my bike. In this portion of the test you are on your own and the only aid you can use is your bike. I plan on bringing this one with me.
My biggest point of focus for this overall test has been cycling. My cycle training over the last 12 months has consisted of riding 2505 miles. Hopefully the weather in the desert will cooperate and the winds won't play havoc on us as we make our way over the bike course three times. If the winds do decide to come out to play I will have to remind myself to stay in the aero position as much as possible to conserve energy for the run.
Ah yes the run. Not just any run mind you but a full marathon! That is 26.2 miles of running. While this is certainly a long way on it's own, it's even more of a challenge after swimming 2.4 miles and biking 112 miles. This is certaintly the portion of the test which will challenge me the most. I have worked extremely hard on my running. Over the last 12 months I have run 707 miles in preparation for the marathon portion of the journey. My intention is to remain relaxed and keep a smile on my face and embrace the suck when it comes up. Mr. Pain will present itself at some point along this test and I will just have to remember that I chose to take this test. I can't let Mr. Pain be the ultimate administrator. This is my journey and he can just get the hell out of the way.
The cool thing about taking this test is you can bring food and drink into the classroom. In fact it's encouraged at several key locations along the course. You can bet your bottom dollar that I will be taking full advantage of that benefit.
So the day is nearly here. I have trained as well as I can for this test while maintaining the other commitments I have in my life. A ton of people have supported me along the way. My wife and 2 sons have been incredibly supportive once I embarked on this journey and they are excited to see it come to a conclusion. I appreciate the love and support you all have shown along the way. I couldn't have made this long journey without my family.
All the test I have taken previously have been small steps in my journey towards Ironman. The final step in the journey comes after I cross the finish line in Arizona. My total training consisted of 3,248 miles covered in 400 hours. Hopefully that will be sufficient preparation to close the chapter on my Ironman journey. The next time you see this photo you should see my Ironman race number on the wall. From aspirations to accomplishments! Here we go!
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