The Ironman. It consists of a 2.4 mile swim, followed by cycling for 112 miles and then you finish by running a marathon. 26.2 miles. A distance of 140.6 miles in one day. Crazy, huh?
That's what most people think, my mother included.
What makes some people do things that others would never even contemplate doing? Skydiving. Climbing Everest. Earning a Ph.D. Sailing around the world. Hiking the Appalachian Trail. Completing a marathon in every state. Getting a pilots license. Those all sound incredibly daunting to me and yet people do them all the time.
For me, it's the challenge and the desire I have to become the very best version of me that I possibly can. It's also about living life to the fullest, not being afraid to push myself and the sense of accomplishment that comes with having set a goal and then following a plan to complete that goal. As I try to explain to Mr. Man, when I die, I want people to say "She lived!"
When faced with a difficult situation, something in life that really tests me, I can stop, close my eyes and say to myself "You can do it. You completed an Ironman for crying out loud, you can handle four days alone with a 3 year old!"
To me, that's the 'self-esteem' the self-help guru's talk about. The ability to look deep inside and to know that when the rubber meets the road you have the stuff it takes to get through any difficult situation.
That's why I do it. Well, for that and also knowing that if I have an extra cookie I'll still be able to fit into my skinny jeans.
IRONMAN TEXAS
MAY 21, 2011
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