Endurance Triathalons: Why?

Hey Blog,

Long time no talk.

It has been a substantial amount of time since I last laid hands on a keyboard to type a post. Well here is a feeble, but determined effort to begin to re-connect to the blogosphere of Stadium 110.

So Ironman Triathalons: When I first looked at one of these events I wondered why anyone in their right mind would want to compete in such a long race. As I looked into more and more events, I decided that it was my time to give it a chance. I signed up for a race 10 months in advance and hit the ground running with my training.
Rather than going into specifics about my training I figured I would talk about how I felt. The more and more the miles of biking, swimming, and running piled on I realized something; training for something the length of an ironman made training purposeful. Once again I found myself working hard day in and day out to succeed in the end result. What does this all remind us of:
Swimming. Yes, all those grueling hours in the pool, working 6 days a week to swim a 20 something second race (or 17 minutes for a mile or so). All those times I thought "what is the point of all of this". As I was training for my ironman I realized, it was never about the end, but about the journey. My teammates, my failures, my success, all were part of a larger journey that I am just now starting to appreciate. It's funny how time changes ones perspective.
When I finally competed in the Ironman, I crashed on my bike and had to go to the hospital. I was upset for training so hard and not finishing, but at the same time I realized what an incredible experience I had in the preparations.
As I sign up for my next full Ironman, I realize that way to make the most of the event, is to enjoy every mile run, every stroke taken, and every gear shifted. I am looking forward to the journey ahead.