So you want to do an Ironman?  For whatever reason, you've decided you want to do one and you're curious as to what it takes and probably as equally curious about whether or not you can actually finish one.  It sounds like such an incredible feat but I assure you, if you make the commitment... let me repeat that... if you make the COMMITMENT, you will succeed.  It sounds like such a bold statement for me to make but having crossed that finish line, I know what it takes.

So let's first talk about the commitment.  When you sign up for an Ironman, you're not just signing your name to that list; you're also signing the names of your family and friends who will support you through this process.  And this is why I believe that when you make the decision, you should also include them in decision making process.

Other than commitment, there's one other essential component to your success... confidence.  And that confidence is built through the entire training process.  While I was composing my thoughts on this topic, I started thinking about the training and in my mind I have this picture of a stack of building blocks.  Each block represents a single workout but it's the accumulation of all of those workouts that enable you to complete an Ironman.

If you've never done any training before, you'll start off with a single workout and a goal.  Let's say your first workout is to run one mile.  You set out to complete that task and when you're done you put down one building block.  The next time you set out, your goal is to run two miles.  You already know you can run one mile, now you just need to run another.  And that's how these building blocks are assembled and before you know it, you've already run 5 miles, 10 miles, a half marathon, etc.

While you're working on your running, you're also incorporating swimming and biking and your confidence is getting built up along the way as you increase your mileage.  And then one day you get a brick workout.  For those unfamiliar with this term, a brick workout is a multiple discipline workout.  For example, a brick workout is typically a bike-run workout but it can also be a swim-bike, run-bike-run, or any combination you can imagine.  The point of the workout is to get your body used to transitioning between the disciplines.  The first time you get a brick workout, it could be a 50 mile bike followed immediately by a 6 mile run.  And while that might look scary, you will have already covered more than 50 miles on your bike and 6 miles of running.  It is at that moment, your confidence will kick in and you'll say to yourself:  "I've already covered those distances respectively.  Now all I need to do is put the two together."  Upon completion of your first brick, you will have even more confidence and another block goes to the pile.

I don't want to get too technical in this article because there are plenty of articles and training plans that cover all of those aspects.  What I want to talk about is the mental aspects of this process which are really the root of what's going to get you to the finish line.  If you want to do an Ironman, you believe that you can do an Ironman, you WILL do an Ironman.  It's that simple!  By the time you get to the starting line, you will have covered an incredible amount of distance in all three disciplines and all you will need to do is put it all together.  And like the many brick workouts you will have completed leading up to race day, for the first time, you will put together a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike, and ending with a 26.2 mile run.  And you too will be an Ironman!

If you're considering Ironman, I want to make a couple of book recommendations.  The first is "Going Long" by Gordo Byrn and Joe Friel.  The description:  "Going Long provides triathletes with a clear blueprint for building endurance and improving their skills."

The second book is "Becoming an Ironman" by Kara Douglas Thom.  The description:  "A collection of personal stories about the experience of competing in one's first Ironman triathlon."

Regardless of whether you use a coach, find a training plan on the Internet, or design your own plan, you should own "Going Long" because it is packed full of knowledge.  This book is literally sitting on my bedside table and I still open it periodically for information.  The second book is more of an inspirational book than anything else.  No matter where you are in the spectrum, this book has someone that is just like you.  Coincidentally, this book is also on my bedside table since I am re-reading it.

The night before an Ironman event, there will be a pre-race meeting to discuss the course, answer any questions, and let you know of any last minute changes.  There's usually a guest speaker or two and they ask the group some questions to give you an opportunity to learn something about your competitors.  At the pre-race meeting at Coeur d'Alene this year, the host asked the group:  "How many people lost a significant amount of weight in their training for this event?"  He then asked those individuals to stand.  I looked around the room and there were quite a few people standing.  He then asked those individuals to sit back down if they'd lost 10 pounds, then 20, then 30 and so on.  When they got to 80 pounds, there were only two guys left standing.  He said 90 pounds but neither sat.  He asked them to come up to the stage.  When both guys were on stage, he asked them to whisper in his ear how much weight they'd lost.  It turns out they both lost 92 pounds through the process of training for Ironman.

It seems like losing 92 pounds in of itself is quite the task and here are two guys who not did that but also trained for Ironman in the process.  I was completely humbled by their commitment.  (There's that word again.)