On Saturday, I was captivated by the streaming “live” coverage of the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. Whether it was watching the pro athletes with their amazing speed and strength or the age groupers who were giving it everything they had to cross the finish line. The coverage was filled with both triumph and heartbreak.
The 2012 race even included the return of Julie Moss, who 30 years ago crawled her way into Ironman lore by dragging her shattered body across the final yards of the course in front of a live televised coverage. In fact, Julie’s moment, captured for posterity by ABC Sports, caused a huge spike in Ironman participation in subsequent years. Her sheer determination was an inspiration for the next generation of Ironman enthusiasts. This year, she finished in a very respectable 12:35:58.
Let’s face it, when you are pushing your body for 8 to 17 hours as you swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 mile and run 26.2 miles, you will see the best of the human spirit. I sat staring at my computer screen, captivated by the unfolding journey of the nearly 2,000 athletes. While not always as dramatic as Julie Moss’s, each one had their story.
For those of us that have guzzled the Ironman kool-aid, it’s not unusual for others to be truly bewildered, and even stupefied, by our obsession. We’ve all heard, “You’re crazy!” or “You must be nuts.” And while I’m not arguing that I don’t have one or two screws loose, let me give you a quick glimpse into the crazy minds of endurance athletes everywhere. So why do we do what we do?
We do it because we can. Not everyone is fortunate to have their health and the simple ability to do what they love. We relish the opportunity. When someone says, “Why?” we are the ones who matter-of-factly respond “Why not?”
We do it to test ourselves. We are not satisfied with the status quo. If we were, we’d gladly hit the snooze button on our alarm and 5:00 a.m. and sleep in. Our relentless training and our push on race day is preparation for our challenges in life. It’s a test of human spirit, a test of our physical limits, and yes, most importantly a test of our minds. Because at the end of the day, once you’ve done an Ironman, you know that you have the capacity to do anything you set your mind to. And it’s an awesome feeling.
We do it to be better. Not just better athletes, but better people. You can’t go out for a 20-mile run or an 80-mile bike ride without a couple of things happening. First, you learn to appreciate more acutely. Whether it’s the beauty of that winding country road your riding on or the solitude of your own thoughts, you have a chance to be contemplative and humbled. Second, you have to be disciplined and figure out a way to make everything you juggle fall into place. So, you start to be more focused. You become better at what you do. And you become even better at figuring out what’s important and what’s not.
Of course, you don’t have to be an endorphin freak to grow and change. But it sure doesn’t hurt!
