The Decision
“Heights by great men/women reached and kept were not obtained by sudden flight but, while their companions slept, they were toiling upward in the night”—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I don’t really know why I decided to sign up for the Ford Ironman triathlon in Lake Placid, NY (IMLP). A 2.4 mile open water swim with 2,500 athletes in Mirror Lake, followed by a 112 mile bike ride through the Adirondacks and capped off by a 26.2 mile run that all must be completed in 17 hours for the results to be official.
Sunday, July 24, 2011. 7am. cannon start while treading water in the lake. What could be better? If you want a great laugh, go to YouTube and search on swim start for any Ironman race. Until you’ve had this experience, there is little the written word can do to explain it.
Endurance athletics were not part of my upbringing. Sure, football, basketball, baseball, golf and other opportunities filled my youth, high school and college years. I loved it all and the desire to always give my best effort, no matter how big or small the endeavor, is part of my DNA. So it should come as no surprise that when I decided to give something like triathlon a shot, why not set my sights high?
I just turned 40 years old and, although I refuse to believe that this was some sort of mid-life “thing,” perhaps it was. I did create a one-year bucket list (a list of things I had never done before and vowed to accomplish in this calendar year). Among other things, this was certainly at the top of the list.
In 2010, a good friend had completed IMLP. Over dinner not soon after his accomplishment, I recall being so moved by his journey, I registered the next day. Soon after filling out my registration form, paying the (costly) entrance fee and receiving my confirmation from Ironman, I can still feel the anxiety that rushed through me as I thought, “What the (bleep) did I just do?!!!” Well, it’s GAME TIME!!!
The Training
“The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses—behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights”—Muhammad Ali
Although I had been working out and getting in better shape leading up to the decision to compete at IMLP, there was not much that my P90X and Insanity DVD’s were going to do for me now (except maybe the Yoga and stretch videos). So my next step was to hire a coach who trains triathletes. He would send me weekly training schedules and my job was to follow it. No problem there. My Meyers-Briggs “ESTJ” results would tell you that.
I have a little over 11 months to train and prepare for the “big day.” Early on, I recall watching a TV show on Navy Seal training (not that I am comparing what I went through to their experiences). When interviewed, I recall a common theme spoken by each of the successful graduates: “Don’t allow your mind to get ahead of what you are doing right now. If you think about what’s next, you will fail. If you stay in the moment and pass one test at a time, you will survive.” Easier said than done.
When I contemplated my days through the fall, winter, spring and into July, I would get nervous, anxious and doubtful about completing this event. It was overwhelming. Like I learned from the ultimate endurance athletes during that Seal show, handle what’s in front of you. One step at a time. One mile at a time. One foot at a time. In short, enjoy the journey.
With each passing day, my training brought me confidence and taught me life lessons that had managed to elude me for 40 years. There is a level of sacrifice that’s required to finish an Ironman: time, nutrition, daily routine (again ESTJ). It introduced me to new things—snow shoe racing through the winter, Bikram Yoga (especially appreciated on a blistering cold February day) and spinning classes. Lots and lots of spinning classes. Also, new people have come into my life. Wonderful folks. Friends for a lifetime.
Muhammad Ali’s quote could not be more apt for this undertaking. While others are sleeping, spending time with family, shopping, doing their hobbies or otherwise living their lives, Ironman trainees are probably swimming, biking or running somewhere. One time, I recall having to be at work for a Saturday open house. 7am arrival time in the office. I also had to run 15 miles that day. I was not going to feel like doing it after the open house so the decision was made -- get up and do it early. Up at 3am. Running by 4am. Done by 6am. Showered and dressed for work by 7am. A very typical sequence of events for an IM-in-training.
Early mornings and I never got along. They avoided me and I left them alone. This had been our agreement since adolescence. Until Ironman training came around, that is. I’ve seen more sunrises in the last year and each one is more beautiful, in my heart and to my eyes, than the last one. I am a richer person for it. The streets have a quietness and serenity about them when it’s still dark and just before the sun enters the scene. No treadmills for me. Every mile logged was done outside no matter the temperature or weather conditions. I kept telling myself, “This could be race day.”
Another benefit—the jumpstart to my day feels incredible.
In the end, my training went off without a hitch. I stayed (relatively) injury free. It was through this commitment to training that told me I was going to finish IMLP. I may have to crawl across that finish line, but I would finish. With sincere dedication to preparation, the race should be the cherry on top of the sundae. No doubt!!!
Oh yeah, speaking of junk food (and I love to eat), I now weigh what I weighed in college as an undergrad. I now have a big section of my closet with clothes that are too big; a wonderful byproduct of living the multi-sport lifestyle.
The Race
“Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your objective. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm”—Ralph Waldo Emerson
On Sunday, July 24, 2011 at 6:59:59am EST, I was treading water at the start line for the IMLP swim. At 7am, the cannon boom signified the official start of the race for the age-groupers (or amateurs). In that very second during the countdown to 7am, I can recall the water temperature against the little bit of skin that was not covered by the wetsuit; how the water tasted; those around me in the lake; what the sky looked like; and approximately where in the growing crowd of onlookers were my friends. I was “connected” and confident. It was finally time to fire and I was ready. Waves of bad emotions/thoughts battled to creep in, but a strong mind and body can keep them at bay. I finished the swim in 74 minutes, the bike in 6 hours and 18 minutes and the marathon was 4 hours and 20 minutes. Tack on some transition time and I finished the entire event in 12 hours and 6 minutes. I was very, very happy.
The single best piece of advice that I was given by other experienced athletes was to simply, “stay in the moment.” Like the Navy Seal training from the TV show, don’t think too far ahead. Be present and enjoy what’s happening while it’s happening. Having taken this advice to heart, I sit here today typing this reflection and I can still feel the day’s warmth. I can taste the chicken broth drank on the last leg of the run (the sodium at that point tasted better than a Callahan-cut of prime rib from The Palm II in NYC). On the bike, I recall meeting a guy from Canada (Go Bruins!!) and another from New Jersey. Two of the many conversations had that day. Seeing the sheer cliffs of Whiteface Mountain was amazing. And the Olympic spirit that helps define Lake Placid was never more than a stone’s throw away. Actually, the finish line for IMLP is on the outdoor, speed-skating oval next door to the famed hockey arena (and, yes, I do believe in miracles). The ski jump structures are almost always visible with whispers of gold medal jumps and haunts of agonizing crashes. Faces in the crowd. Thousands of close family and friends that did not discriminate, or economize, their cheers for all athletes that were courageous enough to “toe the line” that day. Most ingenious award goes to the group of 20-something’s on the front lawn of a summer rental that bordered the run course. They had rigged a stationary bike to a blender and, when pedaled, it would produce margaritas. Needless to say, that bike got almost as much use as the athlete’s tri-bikes.
The After
“Pain is temporary, finishing is forever!!!”—author unknown
This quote was printed in large letters on poster board and tacked to a tree along the bike course. Since the ride was two, 56-mile loops, I saw it twice. Both times it made my eyes well up and my throat choke to the point where I had to breathe deeply for composure. At 25 mph on a bike, watery eyes are not beneficial.
Upon finishing, my legs were shaking uncontrollably; I was freezing cold; hungry but couldn’t eat; thirsty but couldn’t drink; it hurt to walk but I had to keep moving; one stair required a full, upper-body effort including a spotter “just in case”; a flight of stairs was just plain cruel; 3 days of varying degrees of soreness all over; a metabolism that begged for normalcy (my stomach is still not on good speaking terms with me despite my repeated apologies); and cuts/scratches/abrasions whose origins could not be accounted for.
Oh yeah, I registered for IMLP 2012!!!
Steve Soba is an Assistant Vice President of student recruitment at Southern New Hampshire University and has been with SNHU since 2002. Since completing Ironman Lake Placid, he has already started planning his races for 2012 which includes IMLP-12!