• Live in or move to climate where you can train outdoors all year round.
• Work part-time.
• Have a supportive partner or if single, be comfortable with little money or independently wealthy.
  
• If you have kids, wait until they are old enough to take care of themselves to a certain extent. If they're little 'uns, adopt them out or something. Maybe put them in an orphanage in Haiti for a few years.
  
• Train your butt off.
  
• Become accustomed to the weekly workloads you will require to complete the challenge. ie 17 miles of swimming, 784 miles of cycling, 182 miles of running. If any of these weekly distances on their own are intimidating or unattainable, (mentally or physically), persevere until they aren't.
  
• Regularly max out your weekly swim totals in excess of 20 miles/week (while still maintain significant bike and run training).
• Regularly max out your weekly bike totals in excess of 600 miles/week (while still maintain significant swim and run training).
• Regularly max out your weekly run totals in excess of 120 miles/week (while still maintain significant swim and bike training).
• Race regularly for a minimum of 5 years; Ironman and ultra tri and long ultra marathons (100 to 150 milers, 24 or 48 Hour/6 Day races,stage races of 40 to 50 miles/day for 2 weeks or more).
  
• Complete at least one deca iron triathlon before attempting the challenge.
• Enjoy the process of getting to the goal, both training and racing. Make your training fun. Have some strong friendships among your training buddies in all three disciplines.
• Don't only train with triathletes. Train with people who are also knocking out the long stuff. eg have friends who will phone you up and say "You up for a 60 mile trail run on Saturday?" or up for 10 km of open water.
  
• Have a knowledgeable, cohesive and experienced support crew, largely selected from those who have crewed for you previously.
  
• Take some time to support other people in their endeavours. Crew for others, volunteer at races, willingly pass on what you have learned to assist others.
  
• Appreciate that goodwill, generosity and a sense of community makes endurance sports what they are. Be a part of that community, (or more likely several communities).
  

Again, a CK greater than 366 U/L for adult men and greater than 176 U/L for adult women is considered abnormal in a resting state and a CK greater than five times the upper limit of normal is diagnostic for non-exertional rhabdomyolysis. We know, for example, from the 2010 Western States 100 that the average CK blood level immediately post-race was 32,965 U/L and ranged from 1,500 to 264,300 U/L.