Sometimes I think the whole IM thing is way overrated or at least built up too much in the mind of a first time racer. I did my first IM at CDA this year and had a great time. Some of my friends told me it would be a life altering experience or at least one of the greatest moments in my life. Maybe I am just jaded but it wasn’t really that big of a deal. My epiphany was that it is just a long aerobic session testing how long you can grind it out. Granted I am pretty slow (11:37), but I thought an ok time for an over 40 guy doing this on 10-12 hours a week. It almost felt like a journey as opposed to a race.
Now two months after the race I rarely think about it and haven’t even worn the finishers shirt. I am not a changed person or feel special. Completing one of these just proves you can swim 2.4, bike 112 and run 26.2 …nothing more really. Anyone else feel this way?
Some of my friends told me it would be a life altering experience or at least one of the greatest moments in my life
I suppose it depends on how boring or sucky your life was before you did the IM. Sounds like yours was fine and you’ve probably done enough interesting stuff in your life that just completing an IM isn’t enough to rise to that mythic state.
On one hand it had the tendency to build a bit of confidence on the other hand It’s not that big of deal.
“Life altering” not in the sense of a near death experiance but more in the sense of changing careers if that makes any sense.
I think alot of people “overrate” IM’s. It was fun, I really enjoyed the experiance, will do it again, hopefully lots of times…but it’s not my life.
Oh and the finishers Shirt I don’t wear…it was ugly. Did get a fleece I wear quite often…mostly becasue I don’t have anything else to wear for the spring and fall seasons.
I think you bring up a really good point. I’m about to do my first Ironman at Moo, and I have this sneaking suspicion that, although I’ll be thrilled with finishing, I will not feel as though I just did the most amazing thing in my life.
I’m honestly not trying to be cavalier about this. It’s just that through the course of my training, I’ve become comfortable with the distances and I am able to wrap my brain around it. Perhaps the fact that I recently put in an 11-hour training day has helped bring the event down to size in my perspective? (In know…it’s just one training session. Please don’t flame me!) Anyway, I dunno. Maybe I’m wrong, but I’ve given this some thought already, and I’m glad you brought it up.
Don’t get me wrong: this isn’t to say that I take the event lightly or that I don’t respect the distance of the race.
I guess I got to thinking about this because before I decided to train for IMoo, I had done a good number of marathons. The first marathon was quite a remarkable personal accomplishment. But as I did more and more, they became “just another race.” Sure, the preparation involved greatly surpasses that for a 10k or even a 1/2 marathon, but a finish line is still just that: a finish line.
I do marathons and other road races because I love running and I have a fair amount of success in the races I do. I love the people and the atmosphere of the races, as well as all the friends I’ve made. I got into tris because I wanted to challenge myself beyond the marathon distance (ultramarathoning wasn’t an option due to injury). I’ve had so much fun training for IMoo. It’s been more about the journey thus far. I’m sure I will have a blast and be humbled by IM, but not simply because I (hopfully) made it to the finish line. It will be because of all I experienced out on the course, and all I experienced in my training to get to the starting line.
I’m anxious to hear what other people have to say about this.
TriMike, I did my first one in 1991. It was not a life altering experience in the sense that I had some huge emotional type of feeling like I did when I got married or became a father. The day or weeks after the Ironman, things were no different than before.
But over the course of the last 14 years, I have done 12 Ironmans total, and they have changed my life in the sense that my lifestyle includes training, racing and preparing for one BIG day each year that the bulk of my prep is centred around. My family accomodates and supports this. So yes, I am a different person than I would have been than if I did not embark on this journey over a decade ago. But that is just me.
Each Ironman finish is special. Just like the first. In fact, each one is even more special. When I was 25, I felt invincible and immortal. It was no big deal. Now s few months short of 40, each one of these finishes is like gold. I assume that each one is my last and that I won’t make it to next year’s start line. This won’t stop me from trying to get to next year’s start line, but I no longer assume that it is a gimme.
I’d say that the first would rank pretty high in terms of life experience if, say, you’d been a 300lbs couch potato, caught a glimpse of Kona on TV, decided to sign up for IM, improved your health, changed your life around and inspired countless people along the way.
Otherwise, it’s just another lesson in goal setting but doesn’t rank as high as goals like finishing university, saving for the downpayment on your first house, raising good kids or staying married for 30 years.
Setting a goal and realizing it makes us want to set more challenging goals. That’s probably the most important thing. Perhaps if you haven’t set or met many goals in your life, IM is a good chance to kick-start that process.
Last summer I scrambled four 3000m peaks in a single day. It took ~12h. This summer I did IMCdA and it took about the same time. Both were pretty cool experiences but I’d be more apt to talk about all the hiking I’ve done because, quite frankly, it makes for a more interesting story.
Yes…99% of the people could do them if they got off their duff’s and trained. Not an event that is to difficult to finish.
Catfish
Interesting statement. I’d agree that 99% of people who do the training can do an IM, but that’s just because the training is harder than the event. 90% of completing an IM is getting to the start line healthy. I’m not sure I’d agree that 99% of the general population could do the training.
Depends upon the individual. I’ve done an IM. Personally it does not rank in the top five hardest things I’ve done physically in my life. It’s a long day though to be sure, but again not the longest, nowhere near the longest. To others though, it could be the life altering event that sets them onto a path they otherwise would never have taken. I think each individual will find a different reason, motivation and response to the experience.
Now my boss and co-workers think it is a HUGE accomplishment, something they are still talking about since April.
For me, IM is a snapshot of life itself. It isnt the race that is important, it is what you have dealt with to get to the finish line. In other words, it is not what happens to you it is how you deal with it that is important.
A couple of years before my first one I had a foot crushed in an accident and was told I would never run again. By God’s grace, the drs were wrong, way wrong.
I got the m dot on the calf behind that foot to remind me to never give up. Neither on myself or on life.
Yes, Im is all that to me.
15 months from #3.
Keith
You and I are living parallel lives (OK, I did a 12:20, but still). I’ve been thinking about this for a couple of weeks. I have the same feeling as you in some ways but I also feel more accomplished in that I did the training plan I set out, over the cold and dark and rainy months leading up to “race” day AND gave up alcohol for six months. Given my life of full time careerist and family man, going anything faster than 11 or 12 hours was just not feasible for me. So without a Kona slot in the balance, it’s somewhere MOP plus or minus. So I’m back to Oly level training and feeling good but haven’t signed up for any races (Mike, thinking about a re-match at Bethel Island?).
I wear my shirt around the house though. The girls really like it. And I have my coffee in my blue mug; tastes pretty good out of that cup.
Great question. I did my first one at Florida 3 years ago after a very long and successful cycling and duathlon career (20 years of racing)…I remember crossing the finish line thinking “This is it? That’s all?” Winning a National Championship in cycling was WAY more meaningful. I think a lot of it depends on your background. Competitive athlete or couch potato? Don’t get me wrong…I get a huge kick out of finishing (3 so far)…the one I got a kick out of was LP this year…it was my slowest, but in many ways it was my best (last year was a death march with blisters)…I have decided it is far more Life Altering if you approach IM with a more spiritual attitude (what can I learn from it? Where can it take me?) rather then using the Qualify For Kona or Sub 12:00hr barometer.
Some of my friends told me it would be a life altering experience or at least one of the greatest moments in my life
I suppose it depends on how boring or sucky your life was before you did the IM. Sounds like yours was fine and you’ve probably done enough interesting stuff in your life that just completing an IM isn’t enough to rise to that mythic state.
When I am fit, I go to win, except the really big races. I know I can’t go 8:45 at IM, but think I can go 4:20 at a half IM and sometimes that will win most local/regional stuff. So far, I haven’t won anything except really small races. I’m not sure I would race if I didn’t think I could be at the front or competing for a Hawaii slot.
