Debunking Endurance Racing Myths: Why Anyone Can Conquer an Ironman

People’s reasons for not participating in an Ironman or Endurance event normally fall into one of these categories:

REASON 1: “I'M TOO BIG OR SLOW TO DO AN IRONMAN.”

Have you ever watched an Ironman in person?  If you have you will have witnessed athletes of all ages, shapes and sizes racing on the exact same course as the professionals.  It's a very personal journey, and people will have different goals on the day. These can range from just finishing to qualifying for the world champs—my point is there are very few if any barriers to competing if you are willing to chase your goal.  If you watch an Ironman in person I suspect you will be inspired to take on a challenge of your own.

REASON 2: “I’D NEVER HAVE THE TIME FOR IRONMAN TRAINING.”

When people say this to me, I ask them what TV programs they watch or how much time they spend on social media.  I'm picking it could well be 10 hours a week!  That's a chunk of time that could be used to achieve your goals.  So essentially it is a question of priorities—we can find time if we want to—it is up to you if you choose it to be on the couch watching TV or preparing yourself for an epic challenge.

REASON 3: “I’D HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO START.”

Have you ever faced a scenario at work where you needed to reach out to experts for help solving a problem?  What’s the difference between that and approaching an Endurance challenge. Look for someone who has completed one recently and ask them how they went about it, start your research there.  Better still, you could seek out a qualified coach to help guide you on your journey.

REASON 4: “I COULD NEVER SWIM THAT FAR”

When I first started trainig to compete in Ironman I couldn't swim one length of a 50m pool.  A few years later I was completing the 3.8km in less than 60mins.  If you'e on Aucklands North Shore Fitter Swimming has some great squads which will improve your swimming ability in leaps and bounds.  With a little help swimming the 3.8km will become very achievable.

REASON 5: “I HAVE NEVER EVEN RUN A MARATHON.”

When people ask this I usually ask them if they’ve ever swam 3.8km or ridden 180km. Most of the time their answer is never.  People fixate too much on the marathon element of an Ironman, maybe because it's a more tangible event that they can get their head around.  It's not necessary to have completed a marathon before an Ironman.  Come race day it's just a long run at the end of a long day!

If you train and prepare properly, you will be amazed at what you can achieve.