5 Reasons to Do an Ironman

If you're just starting out in triathlons and tell someone you're thinking about doing an Ironman they'll probably look at you like you're crazy. Tell someone else, and they'll regale you with stories of the time they did 4 in one year. Everyone's got a different reason for going 140.6 miles, but if you can't figure out why you want to do one, here's 5 -- courtesy of Ray Gill at myfitnessdepot.com.

1. Test Your Limits

There are few things in life more challenging than 2.4 miles in the water, 112 miles in the saddle, and 26.2 miles on your feet. In the same day. Back-to-Back-to-Back. As you progress through the sport of triathlon, you will start by questioning if you can swim-bike-run even a Sprint distance all in a row. Then once you do you will question the Olympic distance. You will continue to question the longer distances until youprove to yourself that you can or cannot complete them. A lot of people are satisfied with the knowledge that they can complete a Sprint distance triathlon and I applaud them for being active and testing their limits. Others want to keep pushing until they know for sure what they can put their body and mind through.

2. Sense of Accomplishment

Endurance sports, as a whole, are all about setting goals and the attempt to attain them. Whether that goal is being able to run a 5K or complete an Ironman. The bigger the goal the greater the sense of accomplishment. It just makes sense to set your goals high and reach for the upper echelon of your abilities. Only then can you truly believe you have accomplished what you are truly capable of.

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If you choose not to race, volunteer!

I wanted to race the Nautica Malibu Triathlon a couple Saturdays ago (the Olympic distance naturally) but no dice...it sells out every year and this year was no exception. Still wanting to get my tri juices flowing, I decided to join the army of yellow shirt wearing volunteers and do what I can to make sure everyone else had a great race.

I signed up for the 4:30am - 12pm shift and was among the throngs of athletes already filling the parking lot heading towards the transition area before the sun came up. There's something eerily calm about an empty beach at night.

I was stationed in the transition area with the lucky or unlucky task of body marking, depending on how you look at it. With a big fat Sharpie comes great responsibility. Instead of meekly standing in the middle of the main thoroughfare looking bored and lonely, I hawked my craft: "Get yer body markings here! I may be a guy, but I can draw smiley faces and flowers like a cute blonde girl!"

If you're ever are tasked with writing on someone else with a fat magic marker, there are 2 things you learn quickly: 1) it's easier to have good control and write on flabby pasty arms and calves than tan defined ones, and 2) it doesn't matter how big and fat your marker is, if their body is covered in hair or suntan lotion even the ink doesn't want to go near it and your marker will play dead.

The second task of the day was monitoring the relay transition area which was about 30 yars from the Swim In/Bike In gates. I've never been on a relay team, so this part was new to me: apparently people like to cheat. My job was to make sure that people stayed clear of the entrance to the stalls so that all timing chip handoffs could occur in front of the bike rack and off the main walkway. Twice I saw guys sneak around the back so they could be right to hand off the timing chip the instant their teammate entered transition. Total time saved? About 10 seconds. Total insults hurled in their direction? 10^2.

The third task of the day was by far my favorite. Positioned at the finish line, I sat in the sand and cut timing chip anklets off of sweaty, bloody legs with a pair of kindergarten safety scissors. Rarely looking up, I'd see a pair of legs, congratulate them on doing a great job and getting

their master to the finish, then offer to take their timing chip. This was the classic Sprint race and I think about the 1 hr 45 min mark. Athletes of all shapes, sizes, and hydration levels found their way to me...and every

single one of them smiling.

I was most surprised about the feeling I got when people heartfully thanked me for volunteering. Relieved and exhausted, these athletes who've just swam half a mile, biked 11 miles, and then ran 3 miles, could have all kinds of thoughts at the end of a race (I know I have). But for them to look you in the eye, say thanks, and give you a high five -- they are really sweaty and gross after all -- speaks volumes. And honestly, it feels nice to be thanked for doing a generally thankless job.

So next time you cross that line and you see the army of kids wielding safety scissors and water bottles, flash them a smile and thank them for being there. Now that I think about it, the registration table volunteers, the water hander outers, the people who point you in the right direction at a fork in the road, and whoever hands you a medal deserves a thank you too. If anything, you'll make them feel better about being there instead of sleeping in that morning.