Starting the transition just out of the water

And then came the Ironmen

"To live the dream is to do what was once thought impossible."

For those that don't know, don't bother trying to comprehend - it's mostly abstract to think that humans can swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run 26.2 miles in succession. Considering that the world's first marathon run by Phidippides resulted in his death from exhaustion, one would think this pursuit was not such a bright idea. However, just as the Greeks were inspired by tragedy and mortal risk, so am I.

My first objective, therefore, was not to die. A worthy goal I thought. But to raise the bar a little my second goal was to finish under in 12 hours (hopefully these were not mutually exclusive).

How can one train to bike 112 miles in Bolivia where there are no roads you ask? It requires a bit of determination. Seeing as I was attempting to avoid my mortal demise, I was sufficiently determined.

So after a year of training the day finally came. It was everything I expected and more. There were 2,000 competitors and about 20,000 spectators. I loved every minute of it, even the painful moments. I couldn't get the smile off my face. Finally, I was actually doing the Ironman. After a slow swim I passed over 500 people on the bike and run legs to finish in 11 hours and 48 minutes.

I was so completely elated I didn't even feel sore. It was great to know that all that work finally amounted to something.