Part II: Planting the Seeds

Happy Friday! First and foremost, if you haven’t already read Part I of this series, I highly recommend doing so before delving into Part II (you can read it here!). As promised, here’s the continuation of my unexpected IRONMAN journey. In this blog post I’ll describe the experiences that planted the seeds for what would eventually become the start of my training journey towards completing my first IRONMAN.

Part II of this journey begins in 2018 when I made the decision to run my first half-marathon, which happened to also mark my initial foray into endurance sports. In all honesty, I had no clue about what I was doing or how to train for such an endeavor, but I gave it my all. In fact, the week leading up to the race was nerve-wracking because up to that point the farthest I had ever run was about 5 miles, so to ease my anxiety and reassure myself that I could cover the entire distance, I came up with what I thought was a brilliant idea – running 15 miles just before the race… needless to say, that wasn’t a wise move. After limping back home, I had to nurse my plantar fasciitis-afflicted left foot and deal with the effects of dehydration.

Now, any rational person would heed their body’s signals and the advice of loved ones, opting to skip the race and focus on recovery. But in my mind, this was my inaugural event, and I didn’t want it to end on such a sour note. So, against better judgment, I decided to proceed with the race. Fast forward to the post-race aftermath: I managed to finish it, although I came close to giving up at mile 6, and I’m pretty sure the only reason why I didn’t quit was because I had no cell service to call an Uber. However, I didn’t emerge unscathed; because of my excruciating foot pain from the brilliant idea earlier in the week, my knee had to compensate for my poor running stride, which resulted in a hefty dose of patellar tendonitis – a nagging knee ailment that continues to be the bane of my existence. Fortunately, this time I wasn’t dehydrated, and I had an incredible support system without whose love and encouragement I wouldn’t have completed the race. Following this experience, I decided it was time to heal up and explore a different avenue.

Riding a Bike is a LOT More Fun

Who would have thought that my next venture would involve cycling? While I did enjoy biking during my childhood, I mainly saw it as a means of transportation. However, while recuperating from my injuries, I saved up enough money to purchase my first road bike, and since then, I haven’t looked back.

Gradually, throughout the summer of 2018, I began accumulating more endurance, miles, confidence, and equipment upgrades. I even connected with a few colleagues for post-work rides. It was during this time that I first learned about IRONMAN (IM) thanks to one of these co-workers who had completed them. Even though the thought of long-distance running (not to mention swimming!) seemed unfathomable to me at that point, I couldn’t help but be amazed by his, or anyone’s, willingness to undertake such a challenging race. While I was mildly intrigued, I was nowhere near motivated enough to consider anything like that.

First Century Ride and Planting the Seeds

During the summer of 2018, my IM-inclined colleague, who had by now become a friend, noticed my rapid progress on the bike. He and another friend persuaded me to participate in a century bike ride scheduled for the end of August. By the way, a century ride covers a whopping 100 miles! Given their prior experience, I felt considerably more confident about this endeavor compared to the half marathon. Upon successfully completing this ride (and still in one piece), I was finally hooked.

Shortly after this event, I had an opportunity to discuss other races with my IM friend. It was during this conversation that he began to introduce me to the idea of attempting triathlons, gradually building up to an IRONMAN triathlon. I had no inkling of what lay ahead in terms of training, but shortly after that conversation, armed with newfound confidence (and a bit more money), I registered for the IRONMAN 70.3, which was scheduled for May 2019 in Chattanooga, TN.

Conclusion

As always, I appreciate you taking the time to read this post! In the next and final installment of this series, I will delve into the events that unfolded from my registration for the first IRONMAN 70.3 in 2019 all the way to race day, culminating in the completion of my very first full IRONMAN in 2021.