For years, I’ve trained everyday for the Ironman competition here in Madison, WI. I did well for all of my races, especially for the bike event. I never took the event too seriously and tried to have as much fun as possible. It was not uncommon to go through 2-3 beers during the run.

what went wrong

I was burned out by the second year. I didn’t realize it at the time. Looking back, it seemed like almost everyone else could see it clearly and would try to let me know. When I first started, it was the audacity of the entire thing that appealed to me. I was already biking and running everyday for funsies and Ironman wasn’t that much of a leap for me. Making the sport my lifestyle was not exactly what I had in mind although that is what happened for four years. To this day I scratch my head quite vigorously trying to figure out how that happened.

quitting

Quitting Ironman was tough for me. I thought I was somehow letting people down, that I was an inspiration to my family and friends and they were depending on me. That perception was self induced and not sure how I arrived at those conclusions. It is interesting to think about since it could explain other behaviors that aren’t necessarily in my own self-interest.

life after ironman

After throwing in the towel, I rediscovered my love for adventuring. Every morning, I strap on a backpack and run commute to work or wherever I happen to be going. I enjoy traveling and doing endurance events with friends and couldn’t care less about time/speed.

conclusion

I have realized that people are able to see what I am completely blind to. If open-minded, I can avoid a lot of pain and hardship by listen to the feedback people are giving me.

Ironman