Feb 16, 2017 5:09 am

Good morning,

Over the last couple of weeks I have been thinking about blogging about the 6 months leading up to my race at IRONMAN COUER D’ALENE 2017 (forever known as CDA). I never have blogged before. I have written some finance articles on line but never a running commentary. When it came down to it I thought, if nothing else, I would have something to look back on and laugh (or cry) about and remember this time. If anyone reads this I hope to entertain, inform, give some insight to what it is like training for an IRONMAN.

This is my 3rd IRONMAN. I completed IRONMAN CANADA in 2004 and IRONMAN CDA in 2008. I have completed dozens of triathlons, 8 marathons and numerous half marathons and 10kms. I am a lousy swimmer. Dislike swimming very much. Hate is a strong word and would prefer not use that so I “dislike” swimming. However, in order to complete a triathlon of any distance you have to swim.

An IRONMAN is a 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike and a 42 km run. Yes, completed all in one day:-) I believe you have to finish by midnight. I can’t remember what time the race starts ( I have time to figure out when to show up ) but I think it is around 17 hours to finish. My first IRONMAN took me around 15 hours and 36 minutes to complete and my second IRONMAN 4 years later took me 14 hours and 34 minutes to complete.

Which brings me to the WHY.

WHY would anyone want to do an IRONMAN? The challenge I suppose. Seeing how far you can push yourself. It is a long, tough day no matter how fast you are. If you are the best in the world you will be moving for 8 hours. If you are a slug like me, more like 14 – 15 hours. I don’t work that long in a day!

So, WHY, after 9 years of not swimming and not doing any triathlons would I decide to do another one? My wife talked me into it. Really, that is the truth. My good friend LAZ ( you will learn more about the cast of characters doing this race with me in my next blog) said he was going to do IRONMAN CDA in Aug 27, 2017. I said, like a true friend or a fool, that I would do the training with him. Not the swim part, just biking and running. Had no interest in getting back in the pool after not swimming since 2008. After a day of mountain biking this past July, we were sitting in a pub having a beer, like all good mountain bike days end, when she said “You should enter the race.” Me “Nope”. Jen “If you are going to do the training, you might as well do the race.” Me “Nope”.

About 3 weeks went by. The more I thought about it the more I thought that it would be an accomplishment to go back to CDA, my last IRONMAN in 2008, go back as a 50 year old and beat my time as a 41 year old. 50 vs 41. Show Father Time a thing or two. The more I thought about it, the more that motivated me. So in August of 2016, the day after the 2016 race in CDA, I signed up…and paid. People pay to do this?

SUCKERS!

No turning back now.

My goal for IRONMAN CDA 2017 is to beat my time from IRONMAN CDA 2008. I will provide more details on the specifics of my goal in an upcoming blog.

So here we are. Just over 6 months to go. Race day is August 27, 2017. Cray, Cray, as the kids say. I think they still say that? Do they still say that?

I hope to blog regularly, maybe 3 times per week. Hope to keep it informative, fun and entertaining. If anyone reads this, enjoy. If no one reads this, I will be able to look back and relive this while I am laying on the couch eating donuts and drinking beer and say “once, I was in shape.”

Scott