Ironman

Four years ago I witnessed and volunteered at the inaugural Ironman Texas that is held in The Woodlands. Just this last Saturday was the 5^th Ironman Texas. For those of you not familiar with an Ironman event, it is an endurance race where participants do a 2.4 mile swim, then 112 miles on a bike, followed by a full marathon (26.2 miles).  It is a total of 140.6 miles that has to be completed in 17 hours.  This accomplishment is absolute proof that your body can be pushed to limits beyond what you know.  The pros do it in just over 8 hours.  The bulk of finishers are in the 11 to 14 hour range and there are people crossing the finish line until the end.  Participants come in all ages, sizes, weights and nationalities; they all have a personal goal and their own reason for taking on the challenge.  It is inspiring to watch and even better to be actively involved.  Each year we have a volunteer group that mans a run aid station for over 14 hours.

 I think there are a couple of lessons here…  First and foremost, you can do things physically and mentally that you never dreamed possible.  Never underestimate the power of determination and training.  Secondly, the power of inspiration is a very real thing.  Very few things in life feel as good as personal accomplishment.  It does not have to be an Ironman, in fact most of us regular folks will never do one of those, but we have our own opportunities to set goals.  We can do something that we have never done before.  We can push ourselves mentally and physically farther than we ever imagine…

 Is it time for you to set some new goals?  Based on what I witnessed this weekend, there is no doubt you can do it if you set your mind to it!