Most people would love to complete an Ironman, but are put off for one reason or another. In this week’s blog post I look at 10 reasons you should definitely sign up, as well as 10 reasons you may not want to, in the name of balance.
You will grow as a person
A challenge like an Ironman will push you to your absolute limit several times in training and on race day.
You will find a resilience you never knew you had, will let go of comforts you previously thought sacred and gain a new level of self belief as you tick off each session.
Crossing an Ironman finish line will change your life for the better, and teach you valuable life lessons along the way.
It will improve your mental health
Depression, anxiety, low self esteem and high levels of stress are all commonplace. No longer such a taboo, many of us are wondering how we can find a sense of peace among a barrage of unwanted thoughts and emotions.
The combination of socialisation, physical exercise and a sense of purpose can do wonders for someone’s wellbeing. As we feel ourselves get fitter and achieve things we never thought possible,
I am not suggesting Ironman training is a cure all for mental health disorders, for some it may have very little to no effect, but there are tens of thousands who have found peace through triathlon, including myself, so there’s definitely some kind of connection.
You will get incredibly fit
Forget dragging yourself to the gym every day, between swimming, cycling, running and strength work, you will become one of the most rounded, fittest people you’ll ever meet.
This is of course fantastic for our health and wellbeing in the short term, but more importantly It will protect us against the ageing process.
While those who neglect exercise are more likely to develop poor posture, require mobility aids or suffers falls as they age, the fitness you gain from Ironman training will go an enormous way to slowing this decline.
It can make you a better partner, friend and employee
It’s true that Ironman training takes up a lot of time (more on that later), but it teaches you to be more present and engaged when you are with your loved ones.
Sure, someone is at home with their family when sat watching sport on the TV all Sunday, but are they actually spending time with their family?
Ironman training will take you away from other areas of your life, but it also teaches you to make the most of the time you have with the people that matter instead of just existing in the same space as them.
While how you show up at work isn’t as important as your role at home, many report being more productive and focused at work with regular exercise. When work doesn’t feel like such a grind,
You will feel a strong sense of purpose
Having the huge deadline of race day really gives you a reason to get up in the mornings.
Many of us fall into a comfortable routine once we reach a certain point in life. There’s nothing inherently wrong with a routine, but if you’re reading this, you’re yearning for more than the same thing week in week out for the rest of your life.
Not only do we have something to focus on daily, we also have a huge amount of variety in our life. Not only do we have swimming, cycling, running and strength training to master, we have a huge variety within each sport. From hill reps to paddle work and VO2 max to lactate stacking, there is a huge amount of variety in your training to keep you stimulated.
An achievement that will stay with you for life
When you cross that finish line you have earned the title of IRONMAN, which will stay with you forever.
You didn’t inherit it, you weren’t entitled to it, you earned it. Nobody can ever take it away from you, and you can walk a little taller for the rest of your life knowing you have achieved what most think to be impossible.
It’s cheaper than other hobbies and interests
Look, I am not suggesting triathlon is a cheap sport, but let’s compare it to sailing, luxury watches, sports cars and even other vices such as drugs, drink and gambling.
Even fairly benign hobbies such as photography, paying for Sky Sports or video games can really add up once you start investing in gear. Yes the entry fee is a bit eye watering, and the cost of a road bike can shock people, but there is no outgoings for each run or cycle that you do. I have had my triathlon bike for nearly 10 years now and have got an enormous amount of value out of it, despite the initial investment.
You will develop life skills
I think we all aspire to become better rounded, more capable versions of ourselves.
There are some very obvious skills we will develop with our training, such as the ability to swim incredibly confidently and effortlessly break into a run to get ourselves out of trouble, or rush to someone in need of help. However there are other abilities we will develop along the way.
How about improved upper body strength allowing us to help push a stranded car out of danger? Having the ability to get down on our hands and knees and crawl through a tight space? The mental focus to be able to make hard decisions when fatigued and under pressure? These aren’t scenarios I’ve fantasised about, these are skills I have put to good use myself. There is always the chance we could use our training to sprint after a runaway pram or jump into a river to save a drowning child and be a hero for the day, but for the most part it just allows us to step up when things get tough and others shy away or are fading.
It earns you an enormous amount of respect from strangers
Whenever you get chatting to someone at a party or in a pub, there is often a level of social jousting involved. Someone may ask you what you do for work so they can impress you with the fact they’re a regional manager, or flash their Rolex to demonstrate their wealth. Perhaps they’ll drop into conversation that they dropped the Ferrari off for a service yesterday so they had to drive the BMW to get here, or that their child is captain of the rugby team.
Honestly, I find it all pretty exhausting, as well as dreadfully dull. I have zero desire to impress a total stranger. That being said, if someone is goading me and I’m feeling slightly antagonistic. I can nod and smile as they try to wow me, and then when they think they’ve got me on the ropes, I can drop in the fact I race Ironman events. You can see the colour drain from their face in real time. If you have to explain to them what an Ironman is, you even get to watch their jaw hit the floor in slow motion.
At this point they’ll do one of two things. They’ll either go and find someone else to try and impress, or they’ll stay and chat to learn more about what it involves. Personally I then try to steer the conversation towards topics which are more interesting and engaging once I’ve answered any questions they have.
What causes the loosening of the bowls from Lamborghini man in this situation is that an Ironman finish is always earned, and never given. For someone who comes from a very privileged background an expensive watch may have simply been gifted and is then flaunted about like it’s part of their personality. However the grit, discipline and physical strength to complete an Ironman is never inherited.
You can stay in the sport for years
I know plenty of people who will get all misty eyed about their rugby days, and rue how an injury stopped them from playing. Or those who lived for martial arts until they got too old to compete.
Thankfully, you can stay in the sport of triathlon for decades with a sensible approach (and a bit of luck). There are Ironman finishers well into their 80s, still making it home within the 17 hour cutoff.
Swimming and cycling are popular ways to stay fit for pensioners, but running is where we can encounter issues with tendon and ligament damage over the years, or just plain old joint pain which stops us in our tracks.
Even if running slowly becomes unenjoyable for us, we can still compete in aqua bike events where we swim, cycle and finish the event there.
There is always a different race, different format, somewhere else to race to keep things interesting. Compared to going to the same gym every day, this brings a huge amount of variety to our life.
It does wonders for your social life and sense of belonging
Triathlon can, and in my opinion should be a social experience, at least to an extent. Group swim sessions, club rides and putting in the long runs with company all elevate someone’s Ironman performance.
Yes there are days when you will need, or want to train solo to achieve your goals. Spending all day on a slow stop/start ride waiting for others at the top of hills and spending an hour in a cafe isn’t especially specific to your Ironman prep, but there is a time and a place for this kind of cycling.
Group swim sessions are fantastic however, and really help push you, while also having a coach on deck to give you motivation while also providing feedback on your stroke.
This special atmosphere extends to post race celebrations and signing up to warmup races together. If you are struggling to find your tribe, triathlon could well be the answer.
Ten reasons not to sign up
Don’t get me wrong, I really, really want you to sign up to an Ironman, but I also don’t want you to bite off more than you can chew. So in the name of balance, here are ten reasons not to do an Ironman.
You’re broke
Look, Ironman isn’t the world’s most expensive hobby, but it’s far from the cheapest. You are probably looking at £2000-£3000 minimum to sign up, buy all the gear and travel to your race. You can of course spend your money however you see fit, but if you’re scrabbling around behind the sofa for loose change an struggling to make the minimum payments on your debts, this might not be the best time.
Your time is in high demand
We’re all busy people to a greater or lesser extent, but some of us are busier than others. Have you just had a baby? Are you caring for an elderly relative? Does your partner require medical care? Then your ability to get our and put in the required training is going to be limited.
It’s a selfish hobby
Look, I do believe that Ironman makes you a better person, but there’s no getting around the fact it’s all about you. Yes it will stop you taking time with your family for granted, but there’s not getting around the fact you just won’t be around as much, and the time you’re investing only directly benefits you.
It can create strain in your relationship
No matter how supportive your partner is of your newfound sense of purpose, this doesn’t stop a low level of resentment from appearing. While you’re out on your bike they’re doing the laundry, taking the kids out, cleaning the bathroom or weeding the flower beds. Then when you get back you sit on the sofa scrolling Strava complaining about how tired your legs are for the rest of the day.
With the right strategy you can totally minimise this strain, but you’d be kidding yourself if you think you can spend 15 hours a week training without it creating friction.
It will humble you
Are you the type of person who is desperate to save face no matter what? Then Ironman might not be the sport for you. If you can’t think of anything worse than strangers watching you have a small panic attack at your open water swim, or what your friends might think when you push your bike up a steep hill, then you need to be realistic about the realities of the sport.
It will break you
Even if nobody is there to see your struggle, Ironman will break you multiple times in training. Whether you fail to hit the targets in your workout, cramp up in the pool, or maybe even failing to finish on race day. Ironman will push you out of your comfort zone in an extreme fashion. It won’t all be sunshine and rainbows.
You will spend a lot of time training alone
Yes triathlon should absolutely be a social sport, but even if you’re training on the lower end of volume at 10 hours a week, you won’t be able to find someone who can train in the way you need to for every minute of every workout. It will involve long solo runs and rides at some point, especially when you get closer to race day. There are only so many people who will be able to keep up with you on a 2.5 hour run anyway.
It will involve a lot of early mornings
There’s no getting around the fact that you will need to get up a some pretty offensive times to train occasionally. Even if you prefer to train in the evenings during the week, the odds are that on the weekend you will need to get up pretty early at some points. Your other half has agreed to have lunch with your in laws, so you need to be at the restaurant for 1. That means getting back at 11. You have a six hour ride scheduled today, so looks like you’re leaving at 5, and up at half 4.
It does not give you an immediate dopamine boost
The images that Ironman use to persuade you to sign up show you people enjoying a life defining moment as they cross that finish line. However the journey there requires enormous amounts of discipline rather than repeated hits of dopamine and Instagram worthy moments.
You will repeat sessions time and time again, most workouts will be completed at a pace you can have a conversation at, and your motivation will vary throughout the process. You will not be going hard every session, finishing with a sprint to feel good about yourself or pushing your limits every week. If you follow one of my plans I will push you hard at least twice a week, but you won’t feel like you’ve gone 10 rounds with Muhammed Ali at the end of each week.
It won’t make the weight melt off
If you put in thousands of hours of training, most would expect to see that reflected on the bathroom scales. Unfortunately, it’s just not that simple. Yes we are burning an enormous amount of calories during our workouts, but we also need to eat huge amounts to be able to fuel them. You can’t get through a six hour ride on a bowl of muesli and a banana. If you want help navigating this, check out my course on the subject here.
Conclusion
So there we have it. I hope the downsides don’t outweigh the upsides for you, I just want to make sure athletes know what they’re getting into before they commit.
If you’re keen on cracking out an Ironman, check out my ironman programmes here.
