Why I Race

This past week I read an article written by professional triathlete, Chris (Macca) McCormack, entitled "Why I Race."  You can read the article here - "Why I Race" - it's a great read and I recommend it.  In it he discusses his personal reasons to why he participates in triathlons.  The discussion arises due to a conversation he had with a few young athletes at an Olympic Distance race in California.  The kids share their aspirations of completing an Ironman.  At first that sounds great, they are motivated and aspiring to do bigger and better things, but then Macca begins talking to the young athletes about why they aspire to complete an Ironman Triathlon.  The kids reply with a simple response, similar to the fact that you are not a true triathlete unless you complete an Ironman.  The kids also share their feelings about a World Triathlon Corporation, who own the rights to Ironman, and other races of the same distance.  They felt that a 140.6 mile triathlon that isn't trademarked with "Ironman" isn't official.  They felt as though no other race matters, regardless of the distance or name.  Even when Macca talks about half Ironman distance races (a 70.3 triathlon), the kids write off the idea of doing a non "Ironman," 70.3 mile distance triathlon.  It leaves Macca dumbfounded.  He then shares his passion for the sport of triathlon and the variety of races that he has competed in over the years.  Many of them were not owned by the WTC and were not Ironman branded races.

I have been a part of a similar debate on Facebook.  I am a member of a group on Facebook dedicated to the sharing of the infamous M-dot tattoos.  Within the group, someone posed the question of whether or not it was acceptable to get an M-dot tattoo for a non WTC triathlon.  In other words if someone were to complete a non-Ironman branded, 140.6 mile triathlon, would it be acceptable in the triathlon community for that person to get the M-dot tattoo to commemorate the accomplishment?  It's an interesting question.  Personally, I think it would be foolish to get the M-dot tattoo for a non-Ironman race.  The M-dot tattoo represents a brand, just as the swoosh is to Nike, the Golden Arches are to McDonald's, the M-dot is to Ironman.  I understand the idea, though, the M-dot is a world wide symbol for a 140.6 race, it's synonymous for the ultra distance triathlon.  Most people (especially those in the active community) know that the M-dot tattoo, means you completed the ultra triathlon.  But, in my opinion, getting the M-dot tattoo to represent a non-Ironman race would be like getting a swoosh tattoo, to represent your love and devotion of basketball shoes, even though you opt to wear Adidas shoes.  Instead of getting the Adidas logo, you opt to get the Nike swoosh since it is more widely recognized.  It just doesn't make sense.  

The heart of the matter for both Macca's article and the question posed in the Facebook group is the stronghold that Ironman has on the sport of triathlon.  Is it right?  Is it fair?  Personally, I'm not here to say whether or not the World Triathlon Corporation is good or bad for the sport of triathlon.  But, I would like to offer my feelings on Ironman, the WTC, and why I chose to race a WTC race.

Honestly, as I become more and more involved with triathlon, I was much like the aspiring triathletes that had talks with Chris McCormack.  I thought and truly believed that you were not a triathlete unless you finished an Ironman.  In my eyes, it verified you as a triathlete.  For what ever reason, if you hadn't completed an Ironman, you were just another "wanna-be."  On top of that all, just like the kids in Macca's article, It had to be an Ironman as well.  For some reason, an Ironman was different from any other 140.6 distance race.  Don't ask me why, it's just how I felt.  Before I ever signed up for my first IM, I new that it was going to be an Ironman branded race.  It definitely helped that Madison was home to one of the more popular IM races in the USA and is only a short 2 hour drive from my hometown.  But, if given the choice of traveling to an out-of-state 140.6 non-IM race and an IM branded race, I'm choosing the IM race, 10 times out of 10.  I don't know why and I'm not even going to speculate why that is the case.  But I do know that I am not alone with those feelings either.

Yes, the Ironman World Championship in Kona, HI, has been, currently is, and probably will always be the pinnacle of the sport of triathlon.  It's the supreme goal of so many athletes (myself included).  It's the Super Bowl of Triathlon, the Daytona 500, the Indy 500, I can go on and on, but I'm sure you probably get the idea.  But, does the fact that it is an Ironman branded race make it the prestigious race it has become?  According to Macca, not at all.  I tend to agree.  Ironman has a stronghold on the 140.6 and 70.3 distance races throughout the world.  Frankly, I don't see that changing.  Sadly, I wish our sport used a more generic term for the 70.3 and 140.6 distance races.  Much like a Sprint or Olympic distance are not brand specific, I wish we used something such as Long Course for a 70.3 and an Ultra distance for a 140.6 race.  That way, Ironman would be just a brand of triathlons, just like Rev3 is a brand that puts on numerous triathlon races across the country (including 70.3 distances).  Doing this would potentially rid us of the idea that only Ironman races matter.  In fact there are thousands of races that are not put on by Ironman throughout the country that offer so many great things to the sport of triathlon.  If you have read Chris McCormack's article, he gives quite the list of races to look into.

The root of this debate is each persons' reasons for racing in the sport of triathlon.  If you are one who thinks you are not a triathlete until you finish an Ironman, more than likely, you have a very materialistic view of triathlon.  Think of it this way, is a runner not a "runner" until they finish a 50k, 50 mile, or 100 mile ultramarathon?  At what point did our sport find the need to solidify individuals' existences within the community based on distances finished?  The fact of the matter is, you are a triathlete whether you finish a sprint distance race or multiple Ironman distance races.  We are a community of committed, driven, and motivated people from a variety of backgrounds.  At any start line at any given triathlon, you'll find a diverse population, with an even more diverse reason for being there.  You'll find triathletes looking to win and triathletes that are just looking to finish.  There will be recovering addicts who found a new addiction in exercise, you'll see individuals who have lost insane amounts of weight to reclaim their health through their dedicated training that brought them to the start line, and there will be first timers and athletes who have raced literally hundreds of triathlons.  Each person's reason for toeing the start line at a triathlon is as unique as the individual with the reason for being there.  I realized this first hand when I went to support my friend Bob and his wife at the Fox Cities Half Marathon this past September.  It was the first time I had been a part of a race as a spectator in a long while.  I saw a different side of the race.  Not only did I see the leaders, who had a fire in their eye to win the race, then there were the runners who had other goals, goals that were not tied to a time or a placing.  Their goals may have been just finishing the race or even as simple as just having fun.

Macca's article about the commercialization of the sport of triathlon and his reasons for being drawn to the sport of triathlon had me thinking about my love of the sport.  After reading his article, I asked myself, "why do I race?"  What is it that gets my butt out of bed at 4:00am to train on weekends?  Why do I go out for 3 hour runs in sub zero temperatures in January?  Why am I willing to sacrifice so much to train and race.  Why do I race?

It's a profound question.  I race for the love of the challenge.  That's it, it's that simple.  I race to compete against myself.  Regardless of the distance, or who puts on the race, every race offers a new and different challenge.  Even the same race offers new challenges each and every year.  No race is ever the same, no matter how identical they may appear on paper.  I love pushing myself to find new limits and then finding ways to push past those limits to reach newer and higher limits.  It's and on-going cycle, I am never satisfied with accomplishments, because anyway you look at it, there is always room for improvement.  There is always something that could have been done better.  This applies to any race distance.

I do not race for social approval.  I do not race to impress friends, family or co-workers.  I do not race to gain social acceptance.  There is no need for that.  I am who I am, and frankly I am happy with myself.  I race to promote health and fitness.  I want to show that there are benefits to be had by living a healthy and active lifestyle.  I want to show that a little work goes a long way.  One of the most common statements I've heard since training for and finishing an Ironman has been something to the effect of, "I could never do that!"  The truth is pretty much anybody (within reason) could finish an Ironman.  It doesn't require you to have a lower body fat percentage, it doesn't require a certain body type, you don't have to young, hell you don't even need to a super endurance athlete.  It does require an insane amount of work and dedication.  It requires a lot of sacrifices.  If you are willing to make it happen, you too can become and Ironman.  The same thing applies to a marathon, half marathon, 10k, or even a 5k.  If you are willing to put in the work, I guarantee you can accomplish anything.  

Ultimately, that is why I race.  I race for my kids.  I race for my health.  I race for the love of the sport.  I race to inspire.  I race to have fun.  I race for the challenge.  I race to find new limits and then to find a way to exceed those limits.  Oh yea....I also race to drink beer!  :)

Why do you race?

The Other Side of the Curb

Today was the running of the Fox Cities Marathon.  In past years, I am usually wearing a race bib and participating.  But not today.  Today, I would be on the other side of the curb as a spectator.  It has been years since I last watched a race from the sidewalks.  The last race I watched was the Green Bay Marathon back in 2006, over 7 years ago!  I watched my dad run that marathon and qualify for the Boston Marathon for the first time.  Back then I was just starting to gain interest in endurance sports.  I really didn't have the passion I do now for endurance sports.  I also didn't have the appreciation for what it takes to prepare for such events.

This year, however, would be different.  My race season came to an end two weeks ago following Ironman Wisconsin.  This is the earliest my race season has ever ended.  If you have read my last post, "Post Ironman Depression," you know how I've been handling the down time.  If not, let's just say it's been hard and different.  But, since posting the update, things have been getting better.  My mood has been on the up and up.  I have been starting to look into new races to do in 2014 and I have been getting more and more excited.  I have also been talking to friends about how I've been feeling along with teammates and other people who have been in my position before - which has helped greatly.  Also, simply writing the post about how I've been feeling seemed to help.  But, today, I got some unexpected therapy.

My good friend from work, Bob and his wife, Sadie, were running in the Fox Cities Half Marathon.  This was Sadie's first ever half marathon, so I really wanted to get out to the course to offer some support to bother her and Bob.  Bob was gunning for a finish around 1:30, while Sadie was hoping for a time under 2:10.  I had worked the night before for 12 hours and finished work at 6am.  The race started at 7am, so, my first hope was to get to the start line and watch them take off.  I got to the start line around 6:45 and was lucky to find Bob and Sadie.  It was a cool morning, with temps below 50, but ultimately it was a perfect day for a marathon/half marathon.  Both Bob and Sadie, were doing well, nervous, anxious, and excited.  I had thought I would have hated being in that atmosphere without actually running, but it was the exact opposite.  I was excited to be there and fed off the excitement from all the runners.  It was great to be there as a spectator.  I have never been in that position before.  I enjoyed it.  Don't get me wrong, I would have rather been running, but it fun to be there supporting the runners.

After watching the race start, I jumped in my car and drove to mile 2.5.  I was there early enough to watch the race leaders go by and I stayed there until both Bob and Sadie passed.  They were just getting into their comfort zone for the remaining 10-11 miles.  Right after they ran by, I headed to mile 7 and got there early enough to watch a lot of runners pass by.  Bob ran by right on pace for a 1:30 finish and he looked fresh and strong.  A little while later Sadie went by looking just as good and she looked like she was having fun.

While waiting for Sadie to run by I got to see so many runners pass by.  It was during this time I had a ton of thoughts go through my mind.  I hope I don't come off conceited, but all of my races, I am usually in the front packs of runners.  I start races in the lead groups to avoid the crowds and try to finish with the lead groups.  I am always a part of the race, pulling energy from the spectators, never have I been on the curb just watching runners pass by.  I saw a wide range of runners all with different goals.  I saw the lead runners who share similar goals as I do, very specific goals, with precise paces and strategies.  I saw runners who had general goals of finishing under certain time.  I saw running who had private goals of just finishing.  I also saw runners who had very simplistic goals, such as just having fun and enjoying the camaraderie of the other runners and enjoying the atmosphere of having crowds of people throughout the entire run.  They would be running with friends and family members.  They would be chatting, laughing, and having fun.  It was completely different from what I was used to seeing.  It was refreshing.  It was inspiring.  It was a completely new and different side of races.

Like I said, it was refreshing.  It inspired me and reminded me what endurance sports are all about.  It's not about the time, even for the elite runners.  Sure, it's nice to place or finish under your predetermined goal time.  But, there's more to it than that.  It's about the journey that brings you the finish line.  It's about the "stuff" that comes between the clock starting and the clock stopping.  Every race brings new challenges.  They always have many ups and downs.  You never know what a race will bring.

Watching this race was exactly what I needed to shake this funk I was in.  It was entertaining, it was inspiring, and it was motivating.  So congratulations to all the finishers today in all races across the country!  I hope all racers found some joy in their races and are proud for simply getting to the start line and having the courage to start the race.  Also congratulations to Bob who finished in 1:31 and Sadie who crushed her first time goal with a time of 2:07!

Be fast, be strong, and carry on!

The Ten Commandments of Endurace

Marshall Ulrich

Ironman Wisconsin is officially one week away.  It still baffles me that I am less than 7 days away from the race of my dreams.  I get butterflies just thinking about it.  I decided that I would share one of my favorite motivational posts I have found.  It's called the 10 Commandments of Endurance.  I found it back in 2010 when I was looking for motivational quotes.  It was originally posted on the Endurance Planet Blog at www.EndurancePlanet.com.  It was in response to an interview on one of their podcasts back in 2009.  They interviewed Marshall Ulrich, who was dubbed "The Endurance King" by Outside Magazine.  Sounds appropriate considering back in 2008 he ran 3,063 miles across America in just 52 and a half days.  That's the equivalent of 117 marathons.....in 52.5 days....wow!  During his interview with Endurance Planet he explains his Ten Commandments of Endurance.  If you'd like to listen to the podcast follow this link: Ten Commandments of Endurance Audio.

10. Expect a Journey and a Battle - 

Life is not always simple. Don’t think that it’s just going to be smooth and not a rocky road. Accept that in your mind and then you can deal with things.

9. Focus on the Present and Set Intermediate Goals - 
Don’t get too far ahead of yourself. Just stay in the present. If you've got some sort of problem…just deal with that. Take a deep breath and solve that one problem and then you can go on to others.

8. Don’t Dwell on the Negative - 
I think it helps to step outside of ourselves and not live in our own space or our own head too much. Look at what’s happening out there and focus on even problems of the world or other people. It kind of takes that focus from ourselves.

7. Transcend the Physical - 
If you've got an injury, say you've twisted an ankle and you want to keep going–providing you’re not doing damage to yourself–take that focus off that ankle. You can keep going as long as you don’t get locked into thinking about it continuously. You can transcend that physical aspect.

6. Accept Your Fate - 
Just accept it for what it is and take it one step at a time.

5. Have Confidence that You Will Succeed - 
Recall experiences where you've had success in the past. It will give you confidence to go beyond what you normally thought you could.

4. Know That There Will Be an End - 
There will be an end and we can go on to more fertile soil.

3. Suffering is Okay - 
That’s the human condition. We’re all going to suffer on one level or another.

2. Be Kind to Yourself - 
If you’re running and you need to walk a little bit. That’s okay. Know that you have weaknesses just like anybody else.

1. Quitting is Not an Option - 
Everybody is going to think about quitting. I think about quitting. But you can’t let it overwhelm you. You can’t let it stop you from your success. And if you frame it in that way–that quitting is not an option–I think that’s the best thing to do.