DIY Ironman (Feb. 9, 2021)

DIY Ironman

Girls Make Me Do Crazy Things…

Years ago, my crush ran a half marathon. I got pissed and ran one on the sand the next day.

A couple years ago, I read (listened to) a book about some guy who biked from Oregon to South America. This book must’ve planted a seed, a jealousy seed, somewhere deep inside my brain. If that guy can do that, so could I… right? Idk better go find out.

The seed sprouted on my bicycle trip from Oregon to Tijuana. Boom check, completed. Then I was like, well what about a marathon, can I do that? So, this last thanksgiving I took off and ran a marathon barefoot.

And then I matched with a girl on Hinge and saw she did an Ironman. The seed of jealousy took root. And I’m thinking, “Aw crap, I gotta do this now?!”. I knew it would bug me for the rest of my life if I didn’t go do (at least) one.

Logistics and Planning

So if I learned anything about this process, it’s that I hate planning. I would get so stressed about looking for the perfect time and place to do the damn thang.

I wanted a friend or two to join me, I wanted to borrow a bike, I couldn’t figure out where to do it etc. Truth is, the one thing I wanted to secure was a decent swim situation. I didn’t want to fight against the current or wind or waves for my first Ironman.

I researched diet and read a couple of blogs from Ironman people. None of this helped me in the least. It simply stressed me out. Ya, there’s plenty that goes into fitness and performing at the highest levels possible. Maybe I’ll get into that one day, but it sure doesn’t feel like play to me yet. |

I bought some snacks from experienced people who called me crazy.

What feels like play to me is just sending it and seeing what happens. The question posed by Naval on Twitter has a profound effect on my thinking “What feels like play to you, but looks like work to others?”. Just doing it feels like play, although I admit it could be kinda dangerous.

The (en)during

The Route. Swim in Newport. Bike to the Mall in Carlsbad and go in circles.

So ya the whole thing just sucks, but Paul you said it feels like play to you? Lol ya, what a paradox. Idk I’m strange. I tried the swim distance once in the open ocean. It sucked. Currents going different ways, waves crashing all makes for quite a bit of an annoying time. Thankfully, I planned the swim perfectly. I swam in a harbor on a nice day with a little current running behind me at times. It was monumentally easier than the first time. It was physically and mentally easier. I’ve done the length before and having that experience and knowing that it’s possible was huge for my confidence. Swimming without resistance is also mentally fortifying. The only annoying thing was thinking about the boats.

The bike ride was mentally draining. Not too physically draining. I’d switch off between music, podcasts, and silence. It’s just really pretty boring to be honest. If I was in a real Ironman maybe I wouldn’t have been as bored. Competing against others is more exhilarating than competing against myself.

Actually, dodging cars in Laguna was more exhilarating and fun than riding on the 5 freeway. And boy oh boy it was boring when I got to the mall with 45 miles to go on the bike and 26.2 miles to run in circles.

Run Paul Run

My mother came at the end of the bike ride at 9:30pm and provided nutrition and a running partner (Jack the Labrador). My body felt okay and I had a decent mental state. I swear the power of social contracts is so damn strong. I told my followers that I was going to do something, therefore I had to do it. I can’t risk being a fraud!!

He rallied.

Doing this in the public eye (the internet) builds some social credibility. You say you’re going to do something and you do it. Look at that! You’re an honest person. Not only are you being honest with yourself, but you’re building credibility with others!

Okay so back to the run. The first lap (1.3 miles) I did with my dog and it was cake. Slow but cake(ish). My legs were exhausted but I remained optimistic.

My buddy arrived after the first lap. So I took a little break to welcome him and drop off the dog. And we were off. We did 9 laps together (11.7 miles) without stopping for anything. Not even water. STUPID! I should’ve had stations set up or at least a bottle.

We both hit a wall after the 9th lap together. We stopped at the cars and refueled. Stopping is almost more painful than moving. It’s physically and mentally painful because it gives your muscles a chance to tighten up and kills you because you know you’re not moving forward. So brutal.

After our break, we took a walking lap. This took forever and was brutal. The next running lap looked like a grandma trying to run fast. Our shoulders were moving but our legs lagged big time. We then dispersed off of our route in an effort to find ibuprofen. I thought Aleve was ibuprofen but it’s naproxen. I popped a couple and got back to it. Graham would join me on just about every other lap from that point on.

I ran the laps in silence. Airpods were in my ear, but nothing was playing. My mind traveled. I didn’t have any breakthroughs or profound thoughts. I thought of this day as I write to you. The thought of being done and crowning myself as an Ironman finisher sounded really cool to me. I thought of girls.. of course. I even saw an ex on the route ironically. My brain sought any way to escape the pain in my tortured legs.

The last few laps just absolutely sucked, but I flipped on some music and started shamelessly belting every song. Kid Cudi got me through a couple miles. Thank you sir.

The moment I finished was absolutely euphoric. I let out a big scream as endorphins flooded through my entire body. The high was worth it.

More

I rushed this whole process. The lady I bought the goos from told me people train 6–8 months for these things. But that was the point. I wanted to see if I was mentally capable of just doin the thang. People twice my age do this and it absolutely blows my mind. I want to be on of those people.

The bike I used is garbage. It has a handlebar that’s bent and I can’t figure out how to get the brake from rubbing when I stand up and pedal. I can’t afford a nice bike right now. I can’t even afford a race entry fee. I just worked with what I had, which is all you can do.

Did I really do this just because of a girl? Haha not really. I did it because it felt like a mountain worth climbing. I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable. We all keep mental scoreboards for ourselves. It felt right to me to just go for it and it would’ve nagged me if I didn’t. I don’t like being nagged. This was a self-improvement exercise physically and mentally. It worked and my confidence is up and I’m looking forward to the next mountain to climb.

Final Stats (Little suspect, definitely didn’t run or swim more than I had to..