Wikipedia's definition of an Ironman: An Ironman Triathlon is one of a seried of long'distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation consisting of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bicycle ride and a marathon 26.2 mile run, raced in that order and without a break. So is that the real definition of an IronMan? Not in my book. Not any longer.
I have now finished 3 different Ironman 140.6 mile races, but don't get me wrong...there really is all of the 140.6 miles within these races. However, I no longer think of an Ironman as a very long hours and mileage event. I thin of Ironman as a journey. A journey that is a living testimony of my dreive to continue to be "Prepared to Live Life."
I have now finished 3 different Ironman 140.6 mile races, but don't get me wrong...there really is all of the 140.6 miles within these races. However, I no longer think of an Ironman as a very long hours and mileage event. I thin of Ironman as a journey. A journey that is a living testimony of my dreive to continue to be "Prepared to Live Life."
When I first finished Ironman Florida over a year ago, it was an awesome feeling. Crossing that finish line and having my name called out by Mike Riley with these words, "Kevin Whaley, YOU are an IRONMAN." Those feelings continue to reside within me even today. You may asked, why do they continue to have such meaning now that you have complete 2 additional Ironmans? Because crossing that finish was more than completing a race. It was reaching a pinnacle of a large set of goals to bring myself back to optimal health. The Ironman was the stage performance of all the effort, hard work, dedication, sweat, blood, tears, ups, downs, diet, up early, sacrifices, hill repeats, laps, sitting on a bike seat for hours on end, etc... I could list so many more. However that isn't the point. The point is I didn't reach that finish line quickly or easily. I reach it by understanding this was a long journey in my life. A journey that started mentally with capturing a mindset that nothing was going to stop me. A journey that started physically by just simply walking a mile. 
So a journey? You bet a journey. A journey to 'prepare to live life' and to achieve optimal health. It was very personal to me. Years ago I read a book called The Success Journey by John Maxwell; a great writer and motivational speaker. There is a quote in the book that I will never forget. Its a quote than defines success. "Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome." The quote is actually by Arthur Ashe, a champion tennis player and a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. I stuck this quote in my mind and lived it for many many years. The only problem was, I only understood it to apply in business. Was I successful? Your bet. However it has never meant more to me than it did when I crossed that finish line in Florida because it had been a 3 year journey of becoming healthy again. The one thing I've yet to mention is that once I crossed that finish line, I thought of this quote and again it resonated even more at that point. Why you ask? It's because that finish line really wasn't a finish line. In fact, it was just a new start line. Yes, I had completed IM Florida. However, that finish line only represented a new starting line because I am still on my journey. You see to be successful, to be healthy, and to be prepared to live life one cannot look at any one thing in life as a destination.
Ironman....Anything is Possible (as long as you set your mind to it and understand it's not a destination, its a Journey).
Kevin F. Whaley
aka: Shark
