Last weekend our friend swam, biked and ran for 13.44 hours straight.
Yes, you read that right.
He swam for 3.8 kms, then jumped on his bike and rode 180 kms and then he got off his bike and ran a full marathon.
Who does that?
Let’s not discuss how superfit this guy is; or how nuts he is. Or how much time he must spend training – just running and swimming and riding and riding and riding. As LOML and I like to say when we see someone out riding their bike in the middle of nowhere, “yep, look at him… nothing better to do”. Oh, and when we see people out jogging we say, “yeah, you’d better run”.
But I digress.
If you ask someone like Roger why he does what he does he talks a lot about how it feels when he finishes. The actual doing of the Ironman event is gruelling, exhausting, painful – your basic fucking nightmare. Pushing through enormous physical and mental barriers again and again and again. Ignoring the aching limbs, the blistered feet, the thudding heart, the sheer loneliness. Breaking through your fear and riding the pain all the way to the finishing line is the biggest high (apparently) you could ever (supposedly) climb to (I am told). It’s success and achievement and satisfaction and 27,000 ‘you rocks’ all wrapped up in a very sweaty gift.
Life’s a bit like that. Sweaty. Plus the sheer gruelling drudgery of life is enough to make you want to run the 100 metres in the opposite direction. But we’re all signed up for the Ironman and we’ve got to just keep on plodding.
How are we going to last?
By focusing on the finish line, the whole reason why we’re here doing what we’re doing. Plodding along towards our notion of what success looks like; the thing or things that makes it all worthwhile. Trouble is, I’m not entirely sure I know what that end goal is. Trouble indeed. How am I going to finish this bloody marathon if I don’t know what it is I’m running towards? What’s going to help me push through the pain?
So, in prep for next year, I’m having one of my Big Thinks and I’m writing down those big, big goals. Why am I swimming and biking and running and running and running? What does the finish line look like to me? And how will I know when I get there? As usual, my Big Think might take me a while to think*, but I know it’s one of those really important ones that I’ve just got to get to the bottom of. I’ve just got to know.
Jacki says
I LOVE your posts so much! You find the most beautiful way of articulating the exact same thoughts that I’ve been ruminating over for a few weeks. Thank you! And I can’t wait to hear about your finishing line!
Pieni Lintu says
Great thoughts again!
georgi says
this reminded me of my friend’s swedish flatmate – he decided to run an ultra-marathon in queen charlotte sound. 71km because it ‘sounded fun’. He had done virtually no training, and came first by two hours. He ran 71km in 7 hours 21 minutes.
insane!
Karla {Ironmum Karla} says
Totally know where your friend is coming from…and it is such a feeling that I do miss but that has been replaced with marriage, kids, house, life really. Something always manages to pop itself up without too much thought but enough challenge which I am happy with. Goals used to rule my life so it is nice not to have them set in stone for now.
Mrs Bok - The Bok Flock says
You have such a gift maxabella. The best analogies, making huge thoughts simple and you’re just awesome.
I’m in a funny head/heart space at the moment.
Just to be able to Know what I want would be a start.
DanielleQ says
I’m forever thinking to myself – when I have time, I’m going to think about what I’m doing and where I’m going etc. Then every now and then, I just have to stop and think (free time or not) otherwise I will go insane.
Not sure I ever get any great revelations, though. It’s more about “just keep swimming” with a roughly drawn map in hand.
Deb @ home life simplified says
Love you and your big thoughts!
I am like the person who has an idea of the finish line she is aiming for but has no clue about the race so keeps hanging around the starter line! xxx
Shelley @ My Shoebox Life says
I’m right in the middle of this thinking process and had planned to blog it tonight before the garden distracted me! I’ve decided to make 2012 my year of Consistency. I set goals and achieve them, but I always lack the consistency to maintain it in the long term. But that’s all going to change. I found a runner in me once, I’m sure there’s a whole lot more to discover. xx
Mum on the Run says
It’s in those toughest kilometres of the race, when you believe you can no longer go on – but you do, that you learn the most about yourself.
I know exactly where I want to be, what my finisher’s certificate looks like – but my body has other ideas at the moment.
🙂
the textured leaf says
I know exactly what im running for. Simplicity. But everything im implementing to get it is complex to say the least.
I sooo get the running thing. Only after today at the gym I mean.
I said to the Mr ‘lets do 15 minutes on the treadmill’ which he soon cut back to 10. I challenged again after 9 passed ‘lets do another 5’? come on!
SO I got my fifteen minutes and felt the achievement the whole day. Literally. I felt amazing with this, such a small thing and when he just walked in a minute ago, guess what he said first off the bat? Yerp! He had the best day kicking butt at work all due to the morning workout.
I guess my thoughts are that if you feel like you need to do something then if you dont follow through (immediately for me) then you let yourself down and it sticks with you. Naggingly.
Please note we have only been going to the gym for a short month and a bit, after not doing any exercise for years so 15 minutes seems like a marathon to us.
Great post as always! x
Naturally Carol says
It sure pays to have a goal, a destination, an end to the journey in mind so that we finish, not lose the vision and wander from it. It is worth considering.
Vanessa says
One of miss e’s teachers competed in the Busselton Ironman last weekend, her first. She returned to school yesterday having taking 15 plus hours to finish it! I couldn’t believe she was standing three days after the event.
Deep ponderings for you. I don’t feel like I am running a marathon, or “heading for a finishing line” That would seem to endless?
therhythmmethod says
Great post. I needed to read this.
Life is a marathon. I have to keep our goals in proportion to the size of our children: small children, small goals, because most of the time it’s hard enough to get out the door, let alone run a marathon. I wish I’d achieved more this year (in terms of bigger goals), but looking back I think the real achievement was to just keep going.
Amy xxoo says
I’m running for family, i think – i’m running towards that moment that my parents are having now, we’re i’ve been married 20-odd years and i can look back over that time and look at my family and say ” what beautiful, well adjusted, happy children i’ve raised “.
And, in the short-term? I’m running just for happiness, running towards all those little happy moments you might encounter on the way to the finish. The bad stuff? I’m just gona run right past that…
Vicky says
I will wait in avid anticipation for you to figure it out cause maybe, just maybe, it might help me figure it out too.
xxx
deux chiens et un garcon says
I have always admired runners, but it is just not me.
I have been thinking about my hiking days when I would just get on a plane and do romp on the kepler track in NZ with no fitness prep and it was fab.
No way am I there now.
Not into running through life now. I woke up this morning and could not remember how old I am. It took me about an hour to work it out.
Have a great day Bron
x
Jill
Jodi @ Lipgloss Mumma says
I don’t know. I don’t really want to have an end goal in mind for life. For me it is the mini-goals along the way, like raising wise, healthy and respectful children, career satisfaction, personal fulfillment, that sort of thing.
If I really had to think about it, all I really want is to be able to look back and be proud of my choices.
Anna Walker says
Ah he did an ironman! That’s not uncommon in the blogs that I read! Ha they’re super expensive to sign up for, train, buy gear for to sweat for 13 hours!
AWESOME that you’re going to attempt an Ironman! 😀
http://annawalker1992.blogspot.com/
E. says
Another great post. I’ve thinking about this a bit lately. I’m glad I’m not the only one. I still don’t know but at this point I’m going to second what Jodi (Lipgloss Mumma) said.
Sally says
The finish line is death… and I’d rather not get there anytime soon thanks… so in the meantime I’ll just walk really really slowly taking lolly steps.
Sally says
… oh yeah and take lots and lots and lots of detours too!
Posie Patchwork says
When i see people out running, i think how lucky they are they make the time, they either love it or it’s some kind of therapy. My husband has mates who go off & run, for hours, with a note stuck to their chest incase something happens & when they are at collapse, they ring their wives to collect them. So i know why a lot of these people are out there running, in the middle of nowhere, it is their ‘better thing to do’ & they need it. Love Posie
Rhonda says
I used to be a runner…now I just feel wistful whenever I see someone running.
Karen says
When I first read about heading to a goal, I thought “but I don’t know what my goal is”… so glad that you then went on to explain that you have the same problem.
I may not know where my finish line is, but I can see a few of the drink stops along the way and if I get past them, maybe the finish line will be clearer.