PETER SHANKMAN
| POSTED ON November 30th, 2010 | 106 COMMENTS | + ADD YOUR COMMENT |
Where do I even start?
Because I know that many of my thousands of readers would never even think about doing a triathlon, and read me for other reasons, I’m going to try and incorporate some of the lessons I learned in this Ironman triathlon in this post, and see if they can’t be sewn into life, as well.
Shiny Ball ADHD Version: I finished my first ever Ironman in 15:45:41. I’ve never been more sore, I’ve never hated headwinds more, and I never, ever thought I could be as happy as I was when I crossed that finish line.
People talk about maybe doing an Ironman the same way they talk about running their own company, or being rich, or sailing around the world; in long, maybe, “sometime in the future” statements. “Wow, it’ be great to be my own boss,” or “Yeah, one of these days, I’m gonna say screw it and do my own thing.
I think the problem is, if you always say those things in abstract terms, it’s really easy to keep them just as that – abstract. And abstract is easy, because abstract is safe.
The second you assign a date to something, or pay your non-refundable entry fee, or incorporate your business, or attach any real physical value to something, you take away a bit of that safety net. And when that happens, it gets very real, and very scary, and very unsafe, very, very fast.
But that’s the only time greatness can happen.
So as you saw from previous posts, I’d made that leap from abstract to concrete back in April, when I started my training for this race. For me, it came down to having to make some hard choices. Could I (mostly) stop drinking? Could I listen to my nutritionist and coach over at TriSmarter? It’s one thing to see the plan in front of you on your calendar each day. It’s another thing to actually do it. Accountability is key.
Tip: Keep a journal. If you’re forced to write down what you’re doing/eating/spending/whatever each day, you have accountability to it. And accountability is one of the biggest aids to turning abstract into concrete.
So by this point in our story, I’d checked in, been body-marked, put my bike together and dropped it off at transition, and been sufficiently nervous. All that was left was to get some sleep, and then wake up and race.
I figured I’d never, ever get any sleep, so I got to bed around 8:30pm, expecting to be up all night. When I opened my eyes again, it was 3:10am, about five minutes before my alarm was supposed to go off. I was shocked – I guess nerves will tire you out.
Woke up, took a shower, attempted to make coffee in the horrible coffee pot at the hotel (coffee came out with little things floating in it, I declined to drink it,) and instead took my packets of oatmeal I was to eat for breakfast. Of course, with the coffee maker producing thing-filled water, I couldn’t use it to heat up my water for my oatmeal as I’d planned, so I simply poured room temperature water into a cup full of my instant oatmeal, shook the cup around, and ate it. It was still oatmeal, it was still fuel that I needed, even if it wasn’t hot.
Tip: Nothing ever works 100% the way you plan it. Adaptability will always be key.
Because I got up a few minutes early, I wasn’t stressed or rushed – I always say this, and it continues to be true – Get up a half an hour earlier than you need to, every day – It’ll change your life. When your day starts off not stressed or rushed, the rest of the day just seems a bit easier.
Had time to reflect for a few minutes, offer a prayer or two, and just take a few deep breaths – I had a feeling they’d be the last ones I took for quite some time.
I also watched a motivational speech that Simon Salt found for me – It helped a ton and a half.
Tip: Find your own motivation from outside your circle – Whatever it may be – Political, faith, movies, TV, whatever – Keep an Evernote file so that every time you find a new one, you can add the link right to the file. When you need a pep talk, there you go!
Walked out of the hotel having remembered everything I needed, including my water bottles for the bike, my bright orange swim cap, ear plugs, timing chip, etc. This was the first race where you got your timing chip with your packet, not at the swim start, so I had to remember to take that, too. No chip, no time.
At the front of the hotel, I wondered if I could get a cab at 4:30am. Sure enough, three other people were there. We shared a ride, wound up costing like, $3.00 a person, and we were at Chankanaab Park within minutes. Wasn’t even 5am yet.
My bike was right where I’d left it, in space 448. I walked past all the elite racer bikes (they all had their own individual racks. Must be nice when all you do in your life is train and race…) and started mentally prepping, while sucking on a bottle of Gatorade. I borrowed someone’s bike pump and topped off my tires, ate a Gatorade Prime bar at 6am, so I’d have an hour to digest, got re-body marked, and found a space near the water where I could watch the sky start to get light by myself, away from the craziness and the nerves.
The elite athletes went off at 6:40am, and as soon as they did, dolphins started flying above our heads. The park where the race starts is actually a nature preserve, so they have dolphins and they do shows. So sure enough, as we’re making our way into the water, there are the flying dolphins.
Note fins for better swimming.
Ever try to get 2,200 athletes into a body of water in under ten minutes? Not so easy. Mass chaos ensues, as we all push towards the slippery docks to get into the water.
THE SWIM: WANTED: SUB 2:00. GOT: 1:27:11. Totally thrilled with my swim!
As we make it into the water, we swim out towards the start, each of us all trying to find our individual sweet spot, just a few minutes before the starting horn.
Triathlon specific tip: Because the water was warm, this wasn’t a wetsuit legal race, which meant that I was racing in my tri-shorts and nothing else – And guess what? It’s a LOT easier to pee in the water when you’re not wearing a wetsuit then when you are! Who knew? :)
As we’re all hanging there treading water, a racer next to me says to me “go under the water and look at the legs.” I had no idea what he meant until I did it – Thousands of pairs of legs, everywhere you look – All there, all just floating in space, all treading water, all waiting. It was one of the most surreal things I’ve ever seen, and I’d imagine, a shark’s wet dream.
With two minutes to go (I’d set my watch to the official Ironman clock) they start playing the Star Wars theme. 15 seconds into that, as I’m grooving and psyching myself up, the music abruptly cuts off, and the horn sounds!
D’OH!
Yup. They were about a minute forty-five early, and 2,100 pairs of legs and arms were now madly turning this beautiful calm nature preserve into the world’s largest washing machine. I shouted to no one in particular “They’re early!” hit the start button on my watch, and boom, I was now a competitor in my first Ironman. It was real.
Tip: No matter how “on pace” things seem, know that there are never any guarantees. I thought I had an extra 105 seconds – I was wrong! Be ready!
The water was truly beautiful – You could see clear to the bottom the entire time, and I quickly settled into a three-stroke-breathe rhythm. I found myself surprisingly calm at the swim progressed, and my heart-rate wasn’t skyrocketing. In fact, it was actually a little below how I normally felt in the pool! I was really kind of surprised!
As we kept swimming in this beautiful ocean, I’d kind of zone out. I’d start looking at the sandy bottom rushing past me, and I’d just go. It made it almost soothing – A swim where you can see the bottom of the water is awesome – as opposed to say, the Hudson river, where you can’t see your hand when it enters the water, just two inches from your face.
One thing I didn’t count on was salt water chafe – By a mile and a half into the swim, my armpits were chafed like a UDT student on day four of Hell Week. I was hurting – But that pain was quickly forgotten and replaced by about 15-20 little stings from the local jellyfish who lived there. They weren’t too happy about 2,200 swimmers waking them up early on a Sunday, and they let us know it. I got stung on my wrist, above my eye, on my feet, you name it. Just a quick second of pain though, then it was gone. Probably made me swim a little faster.
On the last three hundred meters of the swim, I saw a scuba diver about 100 feet below me, looking up and watching the swimmers. So cool! I waved to him, he waved back. Totally made me smile, and the next thing I knew, I was coming out of the water! I let out a “WOOHOO!” when I exited, and this became my rallying cry after the end of every part of the race.
I exited the swim with a guy I saw at the start – Someone who had the same body-type as me. We noticed each other, and high-fived – It was awesome.
Someone who looks like me!
I couldn’t believe my time! I was so stoked to see how fast I’d run the swim – I actually thought they might have gotten the mileage wrong on the course, but no! It was accurate. Cool!
Having never done an Ironman before, I’d never seen a mass changing tent before. When you come out of the swim, you actually have the ability to go into a tent where your bike clothes are waiting for you – You can change out of your tri-swim shorts and put on your tri-bike shorts. That was really nice – I’m used to having to ride and run in the same wet swim shorts. You get used to it of course, and the sweat and water usually renders the whole point moot, but it was a nice touch to be able to start the bike ride dry. I didn’t have a towel in my bike bag, and I said as I sat down “Guess I should have brought a towel, damn.” To which the guy next to me who was just getting up to head out on the bike course, said “here’s mine.”
Tip: Do nice things for others, as much as you can.
As I got onto my bike, I saw my support team for the first time, and it totally made me smile. I don’t think I realized how much having my family there would help until the actual day of the race. I saw them a total of seven times in all over the course of almost 16 hours, and each time, they gave me strength to continue. Plus, they acted as photographers, videographers, and english-speaking cheerleaders.
From the Swim to the Bike from Peter Shankman on Vimeo.
I made one critical mistake on the bike – I was so happy about my swim, and so pumped full of energy, I went out waaay too fast on the bike, and didn’t make good use of my energy reserves. Instead of taking it slow on the bike for the first lap, I took it a little bit faster. The end result is that as the day wore on, the headwinds picked up, and my time increased on each lap.
THE BIKE: WANTED: TO FINISH BEFORE DARK AND BEFORE GETTING DISQUALIFIED FOR BEING TOO SLOW.
GOT: 7:50:26.(Before dark, and well before the cut-off time)BIKE SPLIT 1: 32.5 mi 32.5 mi. (2:07:01) 15.35 mph
BIKE SPLIT 2: 72 mi 39.5 mi. (2:42:41) 14.57 mph
BIKE SPLIT 3: 111.5 mi 39.5 mi. (2:59:09) 13.23 mph
The bike course is totally beautiful. It runs through 2/3rds of the outside of the island of Cozumel. You start at the park, ride south to the back of the island, go across the back, north up the island, then cut across the main split to the main side of the island, (where the run starts.) That’s 39 miles. Do that again, then do it for a third time but a few miles less, and you’ve got yourself a 112 mile bike ride.
At the end of the first lap, I felt good.
A few problems with that easy logic above, though. See, the entire back-side of the island (65% of the ride easy,) is open ocean. This means you’re riding into a headwind almost the entire time. And yes, that is beyond brutal. Also, the backside of the island is pretty desolate. Not many people watching or cheering at all. You’re pretty much on your own most of the time, sans a few other riders you might be with. You can see in the times above, I lost one mile per hour on each lap. The winds increased, the people got less and less, and self-doubt was creeping into my head almost as fast as lactic acid was creeping into my muscles.
By the middle of lap two, I actually started writing, in my mind, the blog post I was going to have to write, explaining how today wasn’t my day, how I didn’t make it, and would have to try again. It was a terrible way to think, and I hated myself for thinking it. Every time I tried to get it out of my head, though, my muscles started hurting just that much more, and I went back to thinking about it. I’d put myself in a horrible cycle of pain and self-doubt, and I didn’t think I could get out of it.
Fortunately, I’d made a promise to myself and posted it publicly on my blog the day before the race, that I would not quit. I knew I couldn’t. All I could think of was seeing my family at the bike-to-run transition, and telling them that I would run until midnight, then just meet them back at the bike collection area.
Around mile 65 or so, I was so frustrated, I started crying on the bike. The winds were picking up something fierce, I hadn’t seen anyone in about 10 minutes, and I was totally alone. I screamed an obscenity that rhymes with ‘duck” at the top of my lungs, cursing the wind, cursing my legs, cursing the island, cursing my stupid decision to do this in the first place.
And out of nowhere comes, “Yup, I know what you mean.”
Scared the living hell out of me. Turns out, there was someone about my speed, maybe 20 feet behind me, for who knows how long? He was from Austin, TX, and we rode together for the next ten or so miles, laughing about the hell we’d brought down upon ourselves.
Tip: You never know where help is going to come from. When you think you’re as alone as you could ever, ever possibly be, know that you’re not, and someone is always there, even if you don’t know it. I’m not overly religious or anything, but there was a person in the right place at the right time, someone I didn’t know, who I needed, right when I needed him most? Makes you think.
Always smile, even if you're hurting.
Making it back to the transition, I felt conflicting feelings. One half was happy to see my family, as evidenced by the photo, the other half was sooo jealous of the woman I saw coming off of transition, handing her bike to the official to start her run. She was done with this hellish bike ride, and I still had another 33 miles to go. That. Was. Brutal.
The third loop was worse than the first two. The winds had picked up significantly, and I my quads were simply killing me. I knew I could finish the ride, but I was more concerned about my quads – Would they even be able to hold me in a standing position, let alone take the abuse that was to come? Let’s not forget, I had to run a freaking MARATHON after this!
By positioning my feet in my clips completely pointed to the ground like a ballet dancer, I was able to relieve a little bit of the quad pressure, but only for a while. So that’s what I did. Straight down for 30 seconds, straight ahead for 30 seconds. Over, and over, and over.
And I also sang the entire score from the London cast recording of Chess. That helped.
And sure enough, the end of the bike ride slowly came into sight. I don’t remember unclipping. I don’t remember getting off the bike. I do remember handing my bike to a wonderful volunteer, and making my way into the changing tent, where more wonderful volunteers helped me get my bike shoes off and get my New Balance sneakers on.
I’ve gotta tell you, I was afraid to sit down – I thought if I sat down to put my sneakers on, I’d never want to get up again – But sure enough, I got up, and made it out – And I looked at the race clock, and realized that I had over seven hours to finish the run! I could WALK a marathon in seven hours if I needed to!
That’s when I realized my entire sob story to myself between laps two and three were a pointless waste of time. I should have put that energy into pedaling!
THE RUN: WANTED: TO FINISH BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
GOT: 06:11:01 (One hour fifteen minutes before midnight!)
Making my way out of the transition tent, I started the run, and again saw my support team. I think that was the first time it actually hit me that I could maybe, possibly, make it through this thing! I also realized that carrying a ton of Sportsbeans and Powerbars on the bike is fine, but on the run, they tend to bounce. So I got rid of them.
Bike to Run Transition from Peter Shankman on Vimeo.
Could my face have possibly been any more sunburned?
As I made my way onto the run, I heard someone being proclaimed an Ironman by the announcer. That meant they finished, while I still had 26.2 miles of running in front of me.
Ouch.
But I ran. I was shocked to find that I actually could run! My legs were strong! Remember, you need your quads to run, and I’d been ruining them all day like a meth addict ruins his veins. I thought for sure I’d have nothing – But my legs were strong! Big props to nutrition. You eat and keep your body fueled with good stuff, and it’ll do what you need when you need it.
Tip: Don’t eat crap. Eat healthy food, even if crap options are much easier to get.
I ran the first loop of the run course (3 loops, 8.4 miles a piece) and felt really good. Met a bunch of people, ran with them, talked to them, anything to take my mind off the pain.
I also did a lot of math – As in, “the race closes at midnight – I can run a 4mph pace and make it with x to spare. If I run an xpace, I can make it with y to spare. Never thought what Mr. Crossfield taught me in high school math would ever become helpful. Who knew.
By the second lap, I met a nice guy named Paulie from Peru. Paulie and I ran together for the entire second lap, but that was his third lap, so I wished him well as he made the turn to finish his race, and I embarked on my final 8.4 miles of my 140.6 mile odyssey.
Hitting mile 20, I came across a fine gentleman named Tye Eckert. We passed the time on our super-fast-walk (down from really-slow-run) and I asked what he did – He worked for a sports marketing firm. He asked what I did.
“Well, my social media company just got acquired, it’s called HARO, it lets…”
“Wait – Are you Peter Shankman?”
Two tired guys, less than 5 miles from becoming Ironmen!
That made us laugh enough to put another mile under our belts.
We hit the final turn-around and had 4.2 miles to go. We got a little spring in our step, and before we knew it, we were approaching the bright lights of the city. I turned to Tye and said “Do you realize what we’re about to do? We’re about to become Ironmen!”
I offered him the chance to go first, and we argued back and forth for a second, each one wanting the other to have the honor. Finally, we agreed that I’d go first, then him, and we’d hug each other when we crossed.
And then, fifteen hours, forty five minutes, and forty one seconds after my first stroke in the water, seven months after starting a hellish training schedule, after not drinking, after getting to sleep earlier than anyone should go to sleep night after night, after working out so hard sometimes that I puked, after feeling setback after setback, wondering if I’d ever make it, after wind, rain, blazing hot sun, crappy hotel pools, and countless strep throats, I was about to hear those words I wanted to hear for years.
“Peter Shankman: YOU! ARE! AN! IRONMAN!!”
Crossing the Finish Line of the 2010 Ford Ironman Cozumel from Peter Shankman on Vimeo.
And it happened, just like I thought it would.
I am an Ironman. I will always be an Ironman. Whether I do this again, or stick to 5k races, I’ll always be an Ironman.
A few final thoughts:
Mexican fans need to come to the United States and teach American spectators how to cheer. These people cheered for me like I was Michael Phelps in the water, Lance Armstrong on the bike, and Paula Radcliffe on the run. No matter how far behind I was, it was like I was the leader and the first person they saw. Thank you to every single resident of Cozumel who came out and cheered me on.
Support teams are so important, both in racing and in life. Have people you can count on, and use them when you can, but know that at the end of the day, while a support team can support, you actually have to do the work. Thank you, Lara, Mom, Dad, and Jasmine, for being there for me, both on race day, and every day of my life. I hope I can continue to do the same for many, many years to come.
Team Shankman in the house!
Seeing my team there throughout the day was awesome, but they were there to cheer me on. They couldn’t do the work for me. I had to. So I did.
Fear tastes good. Try new things. Fear keeps you nimble. It keeps you hungry. It makes you do amazing things.
Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right. Totally cheesy, but totally true. When I was on the bike, I thought I wouldn’t be able to finish, and I believed it. By the time I got to the run, I realized I could, so I did.
And finally: Wear sunscreen.
Thanks for being here, for reading, for the encouraging words and the wonderful comments. Thanks for listening. Thanks for caring.
What can we do in 2011 to top this? Tell me below.
Oh – And in case I didn’t make it clear:
I AM AN IRONMAN!!!
PETER SHANKMAN: YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!
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Peter, although I can never imagine in a billion years accomplishing what you’ve done, I JUST LOVED READING your account, after following your preparations online since the spring. I feel thrilled for you, that you were able to BECOME an Ironman AND keep your sense of humor throughout the experience. I hope you know that your fans around the world were cheering for you. And still are! |
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That is an awesome blog post. Way to go, Rusty (which is what will happen if you wear that medal in the rain…) |
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Great read Peter I really enjoyed it! Bet you are still sore lol. |
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Peter. You are an IRONMAN!!!!!!!!!!! How about renting out an arena and throwing our own concert….. |
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Peter — I’ve been considering signing up for a training program for my first 5K, but putting it off. Your account inspired me to go ahead and sign up for the training AND the 5K. You go, big guy! I love ya! |
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Peter Shankman, YOU. ARE. AN. IRONMAAAAAAAAAN!!!! Well done! |
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Well written, takes us to where your head was at – at and during each stage, motivational, inspiring, delicious! Thanks for sharing. It has helped me. As to where you go from here; I think you have proven that you can do anything you set your mind to, therefore the real question is where can’t you go? Well done, and again thank you for providing such a vivid account of your journey. |
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Thanks, Peter. Totally sitting here at my desk crying right now. Thanks a lot. ;) But in all seriousness, congratulations on your monumental accomplishment. You’re an inspiration! |
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I am crying with pride and excitement for you, Peter Shankman. Thanks for recounting your inspiring story. YOU! ARE! AN! IRONMAN! And anything else you want to be. |
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Peter, this is, without a doubt, the most inspiring thing I have read all year, and maybe in my lifetime. What an amazing accomplishment. Nice work, Ironman! |
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Thanks so much for sharing this. I must say that finishing Silverman (the half) in 2008 was a life changing experience for me. Finishing that race (and the 2 years that lead up to it) is the reason I have a business now! Now that I’m an entrepreneur I’ve wondered how I could possibly run my business and train for a full iron distance. Well you’ve shown everyone it’s possible! And you didn’t skirt around the fact that before the race you were “scared to death.” SO. FREAKING. AWESOME. Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!! PS When did the fear leave? When you fell asleep the night before, in the water, after the gun went off? |
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We all knew you could do it, Peter, but in the end YOU had to know it too and actually do it. What an amazing achievement. Great blog post, too! ;-) |
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Hey Peter – long time no speak, just wanted to congratulate you on your major accomplishment! As usual, you are a source of inspiration to many; you are undoubtedly the personification of the idea that hard work and perserverance do indeed have wonderful pay-offs. Congrats again, and hope you are doing well! |
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It’s an inspiring story, Peter. Could feel your pride and excitement as you crossed the finish line. Congratulations on your achievement. Awesome, really! |
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Congrats on becoming an Ironman and thanks for the incredibly inspiring blog post, Peter! I’ve been following your journey to the Ironman through your numerous blog posts, tweets, Facebook entries, and HARO thoughts, and absolutely thrilled to see you accomplish such an incredible feat. So what’s next? |
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Peter– So what’s next????? How about real time coverage for IRONMAN races? |
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Wow. Thank you for you post. Truly inspirational. Next time you’re in Seattle I want to have a beer and hear all your war stories. That’s what these events feel like — battle. You and I both raced in the Nation’s Triathlon this year (I see that shirt!) and while an Olympic is half of a half iron, I can relate SO MUCH to what you’ve put here. The math? Totally did that. Screaming obscenities? Only once. Day dreaming about calling it a day? Almost constantly. The loops are brutal and such a mind game. I’m so proud of you, so happy for you and love the video of you finishing. When I finished my first Olympic I just cried and cried — I couldn’t believe I’d actually finished something that I saw as being so hard. It’s an amazing feeling. CONGRATS! |
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Brilliant story, brilliantly told and totally utterly brilliant effort. Well done! |
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Peter, if I can dry my eyes enough to see my computer screen, I just want to say…WOO HOO! WELL DONE!!! So many elements of your story are the same as my experience of completing a triathlon (not ironman–standard distance!) a few years ago–including feeling so alone and ready to give up on the bike leg. Thanks for being such a great inspiration to so many and bringing back memories of the hardest, best thing I’ve every done. YOU GO!!!!! (I mean it… go rest… ;) |
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Social Media Entrepreneur, Angel Investor, CEO, Speaker, Consultant, Adventurist…and Ironman! |
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Welcome to the Ironman family Peter! Two ideas for you – the CEO Endurance World Championship on Lanai in Sept, or become part of our 8-person CEO Challenge Team in the Race Across America… |
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Great read – thanks for sharing. And I’m a big believer in getting up 30 minutes earlier than you need to, too. |
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Peter, AMAZING! Thank you so much for sharing and inspiring me (and so many others) through your experience. Taking on this challenge is a reminder that we are stronger than we think. Often times in life, you only accept the challenges that are brought upon you (losing a job and having to find a new one, getting sick and trying to get better, etc.), but I love the reminder that challenges are also what we choose to do that’s out of our comfort zone. Cheers to that! Congratulations, huge congratulations, on becoming an Ironman! |
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Loved your story, loved your pain, loved your perseverance. Excellent work and thanks for taking us on your journey. |
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I just showed this to my grandparents. You are the inspiration for all of us. You Rock!!! |
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Hey Peter, On Monday morning, a buddy of mine was telling me he was running the Las Vegas marathon this coming week-end. I couln’t resist telling him that you had finished the Cozumel Ironman just the day before. Lets just say he didn’t find me half as funny as I found myself ;-) Seriously, congrats buddy, I’m proud of you! MS |
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Couple things I love about this writeup. 1) You’re honest about the self-doubt. The greatest part of any endurance event is overcoming it. 2) You hugged the volunteer before she could give you the medal. Gold. |
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Congrats on an amazing accomplishment and for sharing some very poignant life tips along the way. IRONMAN! |
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I am in awe. So proud of your journey and thinking…what can I do now to inspire greatness? Congratulations! |
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Peter – anyone who has made a career in the PR profession realizes that passion, hardwork and stick-to-itiveness (sp?) are prerequisites for success. you have once again proved that and inspired a fellow colleague. not only are you talented but your salt of the earth makeup and willingness to share your vulnerabilities make you REAL. let me know when you’re in West Hartford – dinner and drinks on me! |
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Peter, |
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Awesome story! Very inspiring! Thanks for sharing and congrats on being an ironman! |
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From your BIGGEST CANADIAN FAN, I loved reading every word of your race report. I felt like I was there. with you. “”"”WHAT AN AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN !!!!! i AM VERY PROUD OF YOU |
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Peter, |
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Peter…congratulations!!! Totally awesome and inspiring. That is one of my goals…but have much training to do before I get to Ironman distance. You are an inspiration. and…YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!! |
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super well done, peter! bravo! and thanks for the lessons – each one i’ll take to heart in my every day. |
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Awesome, Awesome, Ironman!!! Great story and an even better example of setting and achieving even the loftiest of goals! Congratulations on a great job and for showing the rest of us the possibilities that we can attain if we take that first step and keep our eyes on the finish line! |
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Congrats Peter! I manage PR for the company that handles online registration for all the Ironman events (Active Network/Active.com). Additionally, Mike Reilly, the “voice of Ironman” also works here, so I’ve had the opportunity to hear many motivating stories such as yours. As you noted in your post, anyone can talk about how they want to do an Ironman, but greatness can only happens when you commit to executing on your dream. Great job! |
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One more lesson to add: Preparation. You didn’t register and forget it. You put in a lot of hard work before you got to the starting line. And you didn’t let your crazy travel schedule be an excuse for not following through. Congratulations. On completing the Iron Man, but also on putting in the daily work to reach your goal. |
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Oh, Wow. Peter you are the man — no, make that the IRONMAN! I’ve followed your posts for quite some time, but this one is extraordinary — thank you for sharing so honestly. You are one brave dude. And you’ve given me the nudge to be a little braver tomorrow too. |
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What an inspiration you are, Peter. Thanks for the kick in the butt I am needing right now. Congratulations on achieving what many only dream about doing “someday” as you so eloquently put it. Beaming, smiling for you. :-) |
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Congrats….you are an IRONMAN! Not suprised to hear the fellow from Austin was your answered prayer — we have tons of amazing athletes here. |
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Your a badass Peter!! Great story about setting a goal, sticking to something, sometimes doubting you can do it, but then finally pulling through at the end and finishing what you set out to do. |
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Peter: Congratulations on becoming an Ironman. I am mightily impressed. I have run marathons and competed in decathlons, but I cannot imagine the discipline and effort necessary for an Ironman. Well done. |
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So so so so so so awesome. Amazing. Thank you for sharing your experience, and CONGRATULATIONS!! |
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Peter, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN, welcome to the group. It has been great to follow your journey, thanks for sometimes writing what i was thinking in my training for Lake Placid. You have been such an amazing inspiration in your simple down to earth posts along the way, always telling it like it is, always being 100% honest, always real and authentic. Thanks I look forward to racing with you someday. |
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Peter, this is inspiring. Thanks for sharing. I finished my first half iron in October and your account of it felt very familiar (although mine was only a half the distance). You’ve inspired me to consider doing a full… maybe… |
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Peter, you are an inspiration and my hero. Congratulations. You are an IRONMAN! |
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Awesome. You need to print this on a major like Ny Times or USA Today for general folks . Cograts and great story and blog posting! Go Peter. |
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AH-Mazing!! Awesome. You should be soooo proud of all of your accomplishments. Can’t wait to see what’s next?? |
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Congrats Peter! I can feel your enthusiasm and will hopefully compete in an Ironman one day! I have accomplished 1/2 marathons and I understand where you are coming from when you say facing fear keeps you nimble! I believe in accomplishing challenges in your life and it makes you a better person! Again, Congratulations and let me know next time you are in Orlando and the drink is on me! Happy Holidays, Kathy Pierson :) |
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I never had any doubt you’d be an Ironman by the end of Sunday! You rocked it! Congratulations. |
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Re: “Mexican fans need to come to the United States and teach American spectators how to cheer.” We’re always loud and passionate about cheering people on at events (even if it’s someone we don’t know). Congratulations Peter! That’s a great achievement and I’m happy for your :-) |
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Peter, you are THE MAN, THE IRONMAN!!!! Congratulations for sharing the dream! Cheers to you, Ardee-ann in Arkansas |
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Peter, Thank you for sharing with us the gift of your experience! I know I’m not the only one who wiped away tears of excitement, pride and joy for you. Who knew that all of that could be communicated via a blog post? That your words could bring us back to your very personal moments in time? You’re an incredible person, freakin’ amazingly gifted communicator and an inspiration to us all – showing us the best parts of being human. So, congratulations Peter! You’ve achieved so MUCH more than becoming an Ironman. An Ironman is huge, but what you’ve achieved….yeah. Life-changing, wasn’t it? I only hope that someday I can inspire even one person the way that you have touched so many of us today (and prior to today)! Huge, BIG hug to you Peter!! |
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Peter, Y-O-U R-O-C-K!!! You ARE part of accomplished Ironman history…. Cheers to you… Your Memoir Blog Post: “Race Report: Ironman Cozumel” is an amazing part of not only your own life story but ours too; your fans that learn so much from you each and every day. Thank you for your unparalleled transparency and for your endless inspiration. I wondered as I read all your incredible “leading up to the big day posts,” the last several months, how Ironman Triatholons were created/founded…. I learned: As Ironman History defines: ~> …..Ironman triathlon had the humblest of beginnings, as a bunch of Navy Seals, stationed in Hawaii were discussing who were the fittest athletes in the world. Were swimmers, cyclists or runners the fittest? Navy commander John Collins decided there was only one way to find out and that was to do all three at once. So on Feb. 18, 1978, 15 competitors decided to put themselves to the test by swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and running 26.2 miles. “Whoever finishes first will be call the Ironman.” Collins said. And thus, Ironman triathlon was born. Twenty years later, Collins returned to Hawaii to race for the 20th anniversary of the event, and what he saw was close to 1,500 racers ready to tackle a race he had started with less than 20 people only two decades before. Since those humble beginnings the sport of Ironman has developed into an international phenomenon. With 10 plus sanctioned races worldwide, Ironman touches all corners of the globe and has races on all of the continents of the world except Antarctica. Peter, as defined by IRONMAN history: You have well earned to be a part of the “IRONMAN Community – The Fittest Athletes in the World!!” So excited for you!! :) Greatest of gratitude to you…. |
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Wow, just wow! I’m so happy for you Peter. I loved your account and the little video clips, thank you for sharing with all of us and being so inspiring! Congratulations, Ironman! :-) |
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Peter, I read you post and cried…for joy at your tenacity and achievement, and at every point where you reminded me of how much support is out there for the tough things we want to do. Dinner’s on my next time you’re in DC. Let me know when! |
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Congratulations! You earned every mile of it. And, I would imagine that being an Ironman will make every other challenge you face in life a little bit easier. After all, if you can conquer 14o miles you can do anything!!!!!!!!!! |
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Peter- you are amazing!! Congratulations on the most incredible achievement – your post captured all your emotions and your sheer will – an wonderful inspiration!! |
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Peter – we met briefly at a couple of EO events and i have followed your tweets ever since. Reading about your efforts over the summer inspired me to set my own (albeit minuscule compared to yours) goal for running, which I have always hated to do. I have since run my first couple of 5k races (never thought I would!) and now have plans for my first 10k (baby steps!) I coach kids on life and financial goal setting as well as small business owners regarding growth, and your story will inspire on both ends. Thanks for so honestly reporting your experience along the way to help inspire and guide us all. You’ve got to find that next thing to keep us “glued”. You can take a week off though. Congrats! |
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Congrats Ironman! Thanks for sharing your story; truly amazing. |
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WOOHOO!!! Congrats Peter! I also read your post and teared up – good for you. I have a friend who’s an ironman, so I know what goes into training and on race day, and it’s really an awesome accomplishment. I’m so happy for you! And great tips – I’ve got to start incorporating some of that into my own life :) |
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Holy crap, man! This is a fantastic account of an incredible and inspiring journey. It is exactly what I needed to read right now. I am a fan and I hope our paths cross soon. |
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Peter, this post brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for sharing it. And even though I don’t know you personally, I couldn’t be prouder. WAY TO GO, and thanks for the inspiration! |
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Congratulations, Peter! What an amazing accomplishment! Loved your reflections. A friend of mine is signed up for the 2011 Death Race. Check it out! http://www.youmaydie.com/ |
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Hi Peter, |
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Absofreakinlutely AMAZING! We don’t know each other, but DAMN … I am super proud of you. My closest friend is an IronMan and going through the training, the preparation, the race itself … it absolutely changed (and continues to change) his life. You’ll never be the same. Congratulations! |
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Congratulations Peter! I love this column! Thank you for sharing both your fears and your insights. For myself I need to acknowledge both in order to grow. |
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Congratulations Peter! What an inspirational story! We always knew you werean Ironman, now its offical. |
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Thanks for the great story Peter! I got so motivated I upped my Olympic Distance commitment next year to half iron man. Boom. You just motivated me. |
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Peter- And thank you for putting the challenge out there to us. I’m signing up for another marathon, even though I swore I would NEVER EVER EVER do it again. You ARE an Ironman. |
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I’ve been in the jungle for the last few days, just read the post: CONGRATS! Huge, wonderful! Hope you are getting over the soreness and feeling great about the effort. |
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Peter/Ironman – GREAT job out there!!! We were there at the race & you’re so right- there were many times when the cheering support from the Mexican fans made me get a little choked up. You could feel them putting all their love and joy into the athlete coming through, whether they knew them or not…Life lesson: give love, good cheer, and support to others, whether you know them or not. :-) Congrats on such a HUGE accomplishment!!! |
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Thanks for sharing your inspiration…love it, absolutely love it. You have a lot to be proud of. What a great accomplishment! |
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While telling a coworker that I just joined a local TriClub but I’m just going to stick to olympic, sprint, and club length races another coworker down the hall, (yes, I’m that loud), emails me Shankman’s blog. Very motivating, thanks for sharing Shankman! And thanks coworker for pulling my punk card and making me commit to someday (soon) becoming an Ironman. :) |
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Great job Peter! Congrats on your first Ironman! Cozumel was my first too- Loved it! |
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Ironman has been on my bucket list for awhile and you’ve inspired me to go for it. I just signed up for the Ironman in Coeur’d'Alene, ID this June. Thanks! |
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Was just told about your blog today. Congratulations on becoming a fellow Ironman! There is no other feeling like it in the world. Reading your post brought back a flood of memories from my Ironman last year, and I definitely smiled at some of the similarities. There are so few who can understand the tidal wave of emotions the training and event create. I’m signed up for another full this November. So far still not 100% convinced I’ll do it but reading posts like this make it a no brainer! |
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Fantastic !!! Just completed my first 70.3 in Galveston. Thinking about doing Cozumel in Nov. You’re an inspiration. Any tips? |
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Peter, thanks for this great report. I’m considering tackling the Ironman this coming fall in Cozumel, and your report helps me in the process. |
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Hi Peter, Thanks |
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Peter. |
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Congratulations on this achievement Peter, I have been fortunate enough to have completed 4 Ironman races in the past 10 years you did a great job of describing the feelings I think everyone goes through. Why the hell am I doing this again? |
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Loved reading this. I will attempt my first Ironman at Cozumel this Nov. Excited and nervous but your comments reminded me in the current gruel and grind of this training why I am doing this. Thank you Peter for the pick up. Will |
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Go for it Will. It’s possibly the toughest thing you will ever do and likely one of the most rewarding. During my training, someone told me the Ironman is 10% physical and 90% mental, assuming you’ve followed a decent training plan for 6+ months. After doing the Ironman, I have to agree. Once you finish, post a link to your race report in the comments here as they’re always inspiring to read. Good luck! Allen |
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Awesome story. I remember reading it a year ago and just enjoyed reading it again. |
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