Spontaneous Ironman

There's a fine line between bold and reckless, and I tend to surround myself with friends that enjoy toeing this line.

Last week, my friend Zeppelin decided he was well overdue for a test of physical fitness, and decided to indulge in a makeshift Ironman. Without an official race or course nearby, he mapped out a route that would allow him to achieve the not-so-casual distances of 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles cycling and 26.2 miles running. These intervals were many times longer than anything he had ever completed and his training was limited to a handful of trail runs around Salt Lake and a daily bike commute.

Loosely inspired by Jackson Hole's Picnic, Zeppelin suggested the idea of an "Off-the-Couch Ironman" back in March. I had just signed up for my first ultra, and was slowly coming to terms with the fact that much of my summer would be devoted to training. The mere thought of adding swimming and cycling to my program was ludicrous. I quickly told him, "fuck no".

Several months passed with no mention of the Ironman. I imagined the fire had burned out and that new goals had been crafted and staged. But one night it happened. He got the itch. And once you get the itch, you don't shake the itch. You go-do. 

Zeppelin and I are different types of athletes. He's perhaps more naturally gifted, while my body demands that I train hard, gradually increase mileage, and stretch after each outing. Even with adequate preparation, I'm highly injury-prone. He can just get up and do something like an Ironman. That's not to say that I don't enjoy putting my body through the wringer. I just have to plan things out a bit more.

But why train for an Ironman? Most would sign up for an average-sized triathlon before attempting an endurance race of this caliber. A myriad of issues could arise, resulting in failure. As Zeppelin gathered mismatched belongings, borrowed equipment, and sat in on nutrition 101, I tried to remind myself that the human body is capable of enduring a lot and that he would be fine. I just hoped he could come out the other side laughing, and without a season-ending injury.

By 11:00 am the following day, the deed was done. He had successfully completed the makeshift Ironman, snagging first in his age group, division and overall. He was awarded pizza and cookies and quickly sought rest. Everyone has to pay the piper. 

Does this mean anyone can get up and complete an Ironman? No. Can some people get up and complete an Ironman? Yes. Does this mean I want to have a go at completing a spontaneous Ironman? Again I'll say it, "fuck no".

******

Zep's route was quite scenic, and Lauren and I crewed him through his swim, wished him well on his overnight bicycle, and trotted along the pavement during his marathon. Here are a few images that prove he actually did the thing.