“Put your head down and get to work!”
Wow. That’s not something we really want to hear from anyone. But that’s what I shouted at myself, while riding 5 miles per hour, up a hill, into a 30 mile per hour headwind, only 35 miles into the bike segment of my first Ironman triathlon.
Let me rewind a bit, and hopefully give you a blueprint for the next time you take on a BHAG (Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal).
First, Find Something you Love
Since my success at the 1984 Olympic Games, I have worked very hard to take care of myself, stay in shape, and discover new hobbies. Beyond gymnastics, the only sport I engaged in before the Olympics was surfing. I have never been very good at it, but I love spending time with my sons and daughters in the water. After the Games, I fell in love with cycling, and started competing in various mountain bike races including the Leadville 100 and the 24 Hours of Moab. When my daughter Kathryn started running cross country in high school, I started running with her to keep her motivated (she now runs in college and I can’t keep up with her). I ran a couple of marathons, both with mediocre results.
But about a year ago, my oldest son Tim read Christopher McDougall’s bestselling book, Born to Run, the account of the legendary runners of the Taraumara tribe in Mexico. He found “running religion” and was soon completing many miles per week.
After a few months (although he is in his final year of graduate business school), Tim somehow got the silly idea he wanted to compete in an Ironman triathlon. The race consists of a 2.4 mile open water swim, followed by 112 miles on the bike, and finishing with a 26.2 mile marathon. Although I tried to explain to him the amount of time and effort it would take to train for it, he insisted on doing it…so I decided to join him in the quest (an interesting way to celebrate turning 50).
Next, Don’t Go it Alone!
The first thing I did was contact a friend, James Lawrence, who is currently in the middle of a quest to set the world record for the most Ironman distance races completed in one year (he’s going for 30!). James has a big heart in many ways. Through his quest, he is raising awareness and money for the Quiet Way Foundation, which builds water retention systems (dams) to assist the people of Kenya. James is also a triathlon coach and he set me up with a six month training plan.
I also picked the brains of friends who have completed Ironman races, including financial planning guru Bill Bachrach, fitness executive and life coach Jim McPartland, and even ran into 6 time Ironman World Champion, the world’s fittest man, Mark Allen.
View Photos from Peter’s IronMan
Peter Vidmar, Olympic Gymnastics Champion, is a speaker on personal achievement, risk taking, and innovation. He is also the author of Risk, Originality, and Virtuosity: The Keys to a Perfect 10.
