The Road to the Ironman – Staying in the moment

As I send this out it will be somewhere near the three week mark before the big day. I do feel a change, I seem to be more on edge and looking for any support I can get. I continue to be amazed on how many people are actually following me through this journey and now most are stepping up and giving me the needed emotional support. What I find interesting is how many are simply throwing back the advice I give them to help make their lives better. Huh, maybe I should listen to what comes out of my pie hole once in awhile. That being said, thank you to all and this is the time when I need you the most.

Staying in the moment is the goal for the next three weeks, this can be practice for using that thought come race day. Staying in the moment means I can’t change the past, I can’t worry about the future because both just wasted energy. What I can do is focus on now. Mentally is the biggest Ironman challenge at least for me. As I have mentioned before physically it will hurt all day, but it will be the positive thoughts that will carry me through the day.

I need to slow things down and do things that take my mind off the pain.

A drill I will practice in the last weeks is to be more aware of my surrounds.

Listen. Listen to my breathing, listen to the crowd, listen to everything. Listening will help pass the time and help to better visualize what is happening around me.

Look. Notice everything. Take it all in. I will never have another 1st time doing an Ironman. Maybe I have mentioned this is the biggest thing I have ever done in my life and I really don’t want to miss anything.

Feel. As the race moves forward feel how my body is reacting to the day. Start at the head and work my way down to the toes. Feel the sensation of pushing yourself to the limit and just when I don’t think I have anymore, feel myself pushing past those limits. Feel the wind in my face, the warmth of the sun, the coolness of the night air.

Visualize: To visualize one and only one goal, running down that finishers shoot and hearing Mike Riley say “Jim Ristow you are an Ironman!”

I have learned so much about myself during this process. I knew going I this was the most difficult experience of my life, but what I didn’t realize was how much I was going to learn about myself leading up to the race. Lessons learned that I plan to use moving forward in life. Learning to experience life. Enjoy the idea of passing along what I have learned to others that are looking to better themselves. The Ironman is more than a 140.6 mile race, I will come out of this a different person. A better person. A more humbled person. A person that looks to make others better if they are looking and searching like I have been on this journey.

Now as the day approaches, please keep in mind I might go off the deep end from time to time. I am thankful to have family and friends surrounding me and coming to my side to help. As always I have an open invitation for all to come up to Madison on September 12 and experience this for themselves. Will you want to sign up for an Ironman? Maybe (ask me before you do)? But there is a very good chance you will see something amazing and just might stick in that gray matter between your ears.

Totals:

Running Miles: 729.80

Number of Hours: 111:20

New shoes: 219.50 miles (for my record keeping)

Biking Miles: 1,725.00

Number of Hours: 101:40

Swimming Miles: 76.84 miles or 135,238 yards

Number of Hours: 33:05

Swimming laps (25 yard pool): 5,230 lengths or 2,615 laps

Weightlifting hours: 26:00

Stairs in Cancun: 1:05

1 pathetic game of volleyball: 1 hour

TOTAL HOURS – 286 hours and 25 minutes