A Moment You Never Forget

“I remember exactly where I was on the course when I knew I would finish my first Ironman. It was special. A really emotional moment.”

Did you have a moment like this?

After hours and hours of race day toil, after months and months of preparation, did you get to a point in your race when you knew for certain that you were going to make it, you knew you were going to cross the finish line?

Did you get emotional too?

I did.

Ironman Switzerland 2009.

The last section on a four lap run course, in the middle of Zurich, about 3k from the finish and alongside the tram tracks, I had a moment.

Goosebumps.

Moist eyes.

Lump in the throat.

An almighty roar on the inside.

A feeling I could leap a tall building in a single bound.

I was so close. I was going to do it.

I was going to complete this insane event. This race I had once seen on TV on an extreme sports show in the 80’s – Transworld Sports. As a teen, I had watched, mouth open, and dismissed as a ‘race’ only for nutters. Impossible, I then thought.

The moment. 3,000m from the finish. I was becoming – no, I was – one of those nutters. Doing the absolute impossible.

Transcended from an an unbelieving viewer to an athlete who could do the impossible.

I was hardcore!

It’s easy to normalise it. We hang out with other triathletes. Probably triathletes who’ve raced quicker than you will. In our circles, the conversation is “what time did you do?” or “how many is that now?”.

Ironman, it’s just another race isn’t it?

No, it’s not.

Finishing, especially your first Ironman, should be treated as a moment. A moment you never forget.

For all the first timers out there, I really hope you get your moment. The red carpet and the finish line is the glory and the elation – and that is amazing. But hopefully, somewhere along the course, you also get to experience what I did.

The moment you knew.

Good luck.

I hope you come and join me in the “nutters club”! 😀