Croix Sather finishes Ironman Louisville, the toughest race on the planet.

It is often called the most difficult and grueling race on the planet. An Ironman race consists of what might be called three marathons back to back. First is a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike race and then finished up with a full marathon of 26.2 miles. The total race distance is 140.6 miles. There is also a time deadline of seventeen hours. In any Ironman race it is common that hundreds of athletes drop out of the race or do not finish in time. Those who choose to take on the challenge typically prepare for years. Not me, I prepared for the race in just a few weeks. The longest race that I ever completed was a half Ironman just six weeks earlier.

Approaching forty years old, how did I finish this race with such little training, a race that is double my longest race? It is as much about the mental preparation as the physical. I was more mentally prepared for this race than I was physically. When you are mentally prepared and strong you can get your body to do anything that you ask of it. With only a few weeks of training, most Ironman athletes would agree that this is insane and is not nearly enough training.

My philosophy is that when the body is prepared for something like an Ironman and it is given a lot or rest as part of that preparation it can go the distance. There probably is no way to get my race time under twelve hours with this limited training. That would require the typical dedication of training for about twenty hours a week or more. Next year, I plan on having a significantly better race time so I will train more.

You might be wondering how he felt after the race. My wife and I drove home the 13 hour drive the next morning. I drove for a little less than half of it and I felt pretty good. A little muscle soreness as I expected. After a 90 minute massage the next day, I felt like I was as good as new. The one thing I didn’t expect was the mental fatigue for the two days after the race. I felt as if someone had turned the power switch off in my mind. a very bizarre feeling for me. For most racers it takes about three weeks for the body to fully recover from an Ironman race and I will be no different. While I may feel good, my body will be recovering and regenerating for weeks. And as for my race time, 15 hours -49 minutes of nonstop swimming, biking and running.

You CAN achieve anything that you set your mind to. 

Comments

[Croix Sather]

It was an awesome race and I can't wait until the next year at Lake Placid. If you have ever thought about something crazy that you want to do. Make a plan and do it. This was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Please comment and let me know what you think.
Hugs and Love ... Croix

[Richard]

Congratulations again Croix. What an achievement! Even more so given the fact that you had little time to prepare. You are proof that "You CAN achieve anything that you set your mind to" and an inspiration for us all.

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1554857556]

Thanks Richard. It is absolutely true that you can achieve anything you set your mind to. I am now using the same zeal, commitment and endurance that an Ironman race takes and applying it to my business life. When life gets or a task gets mundane, I think of the Ironman race and tell myself, "yes I can."
Look me up on Facebook. It will be great to stay connected. facebook.com/croix
BTW, want to see something inspirational, go to YouTube and search "Team Hoyt" and watch the video. "I can" will have a whole new meaning. See you in FB.