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Reflections From Ironman North American Championship Texas #IMTX

Congratulations to all the OYM athletes who competed with us in the #IMTX on Saturday, May 16, 2015. Way to go Charlie "ChooChoo" Lockerson, Chad "Big Dog" Goforth, "Coach Bryan" Merritt, Dawes Marlatt, and Jon "Coco" Colclasure. 

The following reflection is shared with special permission from Jon Colclasure. (Please don't reproduce his list beyond sharing this blog post in its entirety and crediting Jon directly - thanks!) : 

Twenty Things I Learned During the Ironman 

  1. You have to have support from your family and friends as the foundation for doing this. 
  2. During my journey I found additional friends and supporters who were interested in contributing.
  3. The start is important however the finish is where you earn your medal.
  4. No matter how well you prepare, something will always come up. In fact multiple things will probably come up.
  5. The goals during the race are always just to the next 100 yards in the swim, the next 5 or 10 miles in the bike and the next water station on the run. 
  6. It makes sense to be thankful for many things during training and during the event itself
  7. There is always something to improve on.
  8. There is a God and he is willing to help you achieve your goals. This will manifest itself through other people. 
  9. Even those not on your direct support team can and will help you keep motivate.
  10. There are times when it would be much easier to quit than to keep going. But keep moving.This mental part is vital to success. 
  11. Nobody completes an Ironman by themselves. There are dozens and possibly hundreds of people who are important contributors to anyone's campaign. 
  12. While your strengths give you something to find comfort in, you must address your weaknesses otherwise they will be an obstacle to success. 
  13. The difference between success and failure is a collection of dozens of little things that are seemingly insignificant by themselves. 
  14. Nothing new on race day, but even so you have to be ready to adjust as dictated by the situation. 
  15. When you get right down to it, the formula for success is really quite simple -- you have to put in sufficient training over an extended foundation period of time. Your body then knows what to do with that training load when it comes time to perform. 
  16. You may be fortunate to get a lucky break that comes your way however don't count on it as part of your plan. 
  17. People are generally kind and supportive in being a part of a seemingly impossible challenge. 
  18. Your body can do amazing things. Just get out of the way and let it do what it needs to do. 
  19. From my suffering and accomplishment it appears other people were or are now inspired to do something new for themselves. 
  20. Context is decisive. You can look at an Ironman as a nearly impossible abstract idea or as a really long training day filled with opportunity and fun. ~ Jon Colclasure
Love, Peace and Bicycle Grease,
Matt & Julie (with Choo Choo)

 

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