# Any dopers done an Ironman distance swim-cycle-run Triathlon? What was it like? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 27, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-done-an-ironman-distance-swim-cycle-run-triathlon-what-was-it-like/659470 "2013-05-27T17:12:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-done-an-ironman-distance-swim-cycle-run-triathlon-what-was-it-like/659470/1 "2013-05-27T17:12:18Z")
I was reading the doper’s 2013 [fitness goals thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=674100) and also reading the wiki on [Ironman style Triathlons](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironman_Triathlon). To achieve completion of one seems to be an amazingly grueling task. Anyone here participated in or completed one? What was it like? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-done-an-ironman-distance-swim-cycle-run-triathlon-what-was-it-like/659470/2 "2013-05-27T17:36:33Z")
I’ve got several friends who do Ironman distance triathlons and they are quite grueling. The training for one takes up the majority of your time and it’s hard to do much else. Most folks build up to them through sprint, Olympic, and half-Ironman distances before attempting a full. Reported for move to Game Room. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-done-an-ironman-distance-swim-cycle-run-triathlon-what-was-it-like/659470/3 "2013-05-27T17:49:04Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I’ve got several friends who do Ironman distance triathlons and they are quite grueling. The training for one takes up the majority of your time and it’s hard to do much else. Most folks build up to them through sprint, Olympic, and half-Ironman distances before attempting a full. > > Reported for move to Game Room. I know it’s a “sporting activity” but the game forum seems to be 99% organized team sports and board-card and PC-console gaming. I’m guessing most people who run marathons and triathlons aren’t ever going to be looking at the gaming forum unless it’s talking about teams sorts or gaming. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-done-an-ironman-distance-swim-cycle-run-triathlon-what-was-it-like/659470/4 "2013-05-27T20:17:10Z")
Actually, we’ve had a few endurance sport threads in the Game Room, that’s why I thought it would go well there. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-done-an-ironman-distance-swim-cycle-run-triathlon-what-was-it-like/659470/5 "2013-05-27T20:37:10Z")
I have not, but my brother did. He’s the one who lost 117 pounds about 25 years ago. He got in thru a lottery, because his qualifying times were not good enough for the Iron Man in Hawaii, but he got in, trained for a year, and finished the course. 14 hours, 47 minutes. What was it like? They automatically started an IV on him the minute he crossed the finish line. And he spent the next couple of days in bed. OTOH, he still does 10Ks and marathons, so it didn’t discourage him. He got an eighteen inch tattoo of Iron Man (the Marvel Comics character) on his leg in honor of the occasion. Then he got Spider-Man, Captain America, the Human Torch, and the Mighty Thor on his legs, and the Iron Man logo tattooed on his neck as well. But I don’t think that is required. He said the training was harder than the event. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-done-an-ironman-distance-swim-cycle-run-triathlon-what-was-it-like/659470/6 "2013-05-27T21:03:57Z")
I’ve done one. It was a long, long day. Spent about a year training, including doing several shorter triathlons. I’m a good swimmer and a pretty good cyclist, so I wasn’t too concerned about those. The run was really tough for me. I just kept aiming for one mile out: OK, you can do one more mile. Just focus on that next mile, then focus on the next one… ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-done-an-ironman-distance-swim-cycle-run-triathlon-what-was-it-like/659470/7 "2013-05-27T22:07:38Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I’ve done one. > > It was a long, long day. Spent about a year training, including doing several shorter triathlons. I’m a good swimmer and a pretty good cyclist, so I wasn’t too concerned about those. The run was really tough for me. I just kept aiming for one mile out: OK, you can do one more mile. Just focus on that next mile, then focus on the next one… I am impressed. I did a mere half ironman a few years back (The Spirit of Racine), mind you it was 100 degrees out, but I cannot fathom doing one twice as long under any conditions, nor committing the time to train to that level. Several of the people I was cycling with at that time were regular ironman participants. At my peak I could barely hang on their rear wheels for long rides. And the bike is my strongest suit! I salute you! ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-done-an-ironman-distance-swim-cycle-run-triathlon-what-was-it-like/659470/8 "2013-05-28T00:43:45Z")
Moved to the Game Room from … a long distance away.