The water is 59 degrees, 6 degrees warmer than earlier in the week, the race director’s allow you to wear booties to help prevent hypothermia.

It’s 7AM and the cannon goes off. 2,000 triathletes hit the water running. From my position, it looks like a swarm of blue fish on the Jersey Shore devouring everything in their path, all the fish scatter, only swimmers now jockeying for a position and buoys… 2.4 miles of buoys.

Derek and Michele leave the water with great times; 1:11 and 1:12 but where is Melanie? She had a great strategy for the swim start but it did not include calf cramps from the cold water, hypothermia and nearly drowning. She exits the water in 1:24. Only an Ironman could finish that swim and then get on a bike from 112 mile race.

Derek hammers the bike in 5:45, Michele looks focused and finishes in 6:24 (with a flat at mile 25) and Melanie has a solid bike in 6:54.

Derek hits the run and starts passing people, lots of people. No one likes to get passed on the run as it may mean an age group slot in Kona.

Derek finishes in a total time of 11:21:05- a PR. Michele finishes the 140.6 mile race with a PR of 12:23:51. Melanie finishes her first Ironman distance in 13:39:12.

As for me, I still feel like I could step in the boxing ring and fight for the middleweight championship of the NYAC. Although the years take their toll on your body, the mind says you can do anything because you are an Ironman. So where does the courage come from? It comes from deep inside a fearless mindset – like flying down a hill at 40+ MPH on thin sew-ups where a pot hole could bust your wheel and send you flying or running through pain so bad you feel your leg is broken or swimming when you are so cold that you cannot feel your hands and feet but you keep going to finish the race. Some people will say, what do you get? T-shirt? Medal? Those are the people that will never understand the true meaning of life. You must first believe that there are no limits in your life and I have been convinced the Ironman is your vehicle that will take you to wherever you want to go in this life. A famous person once said, “How can I get to know someone else if I don’t even know myself?” Do 140.6 miles and you will get to know a lot about yourself and what you are made of.

This is what an Ironman is, pure and unwavering, forever courage and even after 25 years you still remember the committment and dedication it took to become an Ironman.

Good luck Michele! Have a great race at The World Championships in Kona this October. We will be there to cheer you all the way and see that great happy smile of yours!

Jim Muehe
Ironman and Father of a family of second generation Ironmen
For the Glory of Physical Achievement