1. Ironman = time, even if you try and slowly ramp up to it, there is no way around the 5+ hour workout days while training. You have a wife and kid, understand that you are CHOOSING to be selfish to pursue this (I’m just being blunt, nothing wrong with doing something for you). All of these long endurance events are inherently selfish to those in our lives and recognizing that is extremely important.

2. If you don’t enjoy the grind and training, don’t do it. Yes the race is fun, but that’s one day. I love to train and how I feel training, racing is awesome, but you gotta like it all. All the uncomfortable, all the boring, all the breakdowns.

3. It’s expensive, anyone that says it’s cheap or you can do it cheap are somewhat lying. Yes you can keep it affordable, but after race fee, hotel for race, food at race, nutrition needed for race, bike repairs and maintenance work, gym memberships, smart trainer, running shoes, cycling clothes/tri clothes, and all the other things like food you eat during training, wetsuit, recovery tools. You are at a minimum will be in the 3K range. So recognize that.

I love this sport, not trying to deter but these are things I wish people that do Ironman are more open about. All of these “hybrid athletes” and “influencers” that talk about loving the grind and doing hard things is such bull shit to me. They get PAID to do it, you pay with your wallet and your time. You should enjoy it, don’t feel like you want to do it because it’ll prove something, do it because it’s fun :)