Triathlons, Ultra-Marathons and Iron-Mans: Welcome to the Endurance Age

What is the appeal about dragging your butt 26.2 miles around a mapped course, or worse, swimming 2.4 miles, cycling 112 miles and then dragging your butt 26.2 miles around a mapped course? The answer may be different for all of us but one thing is for sure – endurance events are growing in popularity all the time!

Tour de France – The World’s Most Gruelling Cycle RaceImage: Tom Curtis / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

No Pain, No Gain

I recently completed my first real endurance event by running the 2010 Virgin London Marathon. I admit it was probably the best day of my life (the fact that I got engaged secured that)! Going back to why these endurance events are so popular now, I can think of a few reasons: we need physical exertion/pain in our lives, we need to achieve in our own eyes and in the mind of others, and we need purpose. Endurance events can offer each of these things in varying degrees for us all.

I am currently reading a book called ‘Over the Edge’ by Michael Bane. I would recommend it to anyone because we can all connect to Michael‘s story, in which he compiled a list of 13 ‘extreme’ events to take part in which changed his life forever. We are not going to be all so dramatic in our own lives but as you will see below, my own Event Hit List is growing…

Success and Camaraderie Are Guaranteed

From personal experience, I know that it is easier to be motivated, and therefore train more effectively when you have a set goal in front of you. The deadline of an event can put pressure on you to perform but this is a positive thing because you have an obvious goal and you can structure your training to achieve that goal. I have found that when I am not training for a particular event, although my motivation to succeed doesn’t fade, my focus and effectiveness in training are not always as high. It takes great motivation, dedication (and yes, vanity) to go to a gym 5 times a week and ‘pump iron’ when the end goal is to improve your physical appearance. I am not trying to degrade workouts for fat loss or muscle building in any way but simply saying that it can be mentally easier to train to be functionally fit for a specific event. I would almost be willing to bet my life savings that once a first timer has completed their first endurance event, just crossing the line (regardless of the time), will bring them a sense of achievement that, in my experience, you cannot get from looking in the mirror after a few workouts. The fact that most events are completed alongside hundreds or thousands of other competitors only adds to this feeling of achievement!

There is an Event for Us All…

In training for a marathon, I admitted to shedding some muscle mass but I overcame this concern. Firstly it isn’t permanent, and secondly, as I have written before, you can retain muscle even during endurance training. There are now so many events out there that you can find one to best suit your needs. A sprint triathlon for example, will not require you to burn excessive calories when training or cover hundreds of miles but it still brings all the fun of a multi-disciplinary event.

If this is all starting to sound interesting to you, I recommend that you make yourself an ‘Event Hit List’, listing events which you would like to complete in the short term and then the long term. Here is my Event Hit List:

Short Term

• Run a Marathon - The London Marathon
• Open Water Swim – Bournemouth to Brighton Pier to Pier Swim (In training for this one right now!)
• Complete a Duathlon
• Complete a Triathlon  (As soon as I get my road bike through, this one will be getting crossed out!)

Long Term

• Run a Marathon Overseas (I love the idea of running through New York or Boston)
• Run an Ultra-Marathon
• Complete an Iron-Man

I believe that lists should always evolve, because our personal goals do, but there is never a better time to get started than the present. Whether you have never run a mile, or are an experienced marathon runner, there is an event out there for you. It is worth going to find it!

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Related posts:

1. 2010 Virgin London Marathon: “Yo Adrian – I did it!”
2. 2010 Virgin London Marathon Training – PART I: Is It Good For You?
3. 2010 Virgin London Marathon Training – PART II: A Rule Free Approach
4. 2010 Virgin London Marathon Training – PART III: The Before and After
5. How To Simplify Your Fitness Regime