Ever since I was in HS I have always wanted to do an Ironman Triathlon. I used to say that the two things I wanted to do before I got married was to become an Ironman and to go skydiving. Since my mission I haven’t made that claim anymore, although I think about those things sometimes. I think both of those would be very achievable goals that would be really cool to do. While saying that I want to do them before I get married actually does have valid reasons, it is also to set some kind of timeline for myself to make them more realistic.

First, the Ironman. While technically anyone can finish one of these, I am only going to get weaker as I get older, so what better time to do accomplish such a physically taxing undertaking than now? The Ironman is the ultimate in endurance sports, requiring not only proficiency, but mastery of three different sports. A 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run, the event has a 17 hour cutoff (although last year’s world champion finished in an amazing 8:15:34 – find out all about the race at ironman.com). While I have never been in as good of swimming shape as I was in HS, I still have the skills, and proved it (to myself) both last spring and this spring by doing swim workouts regularly enough to get back into swimming shape (I swam two nights a week this whole semester. Last spring I trained 3 mornings a week for several months before doing a 1-mile swim as part of a team biathlon). I need to buy a road bike, and have never competed in that. I love to run, and do it on a regular basis (both train and race). The thought process behind the whole pre-marriage Ironman concept is comprised of several factors. Mostly it is that I will have more discretionary free time as a single than I will after I’m married, and also I imagine my priorities will shift after I get married (my wife and kids will be most important, and then providing support for them, instead of my single focus on school and work). To train for an Ironman will require large amounts of time to do ridiculous amounts of exercise. Although it is still something that is definitely attainable.

Secondly, skydiving. This one is a lot easier to justify the whole pre-marriage concept. Skydiving is expensive and dangerous. I won’t want to go skydiving when I am a dad with kids – what if I die?! That would be a stupid way to leave a family behind. Most of the young married couples I know don’t have a lot of discretionary income, especially not to waste on things like skydiving. Also, most guys I know have wives that don’t let them do stupid things (which I think would include jumping out of an airplane). So, basically, since as a single I can do whatever I want with my money and if I die I won’t leave a wife and kids behind, it seems like a much more realistic idea to plan on doing this before I get married. Although it would be cool to have a wife that would go WITH me.

So, that’s my reasoning behind the skydiving & ironman goals. While these are lofty goals, they are certainly not out of reach, and would make for great conversation pieces the rest of my life. Even after I’m married.

Future