A physical challenge a year | Ironman 70.3 Marbella

Ben Ridgway
2 min readNov 23, 2017

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In January I decided I wanted to do a physical challenge every year. Something daunting. Something far from home.

In September, I joined a leg of the Virgin Strive Challenge in southern Italy. From Salerno to Sicily, cycling 700 km and climbing 10,295 metres in 5 days. It was hellish tough, but one of the most rewarding weeks.

Next year, I’ve signed up to do the inaugural Half Ironman in Marbella, Spain. It includes a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile cycle, finishing off with a half marathon. So, it’s not the full blown Ironman😳 — but it’s still a tough physical and mental challenge.

Credit

I’ve roped in 2 friends and the training is slowly gearing up. I hope it will be a rewarding experience, no doubt with some bumps along the way.

I think pushing yourself to a place that feels beyond your reach when first contemplated is the most effective way to learn and grow.

According to Dr. Samual Marcora from the University of Kent, when it comes to tough physical challenges: “Perception is the limiting factor.”

I couldn’t agree more. 💪

Let me know if you’ve come across any interesting physical challenges and lend a hand or two if you enjoyed this short read… 👏

Virgin Strive 2016

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