Becoming an Ironman While in Medical School
Part 1: Lessons Learned
A 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run, all leading to the title of Ironman, a title that was nothing more than a “wouldn’t it be cool if…”. I would mention it off-hand, not taking it too seriously.
In seven days, I will race my first ultra-distance triathlon race, and I want to share what I’ve learned. This post will be part of a multi-part series, where I will share life lessons learned, how-to tips and tricks for improving your endurance skills, and what I plan to do moving forward in endurance sports after the triathlon.
This post marks the first: Life lessons learned along my journey to becoming an Ironman.
It was hard, but not in that way
Reflecting on these last 10 months, I’ve done A LOT of training. On average, I’ve had somewhere between 10–15 hours of training a week. This, however, does not include driving to training spots, warming up, cooling down, driving back, and shower/recovery post-training session.
To a 9–5 work schedule, this might take up 1–2 hours every day after work, and 3–4 each weekend day. But sadly, we don’t live on a 9–5 work schedule.
Medical schools also demand a lot. Time in classes, group case studies, individual studying, extracurricular clubs, volunteer events, student group projects, faculty research, professionalism training, and clinical skills practice are just a few items that take our time, not to mention time to relax alone or with friends and partners…shall I continue?
So how did it feel juggling these two extremely demanding projects? In two words: logistical nightmare.
The trick I found that worked best for me to fit all this in was an idea termed backwards planning. Here I take a list of all the workouts I need to complete during the week, my class schedule and other meetings, as well as a goal number of hours studying in that week, and pre-plan when each will happen throughout the coming week.
It is key to also set a “wake up” and “bedtime” for the day that works for you. For example, I’m pretty inconsistent with morning workouts during the week, so I planned most of my studying during the day and evenings, while workouts primarily were in the mid-afternoon. Whatever your preference, work within that, it will help you find and maintain balance.
So the training was hard, of course, it was. But finding a way to fit it all in was harder. Finding time to do what you love will always be harder than doing what you love, but making the time will always be worth it in the end.
Not a solo sport
On race day, my legs alone will carry me the distance, but my brain and the knowledge I’ve learned about the sport is the culmination of a village.
Everyone from my brother selling me my first bike, to the running shoe saleswomen giving recommendations, to endless YouTube videos on training/nutrition practices, to family members teaching me the art of taking a rest, so many individuals were part of my maturation in the sport of triathlon. I’ve had to learn an entirely new way of thinking, reprogramming what is possible of my body, how far to push it, how to fuel properly, and ins and outs of different equipment.
Fascinatingly, despite not knowing many people who’ve completed a triathlon, let alone the full distance, I found that once I opened up publicly on social media and conversations with family and friends, I didn’t have to look far to find like-minded crazies to train with.
To push me faster in running, I found not one but TWO Boston Marathon qualifiers to run sprints and long runs with. To master technique and equipment know-how, I found a cycling guru who has experience in both road and (newly) gravel racing. To learn open water swimming, we found a coach who happened to be one of the most accomplished long-distance open water swimmers in the state of Illinois. Not too shabby if you ask me.
In doing something hard like an endurance race, you enter a community. We all realize the level of insanity needed to traverse the distances we do, wake up when we do, find the time as we do, eat like we do, and live as we do. I believe this gives us a shared camaraderie, a shared sense of “this is hard, but by do it hard alone?” This is what I’ve taken from those who have helped me, and I’ll take it long after I cross that finish in a few short days.
To go far, go together
For the first time in my endurance career, I have teammates. Not just one, no FOUR teammates, all racing their first triathlons. Better still, all of them are in medical school, too! Oh, this was gonna be fun.
To be clear, Ironman is not inherently a “team” sport. Everyone races their own race (unless part of a relay), completing the swim, bike, and run on their own accord. So adding teammates didn’t spread the load on race day, but what it did was make training a bit more enjoyable.
Swims at 6 a.m. are not so brutal when you have a buddy to banter with on the ride to the lake. Long run Sundays are easier to digest over a warm brown sugar latte, it’s their turn to pay anyway so it’s free. And who could forget the beach day at the state park with friends and loved ones…after a 6-hour bike ride to the shore.
In reality, we are all at different places with our fitness journeys. Each member of our team has a different goal for race day, but the road we take to reach the start line doesn’t have to be a lonely one. I’ve been so thankful to be surrounded by passionate, driven people, who push me to be my best, but never take the day too seriously.
An identity vs. passion
Even before Ironman training started, I was known as the guy who runs a lot. Are you interested in running? You should talk to Tony. Do you think you work out a lot? Get a load of this guy’s schedule.
As far as the jokes go, they aren’t too far from reality. The thing that anyone training for an endurance race will tell you is that the training doesn’t stop when you unlace your shoes. Once one run ends, the next begins.
This is an idea I picked up from watching Canadian athlete and five times CrossFit Games champion Mathew Fraser. He talks about how your nutrition, hydration, recovery, stretching, and muscle work after a workout all contribute to how you will perform in your next workout.
Of course, this means that endurance training is not only a full-time job in terms of training time, but also a lifestyle. Deciding to make your next training session a priority for the sake of performance turns your passion into an identity. Every meal becomes about training, both the frequency and contents. Sleep becomes about training, where staying in on a Friday is less about being social exempt, and more about maximizing recovery. This is especially true in the weeks leading up to a race. I love recreational sports, but I would never be found on a volleyball court seven days before a race on account of risking twisting an ankle.
Ironman and training are my identity and are always on my mind. But I prefer it this way. It feels good to train and train well. Dopamine hits during the runner's high, or finding a groove in a lake, or flying downhill on a bike are experiences I live for, therefore I adjust to catch these thrills.
Doing it for more than us
I’ve written about my personal motivations for getting into endurance training previously, only this time was different. Through taking with friends and family and sharing on social media, we were gaining momentum and support from others that we wanted to capitalize on. So, we met and had a deep conversation about what mattered to us and what we wanted to support.
We decided we wanted to raise money for a cause greater than us. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is an organization dedicated to saving lives and giving hope to those affected by suicide through research, education, and advocacy.
As student doctors, the effects of suicide strike close to home, with physicians having some of the highest suicide rates in the country. In COVID times, we need awareness and prevention now more than ever.
If you wish to donate please use our team donation page, or by purchasing a T-shirt from our fundraiser link, where 100% of all proceeds will go to AFSP. Thank you!
