Post 100 - Questions

Some questions I’ve been asking myself in the last couple of weeks. Answers on a postcard…

Do I want to do an Ironman again?

Do I really, really want to do an Ironman again?

Do I want to qualify for Kona?

How much do I want to do this?

Can I continue to improve and apply lessons learned?

How can I improve?

What could I do differently to ensure a good build-up and a good race?

Would I have all of the bases covered?

What race would I do?

Do I want to put myself through another year of high stress, trying to balance a very tough and 

stressful job with Ironman training?

Do I want to put myself through the physical and mental agony?

Can I accept that there are no guarantees?

Is it good for long-term health to train for and compete in Ironmans at a high level?

Am I damaging my joints and my heart with all this pounding and prolonged elevated heart rates, day in and day out?

When will I retire from competitive sport?

Am I sick of Ironman?

Should I pack Ironman in, go back to running for a couple of years, and target sub-32 10K, sub-70 half marathon and sub-2:30 marathon? Would that satisfy me?

Do I have too much invested and too little returned to just drop Ironman and let it go?

Did anyone ever say it would be easy?

Could I ever have imagined the awful hands I have been dealt in my last 6 Ironman races?

Do I believe it is even possible for me to qualify for Kona?

How many qualifying slots will there be in my age group next season? 2 or 3 years ago there would have been 7 slots in my current age group, next year it’s likely there will only be 3 slots because Ironman is a business, they are introducing more and more races, and so they have to reduce the number of slots available per race. Do I think I can finish on the podium in my age group?

Would I be satisfied with a good performance if I didn’t qualify? Would that be enough for me? 

Would I be able to draw a line or would I want to keep trying and trying? Would I be able to let it go?

What drives people to chase goals so fixatedly?

Am I prepared to spend what it takes to compete in an Ironman, before I even think about what a trip to Hawaii might cost?

Would I stay in London to live in such a great house with such a great set-up for training (secure, bikes indoors, turbo trainer in my room, great housemates, known routine, known running routes, known empty pool times etc)?

Am I willing to give up another year of my life to chase the goal?

Do I have job security?

How will I cope with yet more business travel?

What if I lose my job?

What if I lose my job before Christmas?

What if I lose my job before Easter, in the middle of focused training for a summer race?

How long could I sustain myself if I was out of work?

Would it be difficult to get back into work if I was out of work?

Should I take a year off Ironman, sort out my life/job/location issues, get some stability, do enough training to tick over in 2016 (or do some serious running), and then target 2017 for another crack at Ironman?

How can I ensure that when I look back, I’ll have no regrets, when I consider life as a whole?

Where can I buy a crystal ball that can answer these questions?