Ironmaner? Ironmen? IRONMAN?

While you are likely to find plenty of errors in the grammar I use here (relaxed style common to the blogosphere), I like to think that I have a fair grasp on both grammar and the English language. I am a Certified Master Trainer (Training Manager, Instructional Designer/Developer, and Performance Consultant) and am married to an English major. When in doubt, I am quick to refer to an appropriate "style guide" to help me with whatever topic I am working on.

In writing about triathlons and specifically the Ironman brand, I find there are some very unique challenges and a lack of any solid guidelines. There is no "style guide" for Ironman! So, how do I get it right?

First, let's establish what "Ironman" is. According to Wikipedia, "The World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) is a for-profit corporation, owned by Providence Equity Partners, that organizes, promotes and licenses the Ironman Triathlon, Ironman 70.3, and the 5150 series of triathlon races.[1][2] WTC is also the owner of numerous "Ironman" related trademarks used both in connection with Ironman race series' and in conjunction with various goods and services."

So, with that known, you would think that perusing their own website(s) would provide me with some answers to my questions? Not so. In fact, one can almost find more inconsistencies on their sites than you can on other popular forums! Since WTC is going to be no help, let's just get the questions out there and see what YOU think?

Ironman Participant?
This one is probably the easiest one for most of us. The person competing in an Ironman triathlon is... an Ironman. Right? Well, not if you follow the logic of one poster in the popular Slowtwitch forums. They simply throw out the "agent noun" argument.

Run = Runner. Race = Racer. Marathon = Marathoner. Ironman = Ironmaner?! The best argument against this was put forth as, "By that logic, Lance Armstrong would be a 'cycler' and not a 'cyclist'!" So, should we go with Ironmanist? No, I think we can agree to just stick with "Ironman"?! OK?

Ironman Plural?
This one is more difficult than it sounds. First, we have to decide if we're talking about the competitor or the event! If it's the event, this one seems to be pretty consistently agreed upon. The correct term for having competed in multiple Ironman events would be "Ironmans". "My coach has competed in more Ironmans than I can count!"

My confusion when talking about the competitor, comes from Mike Reilly himself. Mike Reilly, in his 25th year as "The Voice of Ironman" has become almost synonymous with becoming an Ironman finisher. Hearing his voice announce, "(Your Name Here), YOU are an Ironman!!!" I can tell you for a fact that it will be one of the most exciting things I ever hear, should I be fortunate enough to hear it on November 1, 2014! Anyway, at last year's IRONMAN Florida, I repeatedly heard Mike say, "(Name Number 1) and (Name Number 2), YOU are an Ironman!!!" when two people would cross the line together at roughly the same time. NOT, "...YOU are Ironmen!!!" Nope, "Ironman"... applying to both of them. Was it because he's just so used to saying to individuals and THAT is the particular phrasing that people want to hear?

I think the jury is out on this one, but it just feels more natural for me to call that group of Ironman finishers at the bar, a group of "Ironmen"!

Ironman Capitalized?
Looking back at some of my past posts, I've mixed writing "Ironman" and "IRONMAN". In this particular post, I've purposely done it lowercase so as to not taint the jury pool. In days of yore, you would find it written on WTC's site as both lower and uppercase. Viewing it today, the capitalized version is dominant. So... capitalized it shall be from here on out! IRONMAN!

IRONMAN Events?
Last year I did my first "IRONMAN"-branded event, the half-IRONMAN in Augusta, Georgia. Writing about it was my first experience with the inconsistency of IRONMAN. I would find it written, in official publications, as IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta, Ironman Augusta 70.3, 70.3 Ironman Augusta, and even other, more bizarre permutations. In the end, I let the most commonly found phrasing sway me and went with IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta.

Who is an IRONMAN?
No IRONMAN conversation is complete without a discussion (argument) about exactly WHO gets to call themselves an IRONMAN! This will be a short conversation since it seems to be the most contentious online. Here are a couple of the more "fringe" beliefs out there that I, personally, don't subscribe to:

• ONLY the winner of the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona has the right to call themselves an IRONMAN.
• ONLY the winner of any IRONMAN-branded competition has the right to call themselves an IRONMAN.

Another fringe belief (in my estimation) is that by participating in ANY IRONMAN-branded event of ANY distance qualifies you to call yourself an IRONMAN.

It is my belief that anyone completing an IRONMAN-branded, 140.6 event, prior to the cutoff, can call themselves an IRONMAN. What about non-IRONMAN-branded events that are still 140.6 events? I'm not sure where I fall on that one.

IRONMAN Branded Clothing and Gear?
It is hard to talk about who can call themselves an IRONMAN without talking about how they display that fact in their clothing and gear. So, who can wear IRONMAN clothing and gear? I say that, as long as it's not "Finisher" gear, anyone who has completed an IRONMAN-branded event of any distance (70.3 or 140.6) can wear the logo and name. I even go a step farther and say anyone who is registered for and training for said event can wear the logo and name. That is because I believe getting to the starting line of an IRONMAN event is an accomplishment in itself! However, you only get the M Dot tattoo if you've completed an IRONMAN-branded, 140.6 event! I'm pretty sure that one is a law?!

OK, enough of my borderline neurotic ramblings on these topics. I'd love to hear what you think about these topics surrounding the IRONMAN name and designation! Sound off in the Comments, please?!

Who Do YOU Run For?

I think that most people who know me well have probably heard me say how I feel that we are truly blessed to be able to do what we do. To have the resources, the freedom, and, most importantly, the health to live an active lifestyle is a blessing that so many do NOT have!

With that in mind, I have found a group out there that is truly amazing and touches so many lives in so many ways that it is hard to put into words. In the short time I have been affiliated with this group, it has touched my heart every day! That group is I Run 4 (IR4).



"After an inspiration from a close friend who was battling bilateral hip dysplasia - Founder Tim Boyle found a whole new inspiration to run." The I Run 4 website (http://www.whoirun4.com) and its companion, the I Run For Michael Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/irunformichael) exist to match runners with an honorary runner (a child or adult with special needs), who they dedicate their workouts to. Yes, don't be put off by the word, "run" in the title. This group is open to anyone participating in any activity. I see lots of people doing any number of activities from snow-shoeing to Crossfit to simply walking, dedicating their workouts to the person they are "running" for!

As the site says, "The mental and emotional encouragement for both runner and honorary runner is proving to be a whole new level of motivation and awareness. Runners are able to find a whole new sense of purpose in their running while sharing who they are running for and bringing awareness to diseases and disabilities of all types."

So, how do you provide this encouragement? Per the site, "Make your honorary runner feel special - they LOVE seeing messages, but they LOVE, LOVE seeing photos too!! Want some ideas?? Here are a few:"

• Upload your photos and message, dedicating your workout to your honorary runner, to your personal Facebook page.
• Upload your photos and message, dedicating your workout to your honorary runner, to the I Run For Michael Facebook page.
• Tag IR4 on Facebook or Twitter (@whodoUrun4) and Instagram using hashtag #IR4.

Other recommendations for encouragement are:

• Write your honorary runners name on your arm for a race.
• Make a special shirt to wear, with their name and IR4 on it.
• Make signs to hold up in pics before/after runs and races.
• Ask their parents something special they like and hold it up in pics. Do they like Barbies? Find a Barbie pin to wear to races and keep a list of every race that pin has run in!
• With permission from the parents, ask if you can send race medals or other race swag to them so they can have mementos!

Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, the matching process takes time. A lot of time. Right now, I think it takes about 9 - 10 weeks to be matched. About a week after signing up, the official list was released and I was number 2,033 on the match list! However, in one recent weekend, I seem to recall around 90 matches being made. And it appears that the staff are busy making matches nearly every day! So, please don't think the process is being held up for no good reason. If you think about the amount of work to take in the information of those needing a match and looking for a match and then getting those people together, you can understand the reason it takes awhile.

One of the great things about this group is that you don't have to sit idly by while waiting for your match. There are a lot of people that haven't been matched and those needing prayer that can benefit from your efforts on their behalf. In fact, you are encouraged to begin posting, to get into the habit, for the unmatched and those needing prayer while you wait for your match!

So, if you're looking for a whole new world of inspiration for your workouts and the opportunity to be an even bigger inspiration for someone else... please consider visiting the I Run 4 website: http://www.whoirun4.com!

2014: The Mileage!

In 2014, I am scheduled to take part in three Triathlon Sprints, two Half-Ironman Distance Triathlons, an IRONMAN (IRONMAN Florida), a few competitive run races, and a couple of non-competitive bike "rides". I have received a few questions about what kind of "mileage" I'm doing and see a lot of talk about weekly "mileage" out there.






I have an outstanding USAT-certified coach, Sandy Holt of TriAttic (http://www.TriAttic.com), who understands individual abilities, goal setting, tactics, movement analysis, progressive training techniques, and sport psychology. Our focus is never miles for the sake of miles. However, I do understand that "mileage" is something quantifiable in many training plans and something people can more easily compare with their particular plan. For that reason, I'll be sharing my weekly "mileage" here, for you!

The mileage and training posted here will be what I actually do and not simply what was planned. Life does get in the way and I think it's more beneficial to see what I've done than what I should have been doing if all things were perfect. In addition to raw mileage from swimming, biking, and running, I will be including yoga, gym sessions (weights, etc.), and other workouts that I think were an important part of my training!

Enjoy and feel free to message me if you have any questions!

You can jump to the 2014 Mileage page here: http://imronman.blogspot.com/p/2014-mileage.html or simply click the 2014 Mileage tab in the top navigation bar of this blog!