Planks, Fartleks, and Family Fun

(Blogger will not allow me to use the official name of this triathlon, so it will appear as I M in this post )

If you are looking for some motivation, inspiration, or just something unusual to do on Saturday, you can watch live coverage of The Ford IM World Championship in Kona tomorrow.

The cannon sounds at 7 am (9 our time), signaling the start of what will be for some a 17 hour test of endurance. Participants have until 12 am to cross the finish line and hear those amazing words, "You are an IM!" For me, the most inspiring thing to watch is the camera that is on the finish line, especially during hour 16 - 17. Besides a handful of elite athletes, the field of 1800 athletes is made up of all shapes and sizes, backgrounds, ages, and abilities. These varied athletes are united in that they had a dream, set a goal, worked hard, and were not afraid to go for it. Seeing the drive and determination on the faces of those who finish in the last hour can't help but motivate one to re-evaluate their own efforts, whether athletic, or in other areas of life.

For live coverage tomorrow, click on the logo above.

Below, a little history of IM.
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About the Race

If you are a triathlete, there is no bigger day in this sport than the Ford IM World Championship. It is the race that defined our sport as it came of age, and continues to be the defining race in our sport for any avid triathlete.

To get to the starting line in Kona, you must either be very lucky and get yourself a spot through the lottery, or very talented, and win yourself a qualifying spot at one of the qualifying events held around the world.

Tens-of-thousands of triathletes try to get one of those coveted Ironman spots every year. Only 1,800 succeeded.

That means 1,800 "lucky" people get to test themselves on one of the biggest challenges the sports world has to offer ... 2.4-miles of swimming, 112-miles of biking, and a 26.2-mile marathon run through tough ocean waves, and challenging lava-covered terrain.

While there are thousands of triathlons around the world, it is this one that truly defines the sport. It all began at an Awards Ceremony for a relay running race in Honolulu in 1977. A group of local athletes discussed the idea of an endurance triathlon and combining three major events that already existed on the island. John Collins suggested combining them and making it a single-day event. Later that evening, Collins took the stage announcing the event and that "whoever finishes first, we will call him the IMAN." It has since become triathlon's Super Bowl, Wimbledon, World Series, World Cup, and Tour de France all rolled into one. What makes this event so unique is that "average" people get to compete alongside the best in the world.

Originally from: http://ironman.com/worldchampionship#ixzz11mnOkQgw