The Ironman Triathlon A chiropractor’s life in a nutshell Dr. Larry Smith holds his Ironman badge after crossing the finish line. faces extreme challenges in training for, and completing, this demanding experience. To become an offi cial “Ironman” and receive an offi cial time, each competitor must cross the fi nish line in a maximum of 17 hours. But, why would anybody want to become an Ironman? T A few days after completing my second Subaru Ironman Canada race, on Aug. 24, 2008, the answer suddenly came to me. During the entire journey, I felt completely con- nected to my 2,300 fellow competitors and the absolutely magnifi cent 4,500 volunteers. I feel so fortunate to be a member of the incredible Ironman community! The Ironman comprises all the experiences in my life condensed into 12 to 15 hours. On the day of the triathalon, I felt every single emotion possible and I felt each emotion very intensely. I had heard from veteran Ironman athletes that you really learn about yourself on race day. At times, I felt peaceful and serene and at other times I hated myself, felt like a loser and questioned my sanity. On this day, I learned that there was no faking it. I had to face myself. On this day I really found who I was and what was important to me. Here are the fi ve reasons I consider the Ironman as my life – including my life as a chiropractor – in a nutshell. ALL MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES ARE PRECEDED BY FEAR AND EXCITEMENT I have noticed that the most memorable events in life are marked with tremendous excitement coinciding with tremendous fear. In many cases, I have had much to gain but also much to lose. In 1987, I wrote my board exams to become a chiropractor. My classmates and I had studied and toiled for years to achieve our goal. I can remember in specifi c detail, the morning I received the letter from the licensing board. The sound of the letter being dropped into the mailbox was followed by the formation of a huge knot in my stomach as I opened the letter – this is the identical feeling I had, as I stood in the 1 www.canadianchiropractor.ca CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | OCTOBER 2008 • 23 Larry Smith graduated from CMCC in 1987 and has been practising on beautiful Vancouver Island for the past 21 years. His inspirational book, Embracing the Journey of Recovery has helped countless indi- viduals recover from addiction. Visit www.embracingthejourneybook. com or e-mail [email protected]. he Ironman triathlon has been described as perhaps the most gruelling and chal- lenging endurance exercise event in the world. It consists of a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile marathon run. Each individual Larry Smith, BPE, DC feature
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