Ask a handful of coaches how long it takes to train for Ironman, and you’ll get answers that span anywhere from 18 weeks to a year. Ask the athletes why they train for Ironman, and you’ll get more answers that can fit on this page.

What a long, strange, lead-up to Mooseman this past week has been! Between waking up one week away from my first triathlon of the season with the start of a sinus infection, to the discombobulated state of my training program on account of said sinus

That’s right. Stretch the arms up overhead, arch the back, and let out a little groan like you’re working out the kinks before a tough day of training. Blow the cobwebs off the big gears, lace up the trainers, and start the engine idling.

Out of the thick of January, and into the start of February. Yup. That’s a good place to be.

It’s so close to being “go-time” that I can taste it. Hard work is what defines us as triathletes, and I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to begin another year of it.