Becoming an Ironman: First Encounters with the Ultimate Endurance Event [Paperback]

Kara Douglass Thom (Editor), John Collins (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2002

A collection of personal stories about the experience of competing in one’s first Ironman triathlon. This is the ultimate test of endurance: a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run, all raced end-to-end in one grueling day—and these stories tell it straight: what to expect, how to prepare, what was rewarding, what was miserable. These stories come from men and women of all ages and abilities. Some are stories from the champions, and some from those who did not finish. Together they testify to all the joy and agony of the race; and they provide priceless personal advice on nutrition, equipment, clothing, mental preparation, emotional fatigue, terrain, and weather. An unforgettable ode to an extraordinary endurance sport—a book for anyone who wants to become an ironman.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

physical fitness proponents, an Ironman triathlon seems to be the ultimate exercise in masochism. It consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike race, and a full marathon (a 26.2-mile run), all done in one day. This sport attracts only the most dedicated athletes, and it apparently provides the participants with a huge amount of satisfaction. This book is not a description of how to prepare for an Ironman triathlon but an oral history of the men and women who have participated in Ironman competitions worldwide.. Thom, contributor to Triathlete magazine, Runner's World, and the Dallas Morning News, has arranged the book according to the athletes' experience, such as first-time competitors, veterans of the early days of the sport, and, most affecting of all, physically challenged athletes. The participants' dedication and single-mindedness are truly inspiring. No matter what physical pain they endured, these athletes all say they would do it again. Highly recommended for all public and school libraries. William Scheeren, Hempfield Area H.S. Lib., Greensburg, PA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Kara Douglass Thom has a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University and currently is the editor of the Dallas Medical Journal. She is a freelance writer with an interest in health and fitness topics and writes about triathlon in Triathlete magazine and on xtri.com. Her writing also has appeared in The Dallas Morning News, Runner’s World and Spirit magazine, among other publications. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Breakaway Books (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891369318
• ISBN-13: 978-1891369315
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #635,487 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kara Douglass Thom is a writer, athlete and mother of four. She is co-author of Hot (Sweaty) Mamas: Five Secrets to Life as a Fit Mom (Andrews McMeel 2011), a book for moms who want to find more space in their busy lives for fitness while raising a fit family. She also penned Becoming an Ironman: First Encounters with the Ultimate Endurance Event (Breakaway Books 2001), a collection of short stories about triathletes who competed in the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run, and the children's book, See Mom Run (Breakaway Books 2003). Kara writes about health, fitness, and parenting topics for various publications (www.karathom.com) and blogs about finding fitness in the chaos of motherhood at http://mamasweat.blogspot.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A great idea but a disappointment, May 4, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Becoming an Ironman: First Encounters with the Ultimate Endurance Event (Hardcover)

I really looked forward to reading this book as a source of inspiration, but I think the editor ends up missing the boat by overzealously trying to preserve the ironman's own words. This means that crucial facts about people's lives are left out, or the reader is plunged into the middle of the tale, not really understanding whose story is being told, or why we should care. Rather than having the effect of making the race more immediate, this ends up making all of the stories seem alike. We don't necessarily get backstory about who this person is, or from where he/she got the drive to do this ironman, or why. The stories are often told as if the teller is speaking to a good friend, who already knows everything about the speaker, and just needs to hear how this one race went. I hope if the editor decides to follow up this volume with another, she heeds this critique. I would love to buy another volume, but only if more information about the athletes is included.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very inspiring stories, but it can get repetitive, September 23, 2005

By 

Joe Sherry (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Becoming an Ironman: First Encounters with the Ultimate Endurance Event (Paperback)

"Becoming an Ironman" is a collection of personal stories of the first experience of many athletes attempting their first Ironman Triathlon. An Ironman Triathlon is a race consisting of a 2.4 mile swim followed by a 112 mile bike ride followed by a marathon (26.2 miles). Some runners may consider the marathon to be the ultimate endurance event and with good reason, the marathon is not to be taken lightly, but Ironman only lets you run a marathon after one has traveled 114.4 miles. Since "Ironman" is actually a trademark of the World Triathlon Corporation, the "Ironman" name can only be used for a race sponsored by the WTC. But any triathlon of 140.6 miles can be considered an "Iron" distance race and the finishers are no less an Ironman as those finishing a sponsored race. 140.6 miles is a long, long way to go, and typically there is a 17 hour time limit. In "Becoming an Ironman" many athletes will tell of their experience in their own words.

The stories contained in this book are broken into a variety of sections. There are stories from those who are middle of the pack athletes and who struggled with the Ironman but still found strength to complete it. There is a section featuring athletes who learned in their first attempt that they were quite good at this distance and turned in excellent times which put them among the leaders. Conversely the stories of those who finished Ironman with only a minute or an hour to spare are no less compelling. Then there are the Did Not Finish (DNF) stories of those who for one reason or another had to drop out of the race or just could not make it to the finish line in time (the one who finished some six minutes after 17 hours was tough to take).

Every one of these stories provides inspiration to push through my pain in a race and furthers my desire to one day attempt and complete an Ironman despite the pain I know it will cause. But these same stories collected in "Becoming an Ironman" suffers from the fact that while reading a handful of these stories is easy and inspiring, reading every story back to back becomes repetitive. Yes, everyone struggled and gutted it out and provides a reason to be inspired, but it is essentially the same story every time with minor variations. The different sections helps as the stories are grouped into similar kinds of experiences, but it is still a lot of take at one time.

My recommendation is that this is an excellent book about the Ironman experience from the perspective of the average (if "average" can describe anyone attempting Ironman) athlete, but the reader should only read a few stories a day. Each story is only a few pages long and this way there will be less of a sense of burnout by the time the end is reached. Inspiring stuff, here.

-Joe Sherry

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From "I'll NEVER do an Ironman" to "Sign me up!", June 6, 2001

By 

Michelle Duca (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Becoming an Ironman: First Encounters with the Ultimate Endurance Event (Hardcover)

I got into triathloning (is that a word?) because I no longer wanted to do marathons. I've completed 3 marathons, and after each one, I said that was the last one. But I really meant it after the third, and took up triathlon as an alternative. I just completed my first Olympic distance triathlon, and had a blast. I love triathlon!

I bought this book because I know several people that have done an Ironman, and I have always thought they were crazy! But after reading the stories, I now have an overwhelming desire to do one. This has actually made me very angry! I stopped doing marathons because they hurt! Now I want to add a 2.4 mile swim and 112 mile bike ride in front of it?!?! I've lost my mind!

I never envisioned the Ironman as an adventure, but to read the thoughts of each participant, it seems like the Ironman is more about the journey, and not about the race. Each athlete has their own approach and outcome, and I could relate to each. The book is divided nicely into different sections. I liked to read about the ones that barely made the cutoff of 17 hours. I will be one of those people! And to know that some professionals actually DNF'd their first attempt is somewhat comforting.

The book is just a great compilation of life stories - knowing who you are and where you are going. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves triathlon. But if you've ever said "I'll never do an Ironman", you better watch out!