Lexington, KY - A friend of mine went to Louisville in late August to watch an Ironman Triathlon. It was the first time she had ever seen an event like this. She knew that I had done triathlons in the past and could answer some questions that she had about this type of race, which I did. However, it was a particular observation of hers that caught my attention and became the inspiration for this article.
An Ironman Triathlon presents a tremendous physical challenge: a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride and then finally a full 26.2 mile marathon. Calling it a "long day" is an understatement. It is truly one of the exemplary tests of endurance in sports today. However, my friend came to the realization, after watching thousands of participants work their way through this race, that this race is more about will power than athleticism.
What led my friend to this conclusion were the vast differences in the physical size, shape and age of the participants. She was shocked that there were participants in their 20s and in their 70s, and that some participants were quite overweight, not looking like they could run across the room, much less complete the Ironman. She saw many participants that did not look athletic at all, yet willed them to be stellar athletes -
on that day.
Her observation got me thinking about the conclusion many people come to concerning athleticism. Too many people assume that thin people are in shape and overweight people are out of shape, which is simply not true. You can be in good shape, even Ironman shape, and still be overweight. In fact, research shows that fit, overweight individuals have a lower early mortality rate than unfit people of normal weight. Of course, being overweight (with a body mass index of 25 -
29.9) is not the same as being obese (an index of 30 or higher) -
being obese is not healthy.
Her observation also reiterated the relationship between exercise and weight. People brave enough to step up to the starting line of an Ironman Triathlon have done a lot of exercise. Most of them, as a part of their training, ran between 20 and 40 miles per week; rode their bike between 100 and 200 miles per week and swam between 8,000 and 10,000 meters a week. So, how could any of these people still be overweight? How come they all didn't get skinny working out this hard and this much?
The answer: They ate too much. Don't forget, you can out eat any exercise program, even an Ironman training program. It all boils down to calories in and calories out. If you want to lose weight, you must pay attention to how many calories you put in and not just assume that because you are working out you can eat anything you want.
People put too much emphasis on their workout as the main component of their weight loss efforts. It is an important component -
strength training builds muscle, which increases your metabolism, while cardiovascular training teaches your body how to burn fat more efficiently -
however, what you put in your mouth is the most important part of your weight loss program.
So, the lesson here: First, if you want to be an Ironman competitor and don't think you have the build, athletic talent or are the right age - think again; if you believe in yourself and put in the work, you can do it. Second, don't minimize the personal will power needed to successfully lose weight; working out by itself cannot get you there, no matter how many miles you run.