Ironman Motivation

Ironjim? The guy behind the cool name!!

Ironjim was given to me years ago by a friend when I was training for Ironman Canada. It stuck! My real name is Jim Von Hipple and I am a chiropractor that lives in Murrieta California. The best way to describe me is I am a guy who really loves ultra-endurance sports that got burned out and gained a bunch of weight and now am confronting my demons and getting the fire again. My weight has always been an issue but literally since turning 35 (over 10 years ago) it has been impossible for me to get my weight off! The real truth is diet discipline! I can put in more mileage training than any mortal man I know but I love to eat, drink and be merry!

140.6? "Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of your life"

"Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of your life" (this statement is now a registered trademark of IMNA)! That was what Commander John Collins said about the first Ironman Triathlon back in 1978. It all started on the island of Oahu as a discussion of who was the fitter athlete. John Collins pointed out that a recent article in Sports Illustrated magazine had declared that Eddy Merckx, the great Belgian cyclist, had the highest recorded "oxygen uptake" of any athlete ever measured, so perhaps cyclists were more fit than anyone.

This started a big debate among several athletes as far as who was fitter. Cmdr. John Collins suggested the debate should be settled through a race combining the three existing long-distance competitions already on the island: the Waikiki Roughwater Swim (2.4 mi./3.85 km), the Around-Oahu Bike Race (115 miles; originally a two-day event) and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 mi./42.195 km). By shaving 3 miles off the course and riding counter-clockwise around the island, the bike leg could start at the finish of the Waikiki Rough Water and end at the Aloha Tower, the traditional start of the Honolulu Marathon. Collins said, "Whoever finishes first, we'll call him the Iron Man." Each of the racers had their own support crew to supply water, food and encouragement during the event.

Of the fifteen men to start off in the early morning on February 18, 1978, twelve completed the race. Gordon Haller was the first to earn the title Ironman by completing the course, with a time of 11 hours, 46 minutes, and 58 seconds.
The Ironman was moved to the Big Island in 1981 and has been held there every October since.

Ironman training officially begins! 242 days and counting!

Hi there and thanks for reading my blog. Today marks the first day of my countdown to Ironman! The Ironman I have chosen to do is Vineman. It is a full 140.6 Iron distance triathlon! I chose Vineman because it is a smaller race and you do not have to sign up a year in advance. I love the M-Dot races, but a lot can happen in a year, trust me I know! I have signed up for 4 Ironmans and never made it to the starting line due to injuries and at best you might get 50% of your registration fees returned to you and that is only if you cancel enough in advance. Don't get me wrong, I love Ironman, I have just donated too much money to Graham Fraser and have not raced in 6 years.