1)Sign up for the race today. It should scare the hell out of you. Put it on the calendar. You now have personal and financial skin in the game.

2)Tell people what you just signed up for. Most people will call you a fool and not believe it but it creates accountability simply by telling other people. You won't want to face these people without having completed it.

3) Find a teammate Create additional accountability. If you can't be accountable to yourself find someone who will go through the process with you. Get them to sign up so you're both equally committed.

4)Start walking EVERY day for a month. Yes you will eventually need to complete 140.6 miles but right now you need to start building time on your feet. Start with just 10 minutes and set a goal of walking for at least 1 hour straight by the end of the first month.

5)Find a 30 minute body weight workout 2x/week. You don't need to deadlift 600 lbs. You need a simple strength and stability routine for injury prevention to allow you handle the workload thats ahead in the coming months. -Squats -Single Leg Balance -Push up/Pull ups -Step Ups

6)Leverage meal prep. Your body needs proper fuel for this journey and the time you spend training will cut into your ability to cook. Spend an hour on Sundays cooking 2-3 high quality proteins and carbs. Make enough for each to last 2-3 meals each.

7)Take advantage of mornings Get in the habit of getting up and active in the morning. Time will become scarce as your training builds and you will find morning workouts will be more productive and help you stay efficient with training.

8)Complete your first run You have now been consistently walking for a month. It's time for you to start the run/walk. Pace does NOT matter. It can be as simple as run 1 min/walk 5 min at first. Slowly build up your tolerance with a focus of time on your feet.

9)Add a short 10-15 minute mobility routine. Tightness and soreness will be a regular thing during training and this piece will allow you to keep things together alongside your strength/stability work.

10)Continue to build your run/walk. Stay focused on building your confidence and fitness in a single discipline early on. You will see daily progress and this improvement will carry over to the other disciplines as they are introduced. Just keep stacking wins.

11)Get started on the bike 2-3 months in is a great time for this. You have seen progress and are building confidence. It's time to add in another challenge. Find a used starter bike. There are many great used options. You need to build fitness not break your bank account.

12) Spend time in the saddle There is no substitute for just spending time on the bike. Consistent easy miles will build your engine in the coming months. It's the longest portion of the Ironman so better get used to it.

13)Keep building the engine Months 2-4 of training is all about a slow build. -2 days a week of running. -2 days a week riding -Strength/mobility work

14)Practice your nutrition Each ride and run is an opportunity to test your nutrition. What settles well and what doesn't. You will learn from each workout and it will help you to dial in your nutrition. You don't want to wait until race day to try something new.

15)Complete your first bike to run workout You use completely different muscles riding vs. running. Coming off the bike your legs will feel like wet noddles. Practice coming off the bike 1x week and taking a short 1-2 mile run to allow your body to adjust to this transition.

16)Time to hit the pool No later than 8 months out it's time to get started with the third discipline. The swim is the scariest for most people but it is the shortest. Your goal for this is simply to get comfortable in the water.

17) Now you're 8 months out and the fun begins. 2 swims, 2 rides, 2 runs each week for the next 2 months. Keep managing your body. Don't lose focus on the strength and stability.

18)Hire a coach with experience You're 6 months out and now is the time to start thinking about brining in a coach. The Ironman grind is real and you need someone to keep you grounded, who can build volume appropriately, and keep your body together over the next few months.

19)Complete an open water swim Lap swimming is great for building form and endurance but an open water swim is a different animal. Learning to sight and deal with chop prior to race day is essential and will give you confidence the more you practice it.

20)Complete a sprint/olympic distance race 3-4 months out is a great time for this. It will give you the ability to run through the race process on a much smaller scale. You want to experience the morning jitters and transition process long before the Ironman race.

21) Keep building the length of your ride to run workouts. One day a week focus on increasing the time you are running off the bike.

21)Bike 100 miles 9 months ago this would have felt impossible. Hitting a century ride on a bike is a massive confidence builder.

22)Complete a half ironman 4-8 weeks out is a perfect time for this race. It's another opportunity to get a great training session in, test your nutrition, and go through the entire race process.

23)Build your final volume Your biggest volume will be 2-4 weeks prior to race day. You will continue to build confidence but stay focused on keeping the body together.

24) Enjoy the taper All the hard work is over. At this point you are just staying sharp and allowing the body to fully recover in preparation for race day.

25) Visualize becoming an Ironman Go through your entire day and think about your gear, nutrition, and everything you will need to have a successful day on course. This will allow you to keep your stress level down and feel prepared as you arrive on race morning.

26) Go cross that finish line! You are no longer the same person you were a year ago. You are limitless and will never go back to who you once were. You ARE an IRONMAN!

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