Hawaii Ironman Redemption

Ken Rideout shares his transformative experience with the Hawaii Ironman triathlon, highlighting the lessons learned from failure to success.

"In my first Hawaii Ironman, I was so happy just to be there - it felt like I'd made it to the Olympics. After completing the 2.5-mile ocean swim and 112-mile bike ride in the Hawaii sun, I started the marathon around 1 o'clock in the afternoon. When the run got hard, I just quit. I stopped. I told myself every story I needed to justify quitting - 'It's been a long year of training, making it here was the big thing.'

As I walked back to transition, I was crying real tears. It was shameful because I knew I didn't have to quit. I had more to give, even if I had to walk.

I went back the next year and finished in 9 hours and 39 minutes, which I was very satisfied with. Through this process, I discovered my ability to suffer through adversity and learned the pain of quitting - the emptiness that comes when you don't give 100% to something you committed to. That was around 2012 or 2013 when I decided I was done being mediocre at anything in life. Whatever I do, I'm going to do with 100% conviction."