One Handed – Page 7 – On Life with One Hand by Keiron McCammon

Why Completing an Ironman is like a Running a Business

August 13, 2013 by keiron Leave a Comment

Ironman For the last 9 months I’ve been in training to compete in the inaugural Ironman Lake Tahoe, a 140.6 mile swim, bike and run at 6000+ feet…and as if that wasn’t enough of a challenge, I’ve also been working on my latest business venture, Bonfaire, that officially launched earlier this year.

The combination of the two has caused me to reflect on some parallels between completing an Ironman and starting a new business.

I’ve heard said that “business is a marathon not a sprint”…

…to hell with that, I say it’s an IRONMAN not a marathon!

[contentheading]It Requires Endurance[/contentheading]

First, for us mere mortals, an Ironman triathlon can seem like a never-ending 14-17 hour test of endurance that no amount of training can really prepare you for. Likewise, running a business can seem like a never-ending, monumental test of endurance that no amount of education or work experience can really prepare you for.

[contentheading]It’s Multidisciplinary[/contentheading]

Second, an Ironman requires mastery of multiple physical disciplines, at a high level of endurance: it’s a 2.4 mile swim; followed by a 112 mile bike; finishing with a 26.2 mile marathon. You’ll not get far if you’re a great runner, but can only swim 100 yards. Likewise, a startup requires mastery of multiple disciplines, you might be a great developer, but if you know jack about fundraising or the needs of your market you aren’t going to get very far.

[contentheading]The Game Changes[/contentheading]

Third, an Ironman involves distinct transitions, after you complete the swim you need to strip off your wetsuit, don your cycle shoes, grab your bike and get those legs moving in a completely different way from what worked for swimming. Once you’ve finished the bike you need to dump the cycle gear and get your trainers on, at this point your feet feel like bricks as your leg muscles go from peddling to running. That’s why they say a triathlon is really 5 disciplines not 3! Likewise, a business often goes through transitions where you can’t keep doing what you used to do and still to be successful, no point continuing to swim when it’s time to bike. Unfortunately, in business, transition points are much less obvious.

[contentheading]Time Is The Enemy[/contentheading]

Fourth, time is of the essence. For an Ironman, if the race starts at 7am, you have 2 hours 20 minutes to complete the swim and must be off the bike by 5:30pm and across the finish line by midnight…otherwise it’s game over. Likewise, when starting a business (particularly a venture-funded startup) you better have reached those critical milestones before you run out of cash or you won’t get to continue on to the next stage.

[contentheading]It’s Lonely Out There[/contentheading]

Admittedly, unlike an Ironman, a startup is a team sport, but like an Ironman, as CEO it can sure feel lonely.

For an Ironman surviving to cross the finish line is reward enough; for a startup, the reward is surviving long enough for a finish line to appear.

If you’d like to support my Ironman efforts and donate you can click the button below, the money I raise goes to help those with disabilities continue to lead even more active lives with the aid of prosthetics and adaptive devices that often aren’t covered by medical insurance.

Help me raise $6000 for the Challenged Athletes Foundation

Wile Ole Wildflower

May 19, 2013 by keiron Leave a Comment

Wildflower Finisher — Wildflower Long Course

This year’s Wildflower long course triathlon was one wile ole race. It’s a half Ironman distance (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run) triathlon and billed as one, if not the, toughest half Ironman distance triathlon out there.

This was my second year competing at this race and it was a tough one given the 90 degree temperatures and baking sun. The race was on May 4th at Lake San Antonio and water temperatures were already in the upper 70s, the pros weren’t allowed to even wear wetsuits as it was so warm.

The race started at 8am and us physical challenged athletes headed off with the collegiate wave at 8:10am. I was all set up in transition by 7:30am and ready to go.

It was quite a crowd waiting at the swim start for the off and the setting was just beautiful. I decided to hang at the back of my wave as the siren went off for the start, that way I wasn’t going to get trampled by everyone swimming over the top of me…lesson learnt from previous races.

The 1.2 mile swim took me 48 mins, a minute slower than last year…definitely need to pick up my swim training! The average swim time for men my age was 40 minutes, so I only dropped 8 minutes of the average, not too bad for someone with only one hand.

Out of the water and a quick run up the hill to transition before heading out on the bike. The Wildflower bike course starts of snaking through the camp grounds before the first climb of 300′ out from the lake. This year about half way up we were greeted by a topless lass waving her arms in the air holding a sign and cheering us on, a welcome sight in deed. It was interesting to note that during campfire discussions that night strangely no one could recall what the sign actually said…fancy that.

The 56 mile bike course involves nearly 4,000 feet of climbing with a 1,000 of that coming between mile 40-45, good ole Nasty Grade. Come midday, temperatures were broaching 90 and it was getting pretty toasty climbing up that 1,000 feet. The bike took me 3 hrs 34 mins, beating last years time of 3 hrs 41 mins, although slower than the average of 3 hrs 23 mins for my age group…more work to do there for next year.

After biking 56 miles your legs feel like they have bricks for feet as you head out on the run. This was going to be tough. The Wildflower run course is as much trial running as it is road racing and comes with over 1300′ of climbing. The first 6 miles winds upthrough the hills around the lake and is just hot and dusty. I was having serious issues overheating…it’s never good when you start to get goose bumps because the body can’t cool itself.

At each water stop I started to got hosed down to help bring my temperature down and by mile 6 I was starting to feel better. I probably walked as much as I ran, but I finished the 13.1 miles in 2 hrs 32 mins, a smidgen faster than last year’s 2 hrs 33 mins and only slightly slower than the average for my age group of 2 hrs 27 mins…room for improvement still.

My total time was 7 hrs 8 mins, faster than last years time of 7 hrs 17 mins, but shy of beating the 7 hr mark…next year I will best 7 hrs mark my words! Considering they had to pull 100 people of the bike course because they didn’t make the cut off time and 250 people ended up in the medical tent at the end I think I did just fine.

And I do this all to inspire others by my actions and to raise money for the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF). This year dedicated my race to Zachary Rowe, a young boy who lost his leg nearly a year ago after a tree fell on his tent during a camping trip. I learnt of Zachary’s story through CAF and as I was sweating it out in the heat on that first 6 miles of the run Zachary was very much in my thoughts as to why I was there!

If you’d like to support me and donate you can click the button below, the money I raise goes to help children like Zachary continue to lead even more active lives with the aid of prosthetics and adaptive devices that often aren’t covered by medical insurance.

Help me raise $6000 for the Challenged Athletes Foundation

Confessions of an Addict

February 19, 2013 by keiron Leave a Comment

I was addicted and I didn’t even know it!

In 2010 I completed 11 endurance events culminating in my first Ironman triathlon. By then, after training 20+ hours a week, months on end, I felt burnt out…it takes a psychological toll…and at the end of November 2010, after 14+ hours to complete my Ironman race I stopped. I quit. I “took some time off”. I didn’t train.

Oh boy, what I mistake. Quitting cold turkey threw me completely off-balance, something I’m now only aware off several years later (oh and turning 40 might not have helped). Look, I’m no pro-athlete, but when you train to the level needed to complete an Ironman and stop it’s going to mess with the chemical balance in the brain. Exercise boosts serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine levels, neurotransmitters (chemicals) linked to feelings of wellbeing and conversely depression.

For the first time in my life I experienced feelings of depression, a loss of a sense of purpose, of who I was as 2011 came and went. I couldn’t find the motivation to train, when I tried I just couldn’t get back in to it. In 2012 I completed a number of races including Wildflower long course (half Ironman distance), yet I didn’t get the sense of fulfillment I once got and my training petered off. Activities that used to bring joy/fulfillment fell flat.

If an addiction can be defined as:

[div3 class=”quote” class2=”quote-l” class3=”quote-r”]Any behavior that you continue to engage in despite the negative consequences that the behavior leaves in its wake.[/div3]

Then I was addicted to NOT training. I’d break my habit to only relapse and stop training again.

Well as of 2013 I’m glad to say I’m an addict no more, I’m clean…I no longer NOT train and it feels good. I will train for endurance events for the rest of my life, it is part of my identity, who I am…and that’s one of the most powerful forces in the human psyche.

It’s surprising where addictions can show up, what are you addicted to NOT doing?

6k Challenge – Ironman Lake Tahoe

January 1, 2013 by keiron Leave a Comment

In 2010 I completed my first Ironman triathlon, Ironman Cozumel, as part of my 10×10 challenge to complete 10 endurance events and raise $10,000 for Challenged Athletes Foundation. After completing my last event of the year and crossing the finish line in Cozumel after 14 hours 45 minutes I swore I wouldn’t be doing another Ironman.

I guess memory fades with time, the 9 month buildup, the 20+ hours of training a week, the 14+ hours to complete the race…as for 2013 I have signed up for the inaugural Ironman Lake Tahoe, that’s 140.6 miles at over 6000ft in elevation and I plan to raise $6,000 for Challenged Athletes Foundation whilst doing it…my 2013 6k Challenge.

If all goes to plan I’ll complete the Wildflower triathlon (half Ironman) , AMBBR 100 mile cycle ride around Tahoe and Vineman Aqua Bike (2.4 mile swim/112 mile bike) along the way…with a few other events thrown in I’m sure.

By making a donation you will directly help a challenged athlete in need.

Help me raise $6000 for the Challenged Athletes Foundation

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