Ironman Ink ~ Go Big or Go Home

My wish to sport an M-dot tattoo has been well documented. Months before running the final stretch of runway at Ironman Louisville 2011, I wrote about my desire to get a tattoo after completing my first Ironman.

I planned and deliberated on a design that would be representative of the journey.  I came up with a very simple idea adapted from images I had seen in the Internet, which at the time seemed to fit just right.  This, to me, represented the "blood, sweat and tears" that had fallen during the journey. Read about this here.

As the new race season came upon us and I participated in three IM 70.3 events, it became apparent that I had not done enough research on the design.  It was very clear, very quickly, that an m-dot tattoo half filled represented a 70.3 race.  Folks would ask me "when I was going to fill it in".  I also became very uncomfortable with this, because I strongly believe that you should not flaunt the m-dot until you have actually finished a 140.6 event.  I have nothing against a 70.3 tattoo, it's just not for me.  So I began to try to figure out what to do.

So I just thought that filling it in would be another simple solution.  I should have stopped at that.  But I also wanted to add the tribal piece I have been using as sort of my trademark to put a final stamp on the artwork.

As you can see by the photo, the job was sub-par.  From day one I was not happy with it.  The top half of the M was not filled properly and the "swim" figure was just awful. You really could not tell what the figures were unless you stopped and looked closer.  Not what I had intended-

Yes, I could have gone back to the artist that created this mess, but what would he do and what would it look like?  So I decided to wait and fix it right, once and for all.

Through some serious research and recommendations, I landed in the able hands of Ben Dixon, owner of Lone Wolf Tattoo in Nashville, TN.  I discussed with him my problem and what I was looking for.  He came up with some ideas, and together we tweaked it until I was happy.  But... one thing was the artwork on paper, another would be the final piece.  He showed me some examples of repair work he had done in the past and I felt comfortable that this was the route to take.  So we went ahead.

A tattoo, he told me, should tell a story.  It's one thing to do what everyone else is doing, its another thing to put your personal stamp on it.  We talked a lot about my journey; where I have been and what I have done. He seemed to know a lot about the Ironman.  I asked how.  He told me he has done several dozen m-dot tattoos over the year.  "Most people are just happy with a simple design."  He could sense that I am not "most people".

In our conversation(s) I revealed to him that my biggest fear upon entering the triathlon world was the swim. My second fear, or strong dislike, was the "big hills" on the bike.  I shared with him how I has able to overcome both of them. I shared with him about my swim experience in Louisville and my Mountain trek across the High Road in the Ozarks.  Granted, this was the IM 70.3 Branson experience, but as with the swim in Kentucky, I am now comfortable knowing that I can overcome any course that is put before me.

So this is what he came up with...

I could not be any happier with the result.  Yes, it is bigger than I would have ever thought I'd like and folks that know me are probably thinking that I've lost my mind. But I can assure you ... I have not!

And by the way... in case you're wondering, yes... getting this done, hurt like "you know what"!

About The Best Of 2011

This year I have taken to my blog a bit more consistently.  This is post No. 51 for 2011.  That's almost one post per week.  Not a power blogger by any stretch of the imagination but a steady blogger at that.  I have seen the blog's popularity, measured by "hits" per post steadily increase.

It is no surprise that the post that gathered the most traffic was the one entitled "About Becoming An Ironman".  It accumulated over 2,000 hits in just 48 hours.  It was the most shared via twitter and liked on facebook of all posts.

This post takes the reader through my day at the 2011 Louisville Ironman.  If you didn't get a chance to read it, you can do so here.

The second most popular post and one that I feel strongly about is the post entitled "About Being Fit vs. Being Healthy".  I cannot measure its popularity in terms of "hits" because even though it was posted on September 29th, I still get comments via twitter and emails about it.  Apparently this post made a few people think about their fitness and health.

A couple of other favorite posts of mine deal with the issue of the "Ironman Tattoo".  I brought the subject up in a post titled "About The Tattoo", in which I used the subject to make a point as to how people really don't understand why we do what we do.

After the Louisville Ironman, the subject resurfaced again after I had mine done.  This post can be found under "About Ironman Pride".

I have been using the down season (I hesitate to call it an off-season because as we know, triathletes do not have an off-season), to write about what it takes mentally, to help yourself achieve your goals.  The first post in the series is entitled "About Positioning Yourself For Success".  There's a series of post that follow this one.  The first three have been posted, there are several more to come.


A facebook page has been created for this blog.  Please navigate your way there by clicking here and press the "like" button.  This is an easy way to ensure you get  future updates.

About Ironman Pride

Three weeks and three days ago I completed one of the worlds most grueling events known to mankind:  the "Ironman".  If you missed my race report you can find it here for this entry is not about the race, or the journey to get to the race, but about the pride of becoming an "Ironman".

There are as many reasons why anyone would take on a challenge of this magnitude as there are people taking on this challenge, and it has been said that it's one of the most difficult things to try to explain, specially to those who do not understand the idea of pushing oneself to unknown limits.  I for one, gave up trying to explain.  Here is how I chose to handled it.

Life has changed post Ironman.  There's a huge sense of pride in having accomplished something that someone like me could have never imagined possible when I started doing triathlons in 2008.

And expressing this pride has come in many different forms.

In addition to the usual and obligatory IM merchandise; visor, hat, shirts, tee shirts, Finisher's Jacket, cycling jersey, coffee mug, car sticker, key chain, etc, etc, etc, I had a tattoo inked on my left calf.

Blood, Sweat & Tears

But this did not come without much thought and consideration.  Most of it done pre-Ironman.

During the course of those eleven months spent getting physically and mentally ready, I researched the idea of the tattoo.  Read countless accounts of why people get them done and why others choose not to and came to the conclusion that this would eternally be a sign and a stamp of something I did... that very few even attempt.

Through this research I found that those that chose to get a tattoo quietly expressed their opinion while the loudest voices came from those that frowned upon it.  Why?  I can't figure it out.  It is after all, as it should be, a matter of personal preference.

It's been a bit over two weeks since I got inked and it has been a conversation starter.  Folks that know that it means congratulate me and want to talk about the experience - not the tattoo. Folks that don't, ask... and I tell them.  With my head up high.  Proud to be an Ironman.

About What's Left To Do

Yes, we're on the home stretch!  In just about 90 hours (from the writing of this post) it will be time to get my game on in Louisville, KY.

The training is done, the tapering is in progress and the mind and soul are at peace for they know that with the able direction of coach Barry of Endurance Geeks, I have done the very best to get ready for this epic day.

The gear has been laid out on the couch for the past several days.  I go over and over the list, ensuring that nothing is missing.  There are five piles; swim, bike, run, nutrition and miscellaneous.  Occasionally I realize that an item needs to be added, like last night at 1AM.  So I proceed to add it and be done with it... for the moment.

I did not want to check on the weather predictions until Monday.  This is something I cannot control, so I didn't want to worry about it.  Much to my pleasant surprise, the weather has been very favorable for Ironmaning!

High 85, Precip 10%, Humidity 67% Wind from N at 8

Yesterday and today the forecast had slightly improved, so I'm hopeful.

I have had to find stuff to do to keep busy.  Some of you may know that I am recently retired and I'm in the process of getting a few projects off the ground, one of which is a Translation and Interpretation Service.  This has kept me busy, but not totally.  The focus for this is not where it needs to be, yet.

So, in comes my wife.  She suggested I write and design stuff.  She tells me that I should use my energy to put thoughts in paper and share with others what I'm going through, in the best possible manner I know; a positive one.

On Monday I started posting on my facebook page,  DailyMile page and Twitter images of what I wanted to share.  Here's what I came up with:

Monday's Message

"I am very respectful of the course, of the challenge and the hugeness of the task in front of me.  But I "Ain't Skeered"

Tuesday's Message

"I am as determined to do this as I have been determined to do anything else in my life.  I expect that nothing will get in my way of accomplishing what I set out to do just about a year ago."

Wednesday's Message

"Everyone, including myself, has their own private reasons and motivation for doing something like this.  As stated in a previous post, YES, I will get a tattoo, but this is about so much more than that."

I suspect that I will add to this collection in the next couple of days.  I will have to depend on the power of "auto posting" to get that done because I also suspect that my mind will be racing a hundred miles per hour.

For anyone interested and wishing to track me, you need to go to the IronmanLIVE website on Sunday.  There you will have to navigate through links to find the "Athlete Tracking" option.  You can find me by either searching for my name, Mauricio Sanchez or by my bib number, which is 2765.  I expect to be in the water somewhere around 7:15 am (EST), and my expectation is to cross the finish line somewhere around 10:00 pm (EST), everything in between is somewhat irrelevant.  They will have several check points which will be tracked on the website and they will have a live camera at the finish line... How cool is that?

About The Tattoo

A while back I read a quote that in regards to the triathlon lifestyle, I find more true as time passes by:

"From the outside looking in you could never understand it.  From the inside looking out you could never explain it."

I am often asked, as I am sure every triathlete has: "why do you do this?"

The first time I heard this I remember giving a short and sweet answer:  "to stay healthy" and I also remember the conversation going to places I had never imagined.  I was told the numerous other ways I could stay "healthy" without having to inflict my body with so much "pain and torture."

As time passed and my distance goals changed, conversations like this got more interesting.  I had developed an arsenal of reasons.  "Because I want to push myself", "Because I want to see how far I can go." and again I always received blank looks as if they were trying to say "I still don't get it".

I find that there's great respect from the general population towards triathletes.  Folks understand the massive commitment necessary to do this; physical and mental.  What most folks still cannot comprehend is the "why" do we do this?

I have toyed with the idea of getting a tattoo once I finish my first Ironman.  I have not been a fan of tattoos.  As a matter of fact, I fought long and hard with my daughter to try to get her not to get a tattoo.  Well, she did and that was that.  You can imagine the surprise on her face (and all those who know me) when I announced my intentions to get an Ironman tattoo on my left calf.

And why do I want to do this?, you may ask. I want to show the world what I've done, and yes... I want to brag.  For the rest of my life.  I'm going to make shorts my new dress code. I'd like for the world to see.  I want people to ask about it so I can tell them my story.  Yeah, once I cross that finish line, I will have earned the right to wear my tattoo.

At a dinner party a couple of months back, I found out that one of my friends that was there was also doing the Ironman Louisville.  One of the other guests told me.  So the conversation started and again I was asked: "Why Are You Doing This?"

"For The Tattoo", was all I said.

"Oh... how cool is that!"  was this person's reply.  No more further explanation was needed!