Deciding to attempt New Zealand Ironman

I had concluded that someday, in the very distance future, say when I am back living again in Palo Alto, or Honolulu, I would attempt to fulfill my dream of completing an Ironman distance triathlon. But of course not this year. Not while I reside in central Tokyo where every bicycle ride out my front door is a life-endangering ordeal, where I swim in a tiny 17-meter pool, where my running mileage has been averaging less than 40 kilometers per week and where my training schedule is frequently interrupted by overseas trips.

Nonetheless I just registered a day ago for the New Zealand Ironman on March 4th.

The registration form asked "Why are you undertaking the Ironman Challenge?" I struggled to answer this question. Um...because I think I can?.. Ultimately I wrote down how many years ago I had run a marathon and I had rode in a double-century bicycle ride, and I had missed the challenge of a pure endurance event where it is a satisfying triumph to just finish the event, no matter the time.

My training mate, Keren Miers had said he would bet big money that I would not do an Ironman this year. So if nothing else I need to prove Keren wrong.