# @benboulware on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CWKDM4GDPY3
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/164201-benboulware-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/25f335aa3a.jpg
- **Posted:** 2021-11-12T01:21:00.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Ben Boulware (@benboulware) — https://gondola.cc/benboulware

## Caption

We are currently 5 days out of completing Ironman Florida and the body is just now finally getting back to 60-70%. 

Figured I’d give some thoughts on the entire experience since the last year of my life pretty much has been based around this race.

First and foremost, just want to say I really appreciate every single message and dm that I’ve gotten over the past week. I appreciate all of you taking the time to send something! 🙏🏼

I also am so stoked I got to do this race with my thejunkyardfitness family. Having 7 people from 1 gym do an Ironman is unheard of and I’m so thankful I get to do life with these lunatics. 

So here we go:

The swim:

No exaggeration at all, the swim alone was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life. Truly thought I was going to drown the entire time. Almost 500 people dropped out of the race entirely either during or right after the swim. With the combination of the wind, current and that it was mapped longer than the normal 2.4 miles (my watch said 3 miles when I was done), it was truly the most challenging workout I’ve ever been through.

The bike:

I heard going into the race that if you don’t get out early enough from the swim, that you will experience a headwind for the entire bike. We’ll, after getting out of the swim 50 minutes behind my goal, this was 1000% the case lol! Out of the 112 miles, we experienced a head wind for 100 of those miles. Conditions were 2 for 2 on kicking my balls in.

The run:

There is absolutely nothing more demoralizing knowing you have a full marathon to run, after already been working out for 8 hours…😂. The goal by this point was to not walk at all and just finish. And we did.

All in all, I can truthfully say I enjoyed every minute of the suck though. The challenge, the pain and the eventual fruit of crossing that finish line was worth every bit of training I’ve done over the past 10 months. The work paid off. 

So as I sit back, type this out and realize that I’m the type of person that always needs a challenge…I’ve unfortunately got to ask this:

What should I do next?

📷: cameasler & brysonb_99

## Stats

- **Views:** 17,102
- **Likes:** 1,696
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 199

## Credits

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ben Boulware | @benboulware | https://gondola.cc/benboulware | Creator |
| Cameron Easler | @easler_cameron | https://gondola.cc/easler_cameron | Cinematographer |
| Cameron Easler | @easler_cameron | https://gondola.cc/easler_cameron | Editor |

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