Mike Dolan you are an Ironman! It's official, it's over, it was kinda surreal. But it really did happen. First question everyone asks - Are you going to do another one? HELL YES! I'm hooked.

What makes a person want to do this? A friend and training partner? The annual TV coverage of watching 2000 people in the heat and wind of Kona? The Devil?

It doesn't really matter, once you hit the button on your computer and register for an Ironman your life has to change. You train like you never have in your life: you sleep, you eat, you train more, you work through injuries, you race, you get advice, you give advice, you make friends, you travel, you create a lot of laundry, you get cranky, you live by the clock, you spend a lot of money, you expend a lot of energy, you wake up in the dark, you make a lot of sacrifices.

Was it worth it? I think it was.

A lot happened over the year from the day I registered until the second I crossed the finish line. As each day passes and the clock ticks closer to the cannon going off you have to decide how this is going to play out. I found others training for the same adventure, I made new friends, I joined the SBR team, I annoyed the hell out of my relatives and co-workers talking about triathlon, I watched other people race, I changed my diet, I had to buy 2 new sets of clothes, I set an example for my children.

In this sport you are an individual and there are a lot of I's and me's involved in the process. You inherently have to be a little selfish and trust that those who love you somehow understand that this is important to you.

As you spend the 140.6 miles inside yourself during the race you are never alone. For my 1st Ironman I was blessed with the support of my parents, in-laws, friends, teammates, wife and children. During race morning I noticed many other athletes had similar support but didn't truly realize until the race started that even if you were there by yourself, it didn't matter. Strangers don't exist on race day in an Ironman, everyone had a support group, that being the thousands of spectators lining the race course. People become far more than cheerleaders and without the simplest of gestures, such as a smile, clap, ring of a cowbell, or offer of a cup of chicken soup it would be much harder for many of us ordinary athletes to finish an Ironman race. Though I do have to think that most people would not put the word ordinary in the same sentence defining someone attempting to do an Ironman.

The race itself was fun. Really! A word of advice given to me before I started was to just keep going until they tell you to stop.

Having trained on Mirror Lake in June the start of the race was a matter of finding open water,(good luck), and swimming two equal laps, which I did for a 1:18 swim.

T1 - think beehive in mating season. Volunteers were great and shuffled us out the best they could under the wet and sloppy ground conditions everyone was dealing with from the rain during the night before the race.

My bike was uneventful and well paced considering 30 days prior to the race I had been diagnosed with a herniated disk in my back. A lot of people ask, "What do you think about for 112 mile bike?" This and that.I basically concentrate on not falling off my bike while trying to eat, drink and go fast. I did write out and give thank you cards to my family and friends to open at the top of each hour so I was trying to remember who's hour it was to open their card. Unfortunately after 25 years of crash free riding I did fall off my bike. Good news is I was only going 2mph as I slowed down to take care of a little bladder business, Fortunately bike and body sustained little damage. Back on the bike after my nature call and on to the run. For those who haven't ridden the bike course at Lake Placid it is nothing less than spectacular with everything from flat sections, to long steady climbs, harrowing 7 mile downhills with speeds up to 50 mph and a few short steeper climbs. 6:31:

T2 - My training partner Ed who had come to spectate volunteered his time in this tent and assisted me in less frenetic conditions than T1. I was thankful he shut the video camera off when I changed from my bike into my run shorts to keep the film rated G. At this point in the race I'm thinking I actually feel pretty good.

Run - and run and run and run and run..This is not my forte but I am getting better. Slow and steady does not win the race but with this body it got me to the finish line.

Memorable moment abound including: Seeing family and friends along course. Encouragement of SBR teammates on second loop of run.Chicken Soup!

Seeing SBR teammates at team tent with 1.5 miles to go.Slowing down so friends could race around to finish line to see me cross..Entering the Olympic Speed Skating Oval.Running to finish line with my oldest daughter. . And of course 8:48:22pm - the second after I crossed the finish line after racing for 13 hours, 48 minutes and 21 seconds.

It was a special day and always will be.

I am thankful for everyone who was there for me and everyone else tracking me on their computers who couldn't be there.

Many thanks to Christophe Vandaele and SBR for all the support given for this race and the entire season. See you all at the next race!!