From small town to Kona Town

There are now fewer than 70 days until I stand on the shores of Kailua Bay for the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. For more than 17 years, I’ve dreamed about that opportunity.

After completing my final Legacy Program requirement at IRONMAN 70.3 Muncie on July 11th, the dream suddenly feels very real. Ironically, one of the biggest lessons from Muncie had very little to do with swim, bike or run splits. It had everything to do with perspective.

The trip itself covered 1,170.3 miles between driving and racing in less than two days. My great friend Shane joined me on the adventure while my family stayed home supporting my mom as she recovered from surgery. Somewhere between the early morning alarms, Kwik Trip stops, solving a few of the world’s problems on the drive and laughing about past adventures, I realized something.

Sometimes we become so focused on reaching the finish line that we forget to appreciate the incredible journey getting there.

Whether your goal is qualifying for the IRONMAN World Championship, saving for your dream vacation, paying off your home, losing weight, recovering from surgery, quitting smoking or simply walking around the block again, every meaningful accomplishment is built one small step at a time.

We live in a world that celebrates finish lines. Life is actually lived between them.

Muncie reminded me of that. It was my first race without a wetsuit with 85-degree water — my first opportunity to use the swimskin I’ll wear in Hawaii — and one of my strongest bike rides in years, averaging just under 23 mph for the 56 miles. Then came the half marathon 13.1-mile run.

The clouds opened, heavy rain poured down, lightning flashed and what many considered miserable weather somehow became one of the most memorable parts of the day. It wasn’t perfect, but it was unforgettable.

How often is that true in life? We spend so much energy chasing perfection that we miss the beauty of progress. I’ve learned that dreams don’t happen overnight. My journey to Kona wasn’t built during one race. It has been built over 17 years, 13 full-distance IRONMAN finishes, thousands of training miles and countless people who believed in me along the way. Every mile mattered, especially the difficult ones.

That perspective reaches beyond triathlon. Looking back at our 1,170.3-mile adventure to Muncie, I couldn’t help but smile and think that maybe another dream isn’t quite as far away as it once seemed.

One day, I still hope to take on the World Marathon Challenge of completing seven marathons on all seven continents in seven days. Like Kona, it won’t happen all at once. It will happen one step, one mile and one day at a time. Like so many meaningful journeys, I know it will take a team of people who believe in the dream as much as the destination, and perhaps an opportunity to partner with a local organization to make the journey meaningful for others as well.

As Kona draws closer, I’m reminded that the World Championship isn’t just the reward, it’s the celebration of the journey that made it possible. A journey undertaken in honor of Doctor Leow and made possible by the unwavering support of my incredible family and friends for nearly two decades.

Every one of us has our own version of Kona. Don’t wait until you reach the finish line to be proud of yourself. Celebrate today’s progress. Learn from yesterday’s setbacks. Keep moving forward. Because someday you’ll look back and realize the journey wasn’t keeping you from your dream... It was becoming your dream.

Brian Cleven (MS, ACSM-CEP, CCRP) is the 2024 ACSM Certified Professional of the Year, Emplify Health Marinette 5K Heart Run Race Director and Founder of the Tri City Event Series as well as a 13-time IRONMAN triathlon finisher.