Racing For A Dream In Retirement

There is just twelve months until Mike Drak attempts an Ironman race. Here's how his training is going so far.

4 min read.

The training time I have left before my attempt at Ironman Cozumel in Nov/2022 is shrinking fast and I’m going to need every minute of it.

Getting ready is going to require a major change in lifestyle, which isn’t easy but the payoff will be huge in terms of improved health and feeling good about myself when I look in the mirror.

I had to cut back on some things which is a good thing

One thing that has been bothering me is that I’ve been working far too hard in fact even harder than I did in my corporate job. On the positive side I really enjoy the work I do but I tend to allow it to consume everything else and this tendency is what got me out of whack in the first place.

The demands of my Ironman training is forcing me to cut back on some things and I will no longer offer coaching services to people other than my wife’s clients.

Sometimes I feel like a hypocrite telling people that they need balance and variety in their second lives and here I am working 60 hour weeks on a new book and training for an Ironman.

My plan is to cut back on the work aspect to max 20hrs/week from here on which I see as a good thing.

I have a thousand reasons for crossing the Ironman finish line

People, friends and family have been betting me that I won’t finish the race and I have been taking every bet offered.

They don’t know what I know.

I love it when people tell me that I’m going to fail at something. Their doubt in my ability and discipline is what really motivates me as I love to prove people wrong and take their money is just the icing on the cake.

I’ve always said that the best person to bet on (invest in) is yourself so hopefully I will be proven right next November.

Some good news - my blood pressure has dropped significantly

This has been a big concern of mine as my systolic bp about a month ago was running north of 170 even though I am on blood pressure meds.

I made a drastic change in diet (more plant based) went on the wagon and started my Ironman training.

Results have been unbelievable and my current bp is running around 140 and I expect further reductions as my new lifestyle kicks in. Hopefully I can get off my bp meds once and for all.

Some bad news - I’m still overweight

I still need to lose 48 lbs by April 1st which averages out to 2lbs per week from now on.

Some other bad news is that the pools where I live are still not fully open and it’s hard to book a time for lane swimming. I need to start swimming pronto as I have a lot of catching up to do.

More bad news – I need to sleep better

Sleep is critical for training and I definitely need to make sure that I get enough good quality sleep.

So that’s it for now. Below is my "before" picture. I plan to have an "after" picture once I cross the finish line in Cozumel.

I'll also be providing monthly updates going forward so if you're interested in tracking my progress be sure to come back.

Also, if anyone is interested on making a small wager on me not finishing you know where to find me!

About the Author

Mike Drak is the Author of the best-selling book Victory Lap Retirement and recently released book, Retirement Heaven or Hell. Along with being an Author, Mike is also an award winning blogger, retirement coach and public speaker and has made appearances on BNN, CBC Radio and iHeart radio. He is a thirty-eight year veteran of the financial services industry and lives with his wife Melina in Toronto, Canada. You can contact Mike through LinkedIn