We've all been there. Months of training, fine tuning our diet, tweaking our equipment for absolute maximum performance so we can be called "Ironman" and slap that 70.3 sticker on our back window.

OK, maybe not. But I do know a few who have competed in one or more Ironman events and I've seen the dedication and training it takes. That's why one Houston man who was training for the Galveston Ironman Triathlon last weekend that got canceled because of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic decided to stage his own event.

Click2Houston tells us his name is Fernando Lopez and he's been participating in these events for a long time. Long enough that he's got everything he needs to replicate the event while sheltering in place at his own home.

An Ironman Triathlon event starts with a 1.2 mile swim which he accomplished in his backyard pool, then moves on to a 56 mile bicycle ride on a trainer in his workout room, and finishes with a 13.1 mile run, which Fernando accomplished on a treadmill. All that swimming, riding, and running adds up to traveling 70.3 miles without even leaving home. He even began the event with the National Anthem and a prayer.

He didn't have the crowds with cowbells cheering him on, but he did have his wife and several social media followers following his progress on his Facebook page live feed and offering encouragement along the way. He even managed to make the whole thing a fundraiser, bringing in thousands of dollars for Casa Juan Diego, an organization helping refugees.

I know the dedication it takes to train for and complete the 100 mile course in the Hotter'N Hell Hundred, and have an incredible respect for those who qualify for the title "Ironman".

Well done, Fernando Lopez. Well done, indeed.

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