I could think of a million reasons why we shouldn’t have taken the trip to Pennsylvania to catch up with the Iron Cowboy.
But then again, I’m sure the Iron Cowboy could think of a million more reasons why he shouldn’t be doing 50 Ironmans in 50 days in 50 states–but he is.
Yeah, you read that right. James Lawrence, AKA the Iron Cowboy, set out to do something epic and raise money and awareness for childhood obesity at the same time. He is teaming up with the Jamie Oliver Foundation to help promote healthy foods for children.
“My goal is simply to inspire others to challenge themselves and to be more active.
Together with the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation we can all be part of the movement to fight obesity.”
– James Lawrence
We’ve been following him on social media for a good part of his journey now, so when he arrived in our area, we toyed with the idea of going. How many chances do you get in life to be part of something big? Each day there is an official, family friendly Iron Cowboy 5k as part of his 26.2. Of course people are welcome to swim, bike, and run with him at anytime–some people have done the entire 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run with him. We know what one Ironman entails and cannot even fathom doing one everyday for 50 days–the least we can do is run a 5k with him.
So we packed up the kids and drove from Long Island to East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
We also met people who came from all over to take part in day 37, but I also want to mention his strong support crew that consists of his family and friends. A feat like this does not get accomplished without a truly supportive and dedicated crew.
We are, and have always been strong believers in the fact that our journey inspires us, so that we can inspire others. And that is what the Iron Cowboy is doing with his journey. It’s not about doing something physically unthinkable, it’s about having the mental tenacity and fortitude to just keep going.
On a much smaller scale, last August Lance ran our group’s Selden Hills 10k course 31 straight days. Not for accolades or for an over the top training plan, but to serve as an example that anything can be done if you put your mind to it.
We were definitely glad we made the trip to be a part of this in person. Seeing him actually embarking on this reminds you that anything is possible if you are committed to a plan and put your mind to it.
Today the Iron Cowboy is out there on day 38 in Ohio. Follow his journey on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to be inspired and support his journey.
Can you even imagine doing this??
Have you ever committed to some sort of streak to raise awareness for a cause?
This post is linked up with Running ‘N’ Reading for the Weekend Update!
Wow, so awesome you did this to meet him. I still can’t wrap my head around this level of activity without much recovery (the travel logistics! OMG). My son and I have talked about a multi-day bike trip next summer and are considering the Tour de Cure 550 mile/7 day event. My friends mother just passed away and had suffered from diabetes so this seems like a good cause to train for.
Kelli recently posted…Oldman’s Time Trial – shortest race report ever
I know…meeting him and seeing it live was just awe inspiring! He hopped on a plane last night to reach Ohio since it was a pretty far drive from where there were in PA. It’s really amazing!
I hadn’t heard about the iron Cowboy! How fun that you got to meet him. I’ll be following this now.
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…Weekend inspiration
Great! If it weren’t for my husband who was following him on social media, I wouldn’t have known about it either! Glad I have the opportunity to spread the word!
I’ve never heard of this guy! That’s crazy and cool and crazy!
Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner recently posted…Chocolate Cherry Protein Muffins
I know!!
Sounds like a great experience! I have never heard of the iron cowboy, but what an amazing mission!!
Lisa @ Running Out Of Wine recently posted…Scenes From The Weekend And Weekly Recap
It was great to be a part of it!
I’m pretty positive I couldn’t run 50 half marathons in 50 days in 50 states, let alone Ironman’s! So impressive. When he competed in CT, a bunch of my run club friends were able to meet him for a run. I wish I could’ve gotten out of work in time to join. Such an incredible, once in a lifetime experience. I love that he incorporates the community in celebrating his accomplishments!
Jamei recently posted…Wondrous Weekend
It really is an amazing feat and I hope more people can be exposed to his message as well!
This is super cool! I have never heard of the Iron Cowboy but I will definitely follow the rest of his journey. Thanks for sharing! Awesome! I could never imagine doing anything like that!
Mary Beth Jackson recently posted…A Quarter of a Century!
I know, it’s crazy!! Glad you enjoyed hearing about it!
I had not heard anything about this. How awesome. What a wonderful way for him to get his message out there! I can’t imagine. Talk about perseverance!
HoHo Runs recently posted…Weekend Struggle
It’s really unimaginable…a exemplar of mind over matter!
That is so cool! He came through New Hampshire last week and I so wanted to meet up with him. Dang work got in the way!
Angela @ happy fit mama recently posted…Quick and Easy Homemade Chocolate Frozen Yogurt
Yeah, it was a great opportunity so we just jumped on it!
This is awesome! So cool you were able to make the trip 🙂
Annmarie recently posted…Yummari Endurance Snacks Review
It was really a cool experience!