My Journey to the IRONMAN African Championship

It was not too long ago that I could barely run a mile. I was plagued with injuries throughout my youth and the thought of running pain-free seemed incomprehensible to me. I started small and built my way up slowly, surprising even myself at what I could accomplish.

Now, I am incredibly excited to announce that this is the first post of many that I will be making as I train for my 22nd IRONMAN, the 2015 IRONMAN African Championship, taking place on March 29 in Port Elizabeth. I will be chronicling everything as I prepare for the big event: my swim, bike, run and strength workouts, meal plans, mental hurdles - everything.

I have learned a tremendous amount since I attempted my first 140.6-mile race back in 1999 in New Zealand, both physically as well as mentally. Lessons about the body, nutrition, motivation and, yes, about life.

It matters not whether you are an endurance athlete yourself or someone just starting a fitness plan for the first time; I guarantee that you will learn a great deal from my successes and my failures as I prepare my body for the big day. Strength training tips, weight-loss strategies, how to choose a challenging goal and, most importantly, stick to it will all be major themes I discuss each and every week. That is my ultimate goal with this project, helping you to surprise yourself, achieving fitness goals you thought unattainable and being the healthiest you can be in 2015.

So come along on my "Experiment of One," my journey to crossing the finish line in South Africa in March. I guarantee you will laugh, learn and be inspired along the way!

Follow #IronTom to get more updates on Tom's journey on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and be sure to share your own training journey pictures and stories.