Frank-Martin Belz has written a book about the “Ironman” phenomenon, a homage to passion for sport.
But the author also questions a lot.
Freising
- It is a very personal book that Frank-Martin Belz (55) brought out. One that bears the title “Challenge Ironman - In Search of Meaning” for a reason. The Lake Constance-born professor for sustainable entrepreneurship at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Weihenstephan sheds light on the international triathlon scene. He lets idols and greats have their say as well as normal participants. But do they even exist? And if so, what motivates people to face such a great challenge and repeatedly to push the limits of their resilience? Mentally and physically. The athlete and university professor, who has lived in Freising at the Vimypark for 17 years, has summarized, commented on and brought all of this to the point in his book.
Belz himself was avowedly in a "small life crisis" when he started the triathlon in the late 1990s.
Of course, he has always been active in sports.
Whether it's football on the football field, ice hockey on frozen lakes or tennis during the Becker boom: Belz always enjoyed moving and challenging himself and his body.
Endurance sports such as running, swimming or cycling also attracted him at some point.
But a long-distance triathlon with 3.8 kilometers of swimming, 180 kilometers of cycling and a full marathon with 42.195 kilometers of running on top?
For Belz that was initially "unimaginable".
That should change, however.
Like Münchhausen "pulled out of the swamp on your own head"
And this is how it came about: At the age of 30, he brooded over his scientific career.
He was also in a partnership "that was difficult," as the author recalls.
And then there was also a belly approach that had to be fought.
Finally, he took up the challenge of “Ironman”, that long distance.
As he says today, that had "a lot to do with self-worth".
According to a colleague and good friend, Belz struggled back then and, like Münchhausen, practically "pulled himself out of the swamp by his own head".
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He knows what he's writing about: The TUM professor who is enthusiastic about triathlon has already completed 23 Ironmans.
The 24th should follow this year.
© FinisherPix
The author ran the first Ironman in Switzerland in 1999. In a time of twelve hours and 37 minutes. “For the time being, a passable result,” Belz judges in retrospect. In addition, because in Zurich there was an altitude difference of over 2,000 meters on the bike course. It was the beginning of a long series of 23 Ironmans. He was also in Hawaii: In 2016 he competed with the cracks of the scene in that legendary competition. Even today he enthuses: "That was a great experience, the ultimate dream." But he was also a bit "intimidated" in the midst of the best of the best, the professionals from all over the world, admits the freelancer. For him, however, the Olympic idea and the desire to “finish and stay healthy” were in the foreground.
Because especially when swimming, at the mass starts, things get really tough at times.
Serious injuries have already occurred.
But Belz was careful and was always lucky.
"I have never put my health at risk," emphasizes the professor and extreme athlete, who has by no means remained hidden from the dark side of triathlon.
He was spared major injuries, with the exception of a serious fall during bicycle training in which the helmet saved his life.
That was a great experience, the ultimate dream.
Frank-Martin Belz on his Ironman start in Hawaii in 2016
Regardless of this, Belz has stated: “It's both beauty and fascination - but that also needs to be questioned critically.” As an example, he cites the fitness tracker, the accurate schedules, the pursuit of self-optimization par excellence. “It's a sport that can be very engaging,” he says. What's more, Belz thinks it's “a fine line” to still want to get a better ranking, to keep trying harder. There are athletes who “would end up in a depression”. "Because they no longer meet their own requirements", explains the author of "Challenge Ironman - In search of meaning".
On 196 heavily illustrated pages, the 55-year-old shows the whole spectrum of the genre, the special position of the triathlon in world sport.
Top professionals like Patrick Lange, who won the Ironman in Hawaii twice, or Daniela Bleymehl, who won the Challenge Roth in 2018, have made their contribution, as have rookies who have taken part in an Ironman for the first time.
Belz describes "the global tribe of iron men and women"
The book has autobiographical traits - but goes far beyond that. Belz tries to describe "the global tribe of iron men and women". The equal treatment of women and men was a particular concern of his. “Because women perceive sport differently than men,” reveals the book author. The author describes the credo of his book about the phenomenon “Ironman” published by Sportwelt Verlag as follows: “What does that do to me? And where can that lead? "
But even after his work on this topic was published, Belz did not completely complete it.
If possible, he is currently planning to start at the Ironman in Hamburg this year.
During the pandemic, he trained regularly and a lot outdoors - to compensate for the many hours in the home office and the online seminars.
“It would be nice to have a ten in front of it and in my age group it would be in the front,” speculates the professor and triathlete about the total time.
And when the pandemic is over, he is planning another Ironman abroad.
Traveling with his wife Mirjam is one of the beautiful sides of international triathlon.
Info about the work
“Challenge Ironman - In Search of Meaning”
by Frank-Martin Belz was published as a paperback by Sportwelt Verlag at the end of March (price: 19.90 euros).
ISBN:
978-3-941297-49-4.
Alexander Fischer
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