Big Ironman Thank You

Hello Everyone,

  

Well ... I did it. What an incredible adventure this has all been. I still can't believe it's all over. Years of dreaming, months of training, all completed in 13 hours 37 minutes and 57 seconds. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. There's no possible way I could have done it without everyone's amazing support. It's been an incredible up and down journey and it just wouldn't have been possible without all the encouragement and help I received. It was huge knowing that you all had my back, believed in me, and were cheering me on. It gave me the confidence and courage to achieve such a huge goal of mine. Everyone's support will be something I will be forever grateful for, and I truly mean that from the bottom of my heart. This really was a team effort and I can't say enough how thankful I am to have such amazing people in my life. I owe you all such a huge debt of gratitude.

Alright now on to the race summary.

The water temperature for the swim was about 78 degrees meaning it was wetsuit optional. If you wanted to be up for an award, meaning a top age group finish which would earn you a qualifying spot in Kona, the world championships, then you were not allowed to wear a wetsuit. I was not racing to win any awards, I just wanted to finish so I choose to wear my wetsuit. The wetsuit makes you much more buoyant which saves me a lot of energy. The way the swim works is there is a mass start but they have you arrange yourself into waves depending on how fast you expect to finish the swim. Because the swim was wetsuit optional only the non-wetsuit participants were sorted out into waves. Everyone wearing a wetsuit had to start in the back. I would say that about half to half of the participants were wearing wetsuits. This led to the craziest swim I have ever been in. Once you got into the water it was chaos. There were arms and feet all over the place. People swimming over others and swimming in all different directions. The first mile of swimming was nuts, but I was able to keep my composure and once I made the turn to come back to shore the field finally started to spread out and there was room to swim comfortably. I was able to get into a great rhythm coming back and actually had a really great swim time. I finished the 2.4 mile swim in an hour and 23 minutes.

  

Once you finish the swim you pick up your bike gear bag and are supposed to head into the male transition tent. But I decided to change outside before the tent on the grass. I was glad that I did. I had to walk through the tent to get to my bike. It was already getting pretty warm outside and the tent was very dark and damp which made it incredibly humid. There were a bunch of naked middle aged guys getting changed on plastic chairs.  Pretty gross.  Once on the bike it was pretty crowded on the roads. The most people I have ever had to bike with. So I had to be very careful of everything around me. The bike course was incredibly beautiful. One of the most scenic rides I have ever done. It got really warm on the bike. The temperature probably peaked at around 95 or so. I was pouring ice water over my head and every aid station to try and cool myself off. The aid stations were spaced out about every 25 miles or so. I wish they had a bit more because it was pretty warm out there and I would have liked a few more ice waters to pour over my head. But all in all the bike ride went great. The course was relatively flat with just a few small climbs. The easiest 112 miles I have ever rode haha. I finished the 112 miles in 6 hours and 31 minutes.

The transition tent for the run was a little better. It wasn't damp and there weren't a bunch of naked dudes, but it was still really hot in the tent. I got out of transition and started to run. My legs were pretty tired at this point and it was tough transitioning from the bike to the run. It was definitely a shock on the body to be feeling the impact of gravity on every stride. But I was able to establish a pretty decent rhythm after about 2 miles. I was run walking the whole thing. I knew I needed to pace myself because I wasn't able to run very much in training because of my IT band problems. I would stop at every aid station and put ice under my hat to keep my head cool, I would also poor a cup of water over that. I had quite a procedure going each aid station. They had a bunch of oranges, bananas, and grapes so I would eat those as well. I was also taking in salt and electrolytes at each aid station to prevent any dehydration and cramps. The run was along Boulder creek and there were people cheering you on for pretty much the whole route. It was incredible. Probably the closest I will ever feel to being a rock star. I got through the first 13 miles in decent shape but I really just wanted to be finished then but I was only halfway done with the run. I knew the next 13 were going to be quite a struggle. I had to walk a lot between miles 13 to 20. But once I hit mile 20 I just started to run. I didn't stop at the aid stations anymore. I just ran solid for the next 4 miles. I then walked mile 24 to give myself the energy to run the last mile. The last mile is always the most incredible, especially in any long distance event. I can't help but get so freaking emotional. My feet just get so light and I start floating. I start to think about everything it took to get here. All the work, all the hours, all the people, all the love and support. And then the next thing you know you're there, to that moment you've been dreaming of … crossing that finish line … hearing the announcer say your name and that you are an Ironman. It was all just incredible and surreal. I finished the 26.2 mile run in 5 hours and 17 minutes.

After you cross the finish line they have volunteers escort you through the finish area to make sure you are alright. You get your metal and your finisher goodie bag and then they lead you to get your picture taken. In line to get my picture my sister, Rachel Mundstock came running up to the barricades. She yelled my name and I saw her. I stared walking over to her and I just lost it. I started balling. I was just so happy and so thankful that I have so many people that I love so close to me and I know I can always depend on them.  My cousin Cat Yee was behind my sister and I gave her a huge hug.  I remember seeing my sister and my cousin cheering me on when I was running.  I could see tears in my sister’s eyes because she knew how much this whole thing meant to me and I could tell she was proud.  It was a moment I won’t forget.  Both of them making the trip out to Boulder was wonderful and their support was spectacular.  Then my parents Dan-Alice Mundstock came up and I can't thank them enough.  Their support was beyond amazing.  They were behind me for every single step of the way and there is no way I can thank them enough.  They are the best support team I could ever ask for.  None of this would be possible without them.  So of course I gave them the biggest hugs I could and cried all the happy tears on their shoulders.  Next my girlfriend Rachel Antoniak came up.  Let me tell you something, I love this girl so much.  She has been more than incredible throughout this journey.  She saw me at the worst of times when I didn't think I was going to be able to do it and she wouldn't let me fail.  She makes me better and I feel like the luckiest guy in the world to have her in my life. Then all of my amazing friends who made the long trip out the Boulder came up Beth Alexander Lauren Vallicella Jordan Faragher and her boyfriend Sean Mark Prenger Janaye Culton.  I can't tell you guys how incredible it was to see you throughout the course cheering me on.  You all gave me energy when I thought I had none.  I couldn't be more thankful to have friends like you in my life.  You are all and inspiration to me and I hope in the future I can be there to help support your dreams just like you all did for mine.  After all of the hugs and tears I made my way over to a grassy area and popped a bottle of champagne.  I've been able to celebrate the Giants and Warriors winning world championships but this was my world championship and nothing ever did taste as sweet. 

I wanted to also give special thanks to those who really helped me and showed amazing support through this whole journey and couldn't make it out to Boulder.

Oscar Ramirez and Casey Ramirez you two are truly the best.

Briana Cahn it was really special seeing your sign and getting your support in Napa.

Richie Louis DeRobles I couldn't ask for a better friend.  You keep me pushing.

Keith Nishikawa and Jared Kwak even though we may be miles apart we are brothers for life. 

The boot camp crew, Rob Grayson, Tom, Paula Michal, and Cindy your support was spectacular. 

The Family, Chris Yee, Elaine Kiang, Uncle James Yee, Uncle Artie, Uncle Tony, Aunt Beth, Uncle Stanley, Aunt Audrey, Uncle Allen, Aunt Ruth, Mike Yee, Aunt Alana, Grandma, Paul Fong, Jeanette Fong, Mike, and Joyce family means the world you me.  All of your support helped get me to that finish line.

Michael MacElhenny I may help you train but you help me more than you know.

Erin Cox and Dave Cox you two were my two biggest supporters.  No way could I have done the swim without all of your time and energy. 

Erick Sobey can't thank you enough for all your help on the bike.

Colin and Kyle all of the body work you both did on my legs was amazing.  For me to have absolutely no pain throughout the race is a credit to both of you and I can't thank you both enough. 

"Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of your life"

You start out doing something crazy like this to prove something to yourself but in the end you do it for the people you love because they stand with you through it all, they pick you up when you fall. They become your strength. 

the harder path

Throughout life we are forced to make many choices, decisions that can lead us down very different paths. Choices that can develop into patterns, and patterns that can define who we are.

Too often we are willing to settle for what is easy; we settle for the expected, and we expect everything to be easy. We bemoan that life is tough and unforgiving when really we should be embracing it. Life’s real gift is the challenge that it presents.

We expect everything to be instant and handed to us on a silver platter, but none of that is gratifying. We have convinced ourselves that we can find happiness through the easy, but it’s not sustainable. We seek short term solutions to long term problems. We look to fix the superficial and completely miss the deep underlying issue. The issue that is hard to face; the issue that is hard to accept, the thing that we try to avoid because it scares us.

We numb ourselves in an attempt to avoid feeling bad or negative. We choose what is easy in an attempt to avoid consequences. But if we numb ourselves to avoid the bad we also numb ourselves to all the good as well.

We find it very easy to blame others, when really the answer is to look at ourselves and realize we possess the power to fix our problems. People lack a belief in themselves leading them to think that they aren’t good or strong enough to do things that are difficult or challenging. But “worthiness is a birthright.” We have to realize that “yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging” –Brene Brown, Daring Greatly. We are scared to admit our flaws and let them be seen. We are scared to leap with no guarantee of a safe landing. But happiness and success come from a blind belief and desire. There is no straight line or sure shot, in order to achieve your dreams you must first have a willingness to try, and second, a willingness to fail but not give up. It's very scary to take the leap and you might have to fall hard at times, but the more you jump the closer you get to flying.  

It’s easy to hate, hard to love. It’s easy to give up, hard to see things through. It’s easy to be numb, hard to feel. It’s easy to be quiet, hard to speak your truth. It’s easy to be ignorant, hard to learn. It’s easy to follow, hard to pave your own path.

Life should be lived with passion; with a belief in oneself to be able to do anything that can be dreamed. One that is filled with hope and a thirst for something greater; filled with love for ourselves and others. There is no easy way to happiness, to love. It takes work, it takes time, and then it takes more work and more time. It’s an endless choice, a hard choice, but in the end it’s the choice that leads to connection, happiness, and love. So shouldn’t it be the easy choice?

Greatest Fear

My greatest fear is losing people in my life; being forgotten by those who I used to call good friends.  This is such a big fear of mine because I feel it is not uncommon for it to happen to me.  I really care about the people I interact with but when they have to leave my immediate life due to going to a different school, living in a different city, or just moving on with their life, I am unable to stay in contact as much as I would like.  I do this because I fear that our friendship was not as valuable to them, so I keep my distance, because it’s my protection from being hurt.  If I actively show someone that I miss them and they don’t miss me then I’m hurt and feel like a fool.  But if I keep my distance then I can create a false sense of friendship and security and avoid feeling anything at all.  But you know what, that’s a shitty life philosophy.  I've spend too much of my life sitting on the sideline, never taking action in fear of the repercussions.  Making others come to me, waiting for them to make the first move before I feel ok to show them that I care. But that’s not love; it’s a selfish curtain to hide behind, putting the burden of responsibility on others.   Love can only be seen in the actions you do for others.  You have to stop hiding; step out into that spotlight and be seen.  Take a chance to feel something in order to accept and feel the love you deserve.  So take responsibility and make sure the people you care about know it.            

Me

I've never been so scared

So lost

So hurt

So confused

So uncertain

But I'm not afraid to fall

To expose my heart to the world

Because I knew you have to roll the dice

Take a chance

Take a leap

In order to discover yourself

You have to be Scared

Lost

Hurt

Confused

Uncertain

To know what it's like to be

Truly happy, Truly in Love

There is no such thing as losing

The world may be falling around you 

But time wont let you stop

You Learn, You Grow

Without sadness there is no happiness

Without failure there is no success

Without you there is still a Me

I wrote this poem about 4 years ago and just came back across it last night.  It really inspired me.  I hope you can take something away from it.  

Game Changer

I recently had a friend ask for some advice about a guy she has been seeing for the last month or so.  She wanted to know if it was too soon in the relationship to get him a gift for Christmas.  Now I don’t pretend to be all knowing when it comes to relationships, but my logic tells me that if a person is spooked because they were given a small present for Christmas, then that person must not like you very much and they aren't worth dating in the first place.  Sometimes I get really tired of the games we play with each other.  If you want to get something for someone, get it for them.  If you want to text someone, text them.  If you like something about someone, tell them.  Just be your weird quirky self.  You will attract people who will accept you for who you are.  You will surround yourself with people who actually make you happy and you will rid yourself of the people in your life that are likely to hurt you.

Perfect is really Imperfect

Through my experiences as a trainer and health professional I know that establishing consistency is vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I religiously preach this to my clients.  If you want to be healthy late into life, the first step you have to take is to develop consistent habits around diet, exercise, sleep, etc. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it…

But my experiences in life have taught me that consistency may be overhyped.  Too much of anything is bad; same goes for too little of anything.   The same thing over and over again becomes plain boring.  Happiness and inner peace do not come from living in the box of consistency.  

Life is ironic.  There’s nothing consistent about it.  There will always be two poles, two sides, a ying and a yang.  Humans are biologically programmed to conserve energy and be lazy, and yet happiness and fulfillment only comes from working and moving.   What may be right one day can be completely wrong the next.  Perfect is really imperfect.

So does this mean the secret to life and happiness is establishing consistency filled with inconsistency, or inconsistency filled with consistency?  I don’t know, but what I do know is that you must enjoy each moment.  Live in the present.  Don’t be guided by fear; be spontaneous and take risks.  Don’t try and change other people; let the ones who care stay and all others go on their way.  Don’t care what other people think.  But most importantly be able to dance to any kind of music, even the sad songs, because you never know what tune life may throw your way.

Will the Real Eric Mundstock Please Stand Up...

My name is Eric Mundstock and I am a trainer, running coach, exercise enthusiast, wellness advocate, or anything that has to do with a healthy well being.  I like to consider myself the world’s greatest training partner.  If given the opportunity to do an activity my answer is always going to be yes.  I’m calm, relaxed, and easy going but I love to push people to their limits and see them succeed.  In any endeavor in life I’ll get you there, that’s my motto. 

I grew up in the small suburb of Millbrae, just south of San Francisco.  I’ve been an athlete all my life, was raring to go since I was a toddler; skipped crawling went straight to walking.  I played soccer, basketball, and baseball at the club level and also added tennis to the competitive list in high school.  I’m a sports nut, any sport out there I’ve probably played it or would love to try.  I’m also a huge sports fan; the San Francisco Giants winning the World Series in 2010 and 2012 were some of the happiest days of my life.

My love of sports lead me to the University of California Santa Barbara and its Exercise and Sports Studies program.  I became devoted to fitness and the human body.  It was a no brainer for me to learn about healthy living, it fulfilled my selfish need to have the knowledge to improve myself as well as my selfless desire to help others.  I graduated UCSB in the Spring of 2011 with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology and a double minor in Exercise and Sport Studies with emphasis in Fitness Instruction and Exercise and Health Science.  I left UCSB but stayed in Santa Barbara with the desire and thirst to continue learning. 

   

I’m an old soul with a new outlook on fitness.  We have ancient bodies in modern times.  Our bodies were designed to get up and move not sit down all day.  We are creatures that were “born to run.”  I take that statement to heart.  My passion lies in running and running mechanics but my talents are not limited to that. I may be young but I like to think I take all of life's lessons in stride.

I believe that nothing is impossible.  If something can be believed, it can be done.  I believe the mind and body are more connected than most think.  I believe that fitness is 9 parts mental and only 1 part physical.  I believe that every single person has an athlete inside of them.  I believe that being an athlete is not just a state of being but also a state of mind.  I believe that perfection is not always doing everything right or correct but instead it is giving it your all at all times, doing your best at all times in whatever you set your mind to.  I believe we have to fail in order to succeed.  We have to be sad to truly understand what it means to be happy.  I believe I can help people.  I believe I can change their lives.