Earning the Ink: Ironman Tattoo Tips

Written by Matt Westenburg

With more than 18 years of experience as a certified public accountant, Matt has helped companies develop & validate business models, raise capital and provide management expertise. He enjoys working with entrepreneurs who are passionate about achieving their goals and bettering the community. He was voted the Silicon Prairie “Service Provider of the Year” and has been recognized multiple times for his contributions to the local entrepreneurial community.

It’s rare that the completion of a task merits a tattoo. I once polished off two full medium pizzas in only an hour and a half and was close to commemorating the occasion with some ink before I thought better of it. However, what is absolutely worth getting permanently etched on your skin is finishing an Ironman race. Many have received a tattoo of the logo and with good reason: they swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles and ran 26.2 miles sequentially to finish the race.

For some, simply the logo itself represents their own blood, sweat and tears that went into finishing their race.

The Ironman tattoo has become a staple in the triathalon community for those psychotic strong-willed enough to finish the race. Yet, maybe because they don’t want to jinx their finishing or maybe because they’re understandably not in the right mindset to make a rational decision after their “death march”, some athletes don’t put as much thought into their Ironman tattoo as they should. So, here are a few things to keep in mind for those impressive few among us who earn the ink.

Earn It

Sounds simple enough, but Ironman finishers seem pretty irked when someone who got hurt training for an Ironman, finished an unofficial Ironman, or just kind of like the idea of an Ironman are sporting the logo on their skin. Just earn it.

There are is one exception: the half Ironman. Still impressive, still worthy of a tattoo if you deem it so personally, but the fact it is a HALF Ironman needs to be stressed. A 70.3 miles distance indicator, half of the Ironman logo, or a “1/2” thrown in there are just a few ideas.

Make it Your Own

Ironman tattoos are no different than any other tattoo: they’re best when they mean something personal. For some, simply the logo itself represents their own blood, sweat and tears that went into finishing their race. For others, they feel a loved one, a spirit animal or other motivation in their completion of the Ironman should be incorporated. Regardless, make sure the tattoo is represents more than just the organization that put on the race.

Explore North America on a wild animal expedition

Every year, people travel across Africa in search of a wild safari adventure with elephants, rhinos, giraffes and lions. North America doesn’t have lions but it does have mountain lions and bears. Amazing wild creatures are prowling through the forests, roaming over the prairies, floating through the sky and swimming through the ocean. Here are some animals to track down on a North American safari.