JOINT BASE MYER HENDERSON HALL, Va. - In the realm of endurance sports, the Ironman competition stands as the pinnacle of physical and mental challenges, pushing participants to their limits and beyond. Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall’s deputy commander, Marine Corps Lt. Col. John Dexter, recently completed his first such competition.
The Ironman is comprised of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and topped off with a full 26.2-mile marathon – a grueling sequence that truly tests athlete’s will to continue. Dexter recently spoke about his experience and what motivates someone to strive for the title of Iron Man.
“You need to want to do difficult things,” Dexter said. “I found that through physical challenge you learn a lot about yourself, and it makes life easier to manage.”
The Virginia native and son of a naval officer has been active since high school, running cross country before rowing in college, and ultimately joining the Marine Corps, which boasts its own high physical standards.
“There’s a symbiotic relationship in my mind between being a good Marine officer and being physically fit,” Dexter said. “As I’ve continued down this Marine Corps journey, I’ve seen myself doing more challenging things, which challenges the mind and prepares you for things outside of athletics.”
His training regimen began months in advance, balancing swim drill, cycling intervals and marathon practice. Dexter is not a stranger to distance sports, having a couple marathons and some distance cycling under his belt; however, this is his first time combining all these endurance sports in a single day event.
While seeking to better prepare, he found a book called ‘Be Iron Fit’, which he said really helped to structure his fitness efforts and set him up for success.
“Instead of just jumping in the pool once a week and swimming slow for a long period, at peak, I was in the pool three to four times a week doing about 10,000 yards, which is about 10,000 more yards of swimming than I was doing before,” Dexter said. “I rode my bike mostly on the weekends, and I was running six to seven times a week.”
Even while training, Dexter made sure to be present for his family. He works out first thing in the morning before anyone is up, so he doesn’t miss any family time once he’s home from work.
This year’s competition was held in Cambridge, Maryland - an additional motivator, he said, since it’s close to his duty station and wouldn’t require a lot of extra travel.
After months of training, race day finally came. With the encouragement of his friends and family, and the lessons he’d learned along the way, Dexter went into competition. On Sept. 16, he became an Ironman in just over 11 hours. While the clock displayed his finishing time, it also highlighted his dedication and determination to accomplishing his goal.
As for what’s next for Dexter, he’s applied to run the Chicago Marathon in 2024, with a target finishing time of under 3 hours and 30 minutes.
His advice to anyone looking to get into competitive athletics is simple: “Don’t try to do it all at once” and “Anything is Possible”- the Ironman motto.
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