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Fully Living Out Your Dreams – Mark Beckler Triathlon Story
February 8th, 2023
Setting goals is something few Americans do, and the number who actually see their goals to completion is even less. Studies have shown that less than 40% of Americans set New Year’s resolutions. While some find the New Year traditions arbitrary, this statistic indicates a staggeringly low number of people who are setting goals to better themselves.
The leadership team at C.E. Floyd believes everyone should strive for growth. We do that by setting dreams and challenging ourselves to get outside our comfort zones. This core belief helped Director of Estimating Mark Beckler achieve his dream of completing a 70.3-mile triathlon.
In 2022, C.E. Floyd introduced the Fully Living Out Your Dreams (FLOYD) talk series to the company. This series of self-help seminars stems from The Dream Manager, a book by Matthew Kelly. Reading this book and working with his own dream manager, Tony Ferraro, inspired Mark to put together a plan to achieve his dream.
“C.E. Floyd has helped me become a better version of myself” — Mark Beckler
Swimming was a central piece of Mark’s identity growing up. He was always on swim teams, including at Gettysburg College. As a kid, he competed in some sprint distance triathlons, but he always looked at the Ironman race as the pinnacle of achievement.
Director of Estimating Mark Beckler
A full Ironman consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride, and a marathon 26.22-mile run in that order, totaling over 140 miles. This is no easy feat, and Mark knew that. So, in 2022, Mark set the goal of racing in the Ironman 70.3 Atlantic City race. This race involved a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run. This is also no easy feat, but Mark was committed.
Mark on Race Day
Mark’s competitive, so it wasn’t enough to just complete the Half Ironman, he set a time goal for finishing too. There are plenty of online training programs, but Mark wanted some extra guidance, so he hired his friend and Ironman Triathlete Colin Cook to coach him and help him with his nutrition.
Even with a coach, training came with challenges. Mark needed to schedule 12-15 hours of training into his week, while volunteering on his town’s Youth Lacrosse Board, coaching his son’s lacrosse team, and helping with his two kids at home.
Then there was the flat tire he got during a training ride at his son’s lacrosse tournament. Mark was biking about 30 miles north of Lake George when his tire went flat. After being stranded for half an hour, some kind strangers taught him how to replace the flat, knowledge he passed on to stranded strangers months later.
The day of the race was hot and sunny. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” says Mark. He had completed some endurance challenges before but had never raced hard for 5 hours straight. Having his family there to see him cross the finish line made it all worth it.
“I wanted to show my sons that if you’re passionate about something and you plan and work hard, you can achieve your dreams.”
After crossing the finish line, Mark flopped into the ocean and let the waves crash over him. “And then I had a cheeseburger,” he says.
Right after completing the race, Mark told himself he would never do it again, but now, four months later, Mark wants to go again. He felt satisfaction in reconnecting to swimming and dreams of doing a full Ironman race at some point.
“I have other dreams too though,” he explains. For now, Mark wants to help his family achieve their dreams. “I felt so proud of what I had done, I want them to feel that too.”
While Mark did the training and ran the race, the support around him helped lift him toward his goal. His family, friends, and co-workers were all cheering Mark on and wanted to see him succeed.
When we share our goals and they're met with support and positivity, achieving them is easier. We can’t do it alone. If you notice those around you are working toward a goal, your support can go miles.
What goal are you working toward right now?
Mark and His Family
Mark Racing to the Finish Line
Congrats Mark!
Posted in the category News & People.
