For those of you who are up to the challenge, why not try an Ironman competition? Come on, how difficult could it be to swim 2.4 miles in open water, bike for 112 miles, and then top it off with a marathon of 26.2 miles?

These triathlons have been around since 1978 and have really grown in popularity through the last couple of years. To many athletes, they represent the pinnacle of athletic achievement for endurance athletes. For Florian Rufli of Zurich, Switzerland, it is an obsession.

At first glance, Florian may seem like a typical Euro, sporting grape-smugglers at the beach (a sight us SoCal locals try to avoid), but this guy is a little different. When I first met him his only physical activity seemed to be cruising to bars in Pacific Beach and partying until the early hours of the morning. One day he got a crazy idea that he wanted to finish one of these competitions, just to prove that he could do anything he put his mind to. After less than a year of training, he completed his first Ironman competition in Zurich. After that, he was hooked. His latest time for the Ironman Florida was under ten hours and he placed 30th overall in his age group for males 30-35. He was also the number 4 finisher of Switzerland for the race. With a grueling 2.4-mile swim, an average bicycle speed of almost 22 miles per hour for over five hours, and a painful 3 hour and 33 minute marathon, he kicked some Ironman ass. Although he missed out on qualifying for the big Ironman Championship held every year in Kona, you can bet he’ll make it next time.

Are you up to the challenge? What hardcore sport are you into? Check out the forum to see what our readers are into.