I don't think OP wants to do an Ironman, they want the things they listed. Personally I get the pursuit of a goal - I am training for some ultra bike events -

I don't think OP wants to do an Ironman, they want the things they listed. Personally I get the pursuit of a goal - I am training for some ultra bike events - but the fixation on that goal didn't emerge out of nowhere, and nobody could have talked me into it before I was already doing 100 mile days.