Just as George Plimpton had his proverbial cup of coffee in the NFL as the un-recruited and certainly unwanted fourth-string quarterback for the Detroit Lions, so, too, does Will McGough intend to immerse himself in a sport he has no business trying. Like Plimpton, whose football folly turned into the bestselling Paper Lion, travel and outdoor writer McGough will chronicle his participation in, around, and over the course of the Grandaddy of all triathlons: The Ironman World Championship on October 14, 2017 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. McGough will chronicle the race's history, training and the race weekend, and his attempt to do the ironman in a heat reserved for the media to review the entire course. This narrative follow not just of the race but the entire scene, community, the days leading up to the race in Hawaii, and the contrast of the real competitors and awe-struck ordinary shlub like himself. Using his press credentials to mix in with the athletes themselves, he intends to shadow a triathlete along the way who can play a major second character role as he follows him/her around pre-race and afterward. On the cusp of the 40th anniversary in 2018 of triathon's most iconic event, this book will be a lighthearted but also humble look at endurance sport's signature challenge.

Author Biography

Will McGough has been a working journalist/writer since 2010. He has a Masters in Journalism from Temple University and is currently the publisher and editor of a travel magazine in Hawaii, Wake and Wander Hawaii. He's been to more than 70 countries on assignment, and his work has been published in the following publications: Conde Nast Traveler, AFAR, Travel Channel, Outside Magazine, Forbes Travel Guide, Men's Journal, AAA, TravelAge West, Travel Weekly, Paste Magazine, Alaska Airlines Magazine, Alaska Magazine, the Brewer's Association, and Sherman's Travel, among others. He lives on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.