Old Bridge resident Dan Fishman, 35, crosses the finish line at the Ironman competition. As he made his way into the stadium, he heard the roar of the crowd, spotted his family, and "all the pain went away." OLD BRIDGE — A township man spent the past year working his hardest, striving to hear 11 little words that mean the world:

"Dan Fishman from Old Bridge, New Jersey, you are an Ironman!"

Fishman reached his goal.

On July 20, a rainy day in Lake Placid, N.Y., he swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles, and then ran a 26.2-mile marathon to earn Ironman status.

"What a feeling," Fishman, 35, said. "It was exhilarating. No words can describe it — best feeling of your life."

Completing the event within the 17- hour time limit is feat enough, but Fishman went beyond that to finish in 12 hours, 32 minutes and 7 seconds.

"It blew away my expectations. In the back of my head I was like, 'I want to break 14 [hours]. That would be neat,'" Fishman said.

Fishman, one of 2,500 triathletes, only got a few hours of sleep due to excitement the night before the big event, but he was ready. He and his wife Amy, also a triathlete, attended the previous year's Ironman, and he signed up the following day.

Mirror Lake became a giant stew of bodies in motion during the swimming portion. Fishman finished 17th in his age group and 143rd overall for that segment. From there, the workouts began. Despite his hard work, by December Fishman still did not have the endurance to ride a bike for more than 35 or 40 minutes, he said. That was when Coach Tom Manzi came into the picture. He put Fishman on a strenuous regimen consisting of twice- daily workouts that took up 15 to 20 hours a week. He lost 50 pounds in the process.

The schedule was less than ideal for a family man and full-time account executive, but somehow it all worked out. Fishman could not say enough about Amy's undying support throughout the process.

"I wouldn't have done it without her," Fishman said.

The big day

Just as Amy was there during his training, she was there from beginning to end at the Ironman competition, cheering him on. Their son, D.C. (Daniel Cole), 4, was also there, but their daughter, Sophia, 2, rooted for her daddy from home in Old Bridge. Fishman's parents, Jennifer and Larry, attended, along with his childhood friend, Darren Diaz, and a couple of others. The whole crew was clad in T-shirts that read, "Go Dan Fishman!"

When Fishman saw his supporters at the 7 a.m. start, he got choked up. Amy did too, along with other strangers in the crowd who felt the strong emotions of so much dedication about to culminate.

The triathlon began with the swim. Mirror Lake became a giant stew of so many bodies in motion, all pushing for the same goal. Things became a bit chaotic, according to Fishman.

"You get kicked, you get punched, you get swam on top of," Fishman said. "It's not intentional. You just put your head down, and just go."

That was just what Fishman did, finishing 17th in his age group and 143rd overall for that portion of the competition. With a history of competitive swimming in college, it was no wonder he was able to finish with a time of 59 minutes and 13 seconds while still reserving energy for the rest of the day's challenges.

"It was cool, because I beat some pros there," Fishman said.

Fishman also thought he saw something miraculous during the swim, though it was too early in the day to be hallucinating.

"I look to my left, breathing, and someone's standing on water," Fishman said. What he thought could be Jesus Christ himself turned out to be a lifeguard standing atop a longboard, overseeing the swimmers, Fishman said.

As he emerged from the water, Fishman was greeted by hordes of onlookers, cheering him on toward victory. He pumped his fists high in the air, and then prepared for the next test of endurance.

"I gave them... 10 percent of my energy, [and] they gave me back 150," Fishman said.

Between events, athletes headed to a "transition area" that is manned with volunteers who help Ironman hopefuls switch gears by changing clothes and shoes as quickly as possible to ready themselves for the next leg of the competition.

Not much could have readied Fishman and his fellow athletes for the perils of pouring rain during the 112-mile cycling challenge, but a positive attitude and determination seemed to do wonders for him.

The first 8 miles uphill were not the most treacherous, Fishman said. The 7- mile "screaming downhill" was where things got hairy. Despite the slippery conditions and low visibility for potholes hidden beneath puddles, Fishman took it full speed ahead, saying his prevailing fear was getting a flat tire.

"I just kind of held on for dear life," he said. "It was exhilarating. It was fun, I liked it. Call me sick."

Amy said she worried enough for the two of them. Throughout the bike portion, she thought about the disasters the rain could easily bring, especially at such high speeds.

"I was a nervous wreck," she said.

Though Fishman cycled the distance free of injury, the ride was an eventful one. Another rider crashed into Fishman while passing him on the right at a slow speed, and the two grabbed each other's arms to stay astride, and then went on their way.

Later in the race, a spectator dressed as the devil jumped around in the middle of the road, shouting words of encouragement to oncoming riders. Fishman laughed to himself, recalling the "Jesus" sighting in the water.

He also came across one of his sources of inspiration along the epic journey. Doug Rice, who Fishman called the "founding father of the Central Jersey triathlon scene," was pedaling right along with him. After thanking Rice for providing him with the motivation to get to that moment, Fishman forged on to finish the cycling segment.

"Everyone says, '112 miles — how do you do it?'" Fishman said. "You train for it."

As he began running the marathon, Fishman expected to be slowing to a walk by the third or fourth mile. His body surprised him when it was willing and able to run until an uphill climb started, at mile 13. Fishman did not push himself at that point, knowing the finish line would meet him once he made it back the 13 miles he had come.

"Let the course win the battle, and I'll win the war in the end," Fishman told himself.

One landmark along the way helped keep Fishman going. Friends and family members had created signs for their athletes prior to the race, and they were posted along a stretch of about 2 miles of the road. Fishman searched the sea of signs until he found his. "Daddy, We Love You," the sign, penned by his two children, read.

"That was my goal, to go back and see the sign again," Fishman said.

Though he was nearing his ultimate goal of finishing the triathlon, tightness in his knees made Fishman get a little worried. To distract himself from the pain and urge himself onward, Fishman tried to figure out what his time would be if he continued at the pace he was going. After a few minutes of muddled thought, he realized math was impossible in his state of mind.

"You get loopy in the head," Fishman said. Loopy or not, one reality became clear to Fishman around mile 20 — he was going to be an Ironman. He pushed through the pain that was worsening in his joints, knowing his family was awaiting his arrival in the stadium where he would cross the finish line.

As he made his way back into town on the course, alternating between walking and running, Fishman started thinking he might exceed his goal of making it in 14 hours, and finish in 13. There were less than 2 miles standing between him and the finish line.

If Fishman ever needed a boost, it was then. Manzi was right there to give it, as he had throughout his training.

"He's at the top of the hill, his eyes are the size of Volkswagen tires, [and] he's like, 'You've got to run,'" Fishman said.

Fishman followed his coach's advice, but his knees began to give way soon after. He speed-walked on, dumping every ounce of nonessential weight he could. Nutrition items like gels and energy bars, along with his hat, were cast aside.

As he made his way into the stadium where he was met by the overwhelming roar of the crowd, Fishman spotted his family there, waiting for him. He became overwhelmed with gratefulness toward his family, coach, friends and colleagues who supported him all along the way.

"All the pain went away," Fishman said. "I was on cloud nine."

Tears mingled with sweat on Fishman's beaming face. He had made it. He was an Ironman.

The aftershock

After an athlete crosses the finish line, volunteers called "grabbers" place medals around their necks and literally grab them under the arms to hold them up. When they got to Fishman, he could not think straight, because of what his body had endured. After seeing both "Jesus" and "Satan," Fishman said it only seemed to make sense that he was greeted by these "angels."

As they brought him into the medical tent, the volunteer nurse who took him in was a familiar face. Regina Foley, of Point Pleasant, a member of his triathlon club in Brielle, provided comfort during those shaky moments.

"It was awesome to see her," Fishman said.

With a temperature of 94 degrees and a resting heart rate of 140, Fishman was not in good shape. His face, arms and hands went numb as nurses hooked him up to intravenous tubes that helped to get him hydrated.

"Now I'm getting nervous," Fishman said. "I could not step onto a scale."

With assistance, he discovered he had lost 12 pounds over the course of the day.

After washing down cookies with Coca Cola to get his sugar levels back to normal, Fishman started feeling like himself again.

"I felt like a champ," Fishman said. "I was ready to go."

Amy was not so sure. When she saw her husband, his face was blue and his speech was slurred, but he would soon be back to normal.

"He has come a long way," Amy said. "Dan couldn't finish a 5K four years ago. He had such a good time doing it. Every time I saw him, he was smiling from ear to ear. "G

iving thanks, receiving recognition and looking toward the future

For anyone to become an Ironman, it takes an immense combination of hard work and dedication. For Fishman, who once suffered from heart problems, completing the triathlon was especially remarkable.

"I was thankful to be able to physically show up to an event like this," Fishman said. "I knew my limits. You don't just show up and do an Ironman."

According to Fishman, if health problems were to become an issue, it would have happened during his extensive training. To play it safe, he got his doctor's clearance before diving into the challenge.

While Fishman is enthusiastic about sharing the "gift" he cherishes by helping others to get on the fitness track, he did offer a half-joking caveat.

"Don't do anything stupid like I did, and do an Ironman," Fishman said.

Those both close and casually acquainted to Fishman showed their admiration for his accomplishment upon his return home to Old Bridge. Amy threw a huge party for him last weekend, packed with friends, family and fellow athletes.

Fishman's workplace, Edison-based Global Tekmark Solutions, also recognized his achievement. Aside from more than 70 e-mails of encouragement from coworkers before the Ironman, and phone calls from Tekmark's owner, Guy Del Grande, the company threw a surprise party for him.

"You talk about support — it's awesome, awesome, awesome," Fishman said.

The company sponsors a triathlon team, and pays for employees' gym memberships, Fishman said.

While he sees another Ironman in his future, Fishman said it is Amy's turn. Due to the rigorous training involved, only one of them can prepare for such an event during any given year, they said.

Despite the accolades he is receiving from others, Fishman does not credit himself with achieving Ironman status.

"I owe it to my wife, I owe it to my kids [and] I owe it to my coach," Fishman said.