Editor's note: Former University of Hawai'i baseball player and KHNL News8 anchor Howard Dashefsky recently competed in the Ironman Canada, along with than 26 other members of the Boca Hawai'i Training team. Dashefsky said he had a good swim and bike, but blew up on the run. The marathon (his first) took 6 hours and 1 minute. His time in the triathlon was 14:10:00.

"Pain is temporary. Pride is forever."

These are the words that kept me and hundreds of others going for hours. It was a phrase etched on posters, printed on T-shirts and written in rainbow-colored chalk all over the roadway. There were other sayings that also served to motivate, such as "Dream, Believe, Achieve."

Then there were the one-liners that made you smile through the pain. The best could be seen on a poster during the 112-mile bike. It simply read, "Ride like you stole it."

But more than anything, we all found ourselves swept up in a tidal wave of support from people we had never met and will never see again. For the beautiful lakefront town of Penticton in British Columbia, Canada, Ironman is the biggest event of the year. And this year was no exception. The numbers tell the story: 2,250 athletes and more than 4,500 volunteers.

Then there are the spectators. From the hordes of people that lined Lakeshore Drive, to the single farmer who would clap and cheer you on as you pedaled past him in the middle of nowhere, you couldn't help but feel motivated by their encouragement.

And on this day, everyone needed it. This final qualifying event for the Ironman World Championship in Kona offered conditions similar to those often seen on the Big Island: a combination of high temperatures and stiff headwinds. And they took their toll.

More than 250 people failed to finish. And more than 500 others found themselves being dragged, carried or rolled into the medical tent on a stretcher. Ambulances were constantly screaming down the highway, and the IVs were flowing freely.

But despite the often brutal stretches that make even the most seasoned athlete question why they're out there, there's a funny thing that happens to triathletes.

It must be the same kind of short term memory loss problem that seems to strike all new mothers. And I guess that's why so many people keep coming back for more. Because even though you suffer through 10, 12 even 15 hours of hard labor, all you really remember just a couple of days later is what a truly awesome experience it was.