The story starts in Tempe Town Lake at the 2011 Ironman Arizona. Before the cannon shot off, I was under the bridge about 200 yards from the starting line in order to feel comfortable with so many people around. I was toward the middle to the back of the pack. I’m guessing it took me at least 20 minutes in the swim in 2011 to calm my breathing. I was moving in the water, but not necessarily swimming. Whenever someone got close to me, I’d let them pass, but eventually got into a groove and swam the rest of . . . → Read More: IMAZ 2012 Swim: Don’t PANIC like I did (then again, I hope you do)
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until its over….. It may still be something tomorrow, but it certainly isn’t as important. Then, a few years from now, it’s pretty much a memory (maybe). I actually hit for the cycle in one baseball game. That was a single, double, triple and homerun during a single game. There may be one or two other people who would even remember that besides me. Of the at least 17 other people there, no importance or weight was given to it since that day. And if I didn’t bring it up right now, the one or two other people that . . . → Read More: today is EVERYTHING You just rode a bike 18 miles! Eighteen miles. That’s pretty far. He looked exactly like I did as he walked out of the driveway and ‘attempted’ to balance on the bike for the first time. I suggested he go up the street to get comfortable balancing. Thank goodness no cars were coming in either direction. I rode next to him and could see his hands with a strangle grip on the bars, and the front tire was weaving because of it. We, thankfully, made it to the top of the hill (the first mental obstacle) without hitting anything . . . → Read More: You can learn a lot Last night I ran for 4 miles. I don’t think I ever run fast, but last night I tried to run slowly (you know, jog). Knee brace: check. Ankle brace: check. Walkman set to Awesome Mix 7: check Wrists and forehead sweatbands: check Knee high socks: check My favorite ”yea, I jog” t-shirt: check While jogging (which I love to do, especially on cold days when I can wear my jogging suit) I tried to concentrate on landing solidly directly below my body. Though my concentration only lasts for a few steps at a time until I’m distracted by 1000 other . . . → Read More: that’s the best part It’s been a week since my mistake of running without braces. The swelling is down and I have no more constant pain. Now, one more day and I’ll attempt to run again (with braces this time). We’ll see. With 6 months of training left, I really need to get on the road. My biggest obstacle last year was having enough in my tank for the marathon. I didn’t train enough for the run (that was obvious to me). As it turned out, it was my least favorite of the three during training. Learning to swim and going fast on . . . → Read More: We’ll see We have a customer that has so many stories of about how ridiculous life is that we always tell her that she should write a book. The gist of her latest ‘chapter’ had to do with her husband who, she swears, cheated death a dozen times. “Yea, he shot himself in the leg, got some kind of infection from it, jumped out of a third story window, nearly chopped off his hand, got hit by a car twice (didn’t ask if it was the same car)”. All that before 9 am. Haha. We joked about how he must be . . . → Read More: 9 lives With spring training starting today and the weather being as nice as it’s been, the desire to be outside as much as possible is as high as I remember it being. The change in seasons always makes me want to change something (not just my clothes). As the darkness of winter fades and the days start earlier, I have a renewed sense unlimited possibilities. Seriously, anything is possible. My new training schedule is set, and my belief that I can and will accomplish it is (at this moment) unshatterable. It’s almost as if I’m starting my own spring training with . . . → Read More: Didn’t he play for the Red Sox? It’s two full months after Ironman Arizona 2011. My alarm is set for 4:45 am Monday morning. Starting tomorrow, training begins. I’m starting this year over 200 lbs, a weight which I haven’t been in years. I felt really good going into the 2011 race at 185lbs and lost over ten pounds the day of the race. I felt as if I ran out of steam at the end. You can see a huge difference in the way I look from the beginning of the day to the end. My thought for this year, was to race at about . . . → Read More: It’s happening again! I already signed up for next year’s Ironman Arizona. In fact, I did it before I even knew I could complete the first one. Those competing in the 2011 event had the ability to sign up for next year before anyone else the DAY BEFORE THE RACE this year. I had just gotten out of a confidence depleting practice swim in the lake, dried off and went right to the 2012 sign-up tent. Perhaps that was a little screwy, but it helped me get past the last fear I had about the following day. If I was going to . . . → Read More: now…. the inevitable I’ll post a video when I can get one. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever been involved with before. Right after the pro start at 6:50am, they allowed us to get into the water. The first people at the front of the line seemed to be taking their time, putting on their goggles and caps and walking orderly toward the water. The herd was moving slowly. When I passed under the chip reader on my way a different picture appeared. An almost panic frenzy stirred on by the volunteers as they tried to get everyone in the water before 7 . . . → Read More: just a swim after all |
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