The Big THANK YOU

I've been training for races for at least 8 of the 13 years I've known my husband, including marathons and a half ironman triathlon, but to fulfill the full ironman goal first required a serious discussion with the hubby about what this process will actually entail.

I believe taking on this goal will be possibly the most selfish thing I will ever do. It will not only require all of the crazy training hours, but also all of the crazy recovery and preparation hours - going to bed early, not having time for social outings, and not being very flexible with scheduling - for the better part of the year. Time is only the first part of the selfishness - I can already tell that this process is going to be EXPENSIVE! Race fees, bike kit, lots of pairs of running shoes, nutrition...

Luckily, my dear hubby is amazingly supportive of my decision to do this. I know he will be frustrated with the training regimen and the triathlon purchases at times, but he is on board with me completing this goal - he even wants to train for and run his first marathon next fall so we can run our long run together because "it will mean I get to see you on the weekends" [collective awwww]. I am not even close to the really crazy training, but I want to make sure he knows how thankful I am for his support and for allowing me to pursue a dream. Thank you, Rob, for understanding how important this is to me and wanting to be a part of the journey! I love you!

Ironman Bound...

On September 14, 2009, I did one of the most exciting and scariest things I've ever done...I stood in line for two hours to sign up for Ironman Wisconsin 2010. Exciting because I am finally embarking on my Ironman journey - a life goal that has been in the back of my mind since I started doing triathlons about eight years ago. Scary because I am finally embarking on my Ironman journey....

The day before I signed up for this crazy adventure, I volunteered at Ironman Wisconsin 2009 - I wanted to "make sure" I really wanted to do this (added benefit was volunteers get first dibs at registration for next year - the race usually sells out the day registration opens). On a beautiful Madison morning, I witnessed ~2500 athletes start their Ironman swim, and then volunteered for eight hours on the run course, witnessing all of these normal looking people accomplishing an absolutely amazing feat. The whole day was emotional for me as a spectator and volunteer - I always get choked up at races watching people accomplish their goals. At the end of a long, hot day for even me as a volunteer, I knew without a doubt that I wanted to do this.

The Ironman triathlon is a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run. It is a test of endurance - coming down to how one's body handles up to 17 hours moving, which is why often people refer to nutrition/hydration as the fourth event. Over the course of the next ten months, I will spend A LOT of time mastering each of these events, and I've created this blog to record my thoughts over the journey. Maybe people will read it, maybe not, but at the end of it all, I want to look back and remember the ride....