Louisville Here I Come!

This is the official launch of my Blog to chronicle my bid to finish IronMan Louisville, 2009 and to qualify for Kona sometime *soon* after my 40th birthday in 2010.

Why?

Why do I this? Why do I challenge myself to achieve the impossible? Not sure yet. I know that I am addicted to "action" and often find myself spread too thin. My logic is, "If I am good at multi-tasking, why not try to be good at multi-sport?" I know that multi-sport training is a great "release" for a compulsive person like me. Run today. Pool swim tomorrow. Ocean Swim and Run on Saturday. Long Bike on Sunday. Numbers. Miles. Meters. Times. Splits. Details. Never a dull moment.

As a 3 handicap and former golf addict, I now feel "bored" on the golf course. I need a new "action". I recently found myself in a golf tournament, on a Par 5, looking out at the lake on the left and wondering how long it would take me to swim across it. It's funny to think about the difference between golf and triathlon. In golf, the harder you "try", the worse you sometimes do. "Trust and let go" is the rule. I would find that the longer I practiced, the more my expectations would go up. In a tournament, I would think, "how could I hit that shot...I spent 20 hours on the practice range this week working on that shot". Stinkin Thinkin. In triathlon, the opposite has been true...how many times has this thought saved me..."This is a 1900 meter swim, this is only 30 minutes...you have swam for over an hour at a time on several occasions...you can do this." Hard work converts into endurance. Endurance into confidence. Confidence into performance.

It started with a dare in 2005. Run a 5K. I had never run 3 miles in my life. I was 204 lbs. I did it at the Brentwood, 5K. As a life-long athlete, I was cocky...I can do it. well, I did it in 29:13. I was humbled but hooked. I loved the people, the air, the challenge, the oxygen debt and the community of wellness. I like that I have never met an unhappy person at a running race...ever. I love driving to an event in the dark. I love the spiritual time 5 minutes before the gun. I love finding a clean bathroom 10 minutes before the gun.

The times came down. 27 minutes. 24 minutes. 22 minutes. 20:12 PR (I am dying to break 20 minutes). The distances went up. 10Ks. Half Marathons and then the LA Marathon in 5:33. I made a pledge that I would do a marathon every year until I couldn't. I did Disney and then Marine Corps. in 3:47. I raised money for needy children in Kenya. I treasure my bibs and charting my times, dates and places on the bibs. I love the individuality of venues. Running with my sister around the Pentagon during a 9/11 tribute race. Running on Highway 1 in theBig Sur Relay (which we WON!), running in the River Roots and Ruts in Alva, FL in the middle of what could be consider a jungle. Running with my soon to be 70 year old Dad in Ventnor, NJ. It never gets old.

I did my first Sprint Tri. this year in Clearwater, FL and loved that. I struggle on the bike but I am getting better. Can't believe the feeling of "spaghetti legs" when I get off the bike and then a mile in, I am okay. I enjoy being coached. I suck at transitions. I understand that diet and equipment is as important as the workouts and training regimen. I plan to do a Half IronMan in April. New Orleans 70.3. There will be 3 half marathons and 2 Olympic tris inner-spersed before April, 2009. Then, there is IronMan Lousville in August, 2009.

I have an awesome coach and a great team. I thank God that after 15 years of workaholism and running through airports to chase the next business deal, I work at home, have time for my family and time to train. But I still struggle with "balance" and "extremes."

I have awesome triathlon friends who support me even though I am the slowest and ask a lot of dumb questions. Three or four of them should qualify for Kona THIS year...what an inspiration! So much to learn from them. I am grateful for the wellness this sport delivers. My resting pulse is 50, my body weight is down to its lowest since high school (167lbs) and my body fat us around 15%. I eat like a horse. But good food. Crazy.

So this will be a chronicle . It will be fun to chronicle the trials, tribulations, agony and ecstasy of this journey. I welcome any and all insight from anyone...