JUST WATCH ME!!!

The Tri has been registered for, I'm in full swing in my workouts, and I'm loving my new bike.

So, what's left to do? Well, maybe watch a Tri? And thanks to YouTube, Tri footage is at your finger tips 24/7. Now, if you're going to watch a Tri, what is a better Tri  to watch then the Mother of a all Tris. The Ford  Ironman Championship in Kona, Hawaii. A 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike, followed by a 26.2 marathon. To be an Ironman you must not only finish this 
140.6 mile journey but do it under 17 hours. 17 hours 1 minute? Thanks for trying.

 Oh, can I mention NO iPods, MP3 players, or Walkmen allowed.


Now, started with watching this.



Ironman Hawaii World Championship 2008 highlights.

And it so moved me. I wanted to know who these people were, what were their stories?

That in turn lead me to watch not only the complete recap of the 2008 championship, but the 2006, 2007, and 2009 championships as well. What did nearly 5 hours of Ironman footage do to me? It brought me to me knees.  It brought me to tears.

Of course I was blown away by the greats: Chrissie, Ferris (you got at love a man that runs a marathon in a speedo), Norman, Craig, Chris. I mean who doesn't dream of running at a 6 minute mile pace let alone doing it after nearly 5 hours of biking. These athletes opidomize what an Athlete is. They are beyond amazing, but they are not the ones that moved me. It was the ones that you have never heard of and probably never would.  The underdogs, the " no bodies" The ones that are running not for the spotlight and fame, but for an purpose known only to themselves. They are teachers, bankers, servicemen, postal workers, "regular joes." Just your average men and women, some overcoming obstacles that many of us could not begin to imagine. 

For example,

Jon Blais, a man handed the fatal diagnosis of ALS (Lou Gherig's disease) who had already lost the function of one of his hands ran the 2005 Ironman Hawaii to bring attention and hopefully a cure for ALS. By the 2006 ironman he was confined to a wheelchair and by 2007 had lost his battle with ALS but had won the hearts of Tri community.

Sister Madonna Buder, a Nun, who at the age of 76 finished the Kona Ironman in 2006 with less than a minute so spare.

An American soldier who lost his leg in Iraq. A blind man. Men and women in wheelchairs. And of course the empowering Team Hoyt, a father, Dick, that swam the 2.4 miles towing his son, Rick, in a special raft, biked the 112 miles with his son in a customized bike seat, then ran the 26.2 mile marathon pushing his son in a wheelchair. Why does Dick do this? Because Dick wanted to give his son, Rick, the experience his cerebral palsy body wouldn't allow him to do on this own.

These men and women are beyond remarkable. They embody the courage, faith, and perseverance that moves mountains. They take your breath away and make you drop to your knees.

If these men and women overcame obstacles that few said they could and became an Ironman. A title that must be earned with blood, sweat, and tears, and a boat load of faith. 

If they could overcome the obstacles in front of them, why couldn't I overcome mine. All my obstacles are trivial in comparison.

So this is where it starts.

I DARE you, I dare you to take the "I  can't" out of your vocabulary. I dare you to say I will figure a way to DO IT!!!! JUST DO IT! Push that extra mile, take that extra step, hold strong in your faith.

The Danskin Triathlon has now become the beginning of my new found journey. June 2012, I will be standing on the banks of Lake Stevens. A 1.2 mike swim, a 56 mile bike, a 13.1 mile run. A half Ironman. I may be 130 pounds. I may still be over 200. Either way, I am not going to let my weight be an obstacle in my life any longer. I am going to take life by the horns and charge on. One step at a time. One step at a time. Keeping the faith.

And an Ironman? It's on my to-do list. :) It won't be next year and it may not be in 5 years. But, I WILL be an IRONMAN. 

JUST WATCH ME!!!