Anniversaries...

November 22, 2009 represents the date I will tackle my first Ironman. I'm feeling more and more prepared as the days and weeks go on and am excited for the day to come! I've been racing triathlon for a few years now and have developed a solid base over the years. This past weekend was very successful, training wise. I got in my 6 hour ride on Saturday, my 15 mile run Sunday, and 3500 yards in the pool Sunday night. I feel back on track after recovering from the recent sinus infection I suffered.

I rode by myself on Saturday. Which I'm actually happy for. It gave me the opportunity to deal with something that I haven't really dealt with on a long ride in a few weeks, yet will have to deal with at Arizona...Wind. I was pedaling into a strong headwind for the first 2.5 hours. And I mean strong headwind. As I was pumping away, trying to stay focused and motivated I started thinking about why I started triathlon. And that's where the title of this entry comes from.

November 22nd will be almost 3 years to the day. It will be 3 years since I decided to go for a run. You see my family was in town for Thanksgiving and my sister and father went out for a long hike. I was over weight, out of shape, and lazy. I had decided that I would go for a quick jog to show the family that I still had it. I made it just over a quarter mile until I almost collapsed. I couldn't breath. My muscles burned. My heart was about to jump out of my chest. I actually felt like I might die.

I decided then and there that I was going to get in shape. 6 months later I finished my first triathlon, in the top 7% of the field as well! I had lost 35 pounds and felt great. The next year I lost the rest of the weight I needed to (about 10 or 15 lbs) and became much more competitive within the sport. That same year I finished my first half Ironman. I felt even better and decided I was going to sign up for Ironman Arizona. I signed up last November, took all of December off, and then started training for my first marathon which I completed in May.

So during my ride, I again asked myself, "why am I doing this?" Well, ultimately I compete in triathlon for me. I do it because I love trying to push my body and my mind to new limits. I love the challenge of trying to race competitively for hours at a time. And damn it, I love to go fast on the bike!! Seriously though each workout I think about different motivators, and it helps. I think of my amazingly brilliant and beautiful fiance and how she deals with my obsession. I think about my incredibly successful sister who has been living with type 1 diabetes since she was 2. I think of my mom, whom determined working 60 hours a week as a clinical manager wasn't enough so she went back and got her MBA, while still working full time...and then decided she needed a PHD!! I think of my dad, and everything he has done professionally and athletically (7 time Ironman finisher himself). And then I think about the finish line in Arizona. And seeing you all there.

There are many more people that I think about during these tough workouts, and you all have a part in helping me get through them...even if you don't know it. So on November 22nd I will not only celebrate the start (and hopefully successful conclusion) of my first Ironman, but I will celebrate my re birth to a more happy and healthy individual. I will celebrate this with the people that helped make it happen. Thanks for reading,

-T