Will I run or will I crawl?

Well this past week has been a real mental challenge for me. My time is yet again being challenged by a slew of work related travel that is now coming my way. This poses a serious question, will I be able to properly train for my first Ironman race with business travel constantly interrupting my training ?

The Ironman race is simply a challenge that cannot be taken lightly. Folks in the Triathlon community are so used to training and racing that we often casually throw out the statement, "I think I'll do an Ironman next year". I hear it often and it seems to minimize the monumental task that this is ( could also be the monumental stupidity, but lets not go there).

Well having been training for it for well over 6 months and seeing the training for what it is, I can tell you its nothing to sneeze at. Its damned hard. In fact I have heard that the hardest part of an Ironman race is the actual training for it. It simply challenges you physically and mentally. And worse yet it is a challenge to the one resource I have the least of...time.

Well now I have even less than I did just a few weeks ago. With only a little over 3 months to go to my Ironman debut, I have been told I will be traveling during Peak training periods. When I first heard this I just felt I had to withdraw from the race. I contacted everyone that has helped me along up until now to confer and to complain, but I just felt this gigantic stress. I had this goal I had set out to accomplish, and now I had no time to train for it.

So I had made a decision to defer my race to next year. It was probably a smart decision. AT first I felt great, like an awesome weight was removed. But a few days later a feeling started to creep over me.

Deep down I could not shake the fact that I felt like a quitter. After all what the hell was I doing by racing an Ironman Anyways? I certainly am not going to win it. No

For me its simply about finishing it. Its about challenging myself in a way that I know I will have accomplished something. Its about proving I can do it, despite the challenges that get thrown my way. Isn't that what being an Ironman is really about?

So After conferring with my coach, and my wife, I decided to throw my hat back in the race.

I will do this one way or another, and if I need to crawl across the line then so be it.

Crazy

So just to leave you with the appropriate mental image, I bring you the immortal Julie Moss:

Happy New Years!

Well we are off to a brand spanking new 2008! 07 was a decent year lots of changes for me at home, work and activity wise. Life has definitly been busy, I would write more about it but I don't have the time.

HA! I crack myself up !

Anyways, To reminisce in '07 I got a promotion at work, which turned out to be a sneaky way to get me to travel more ;)

At the start of 07, I had to deal with Condo living when there was a psychotic neighbor that was OCD and would harass us about the dogs going to the bathroom on the grass, despite the fact that it was within the condo rules to do so. This was the final straw and drove us to get a house ( with 1 Acre !! YAY!)

Which also meant more debt ( Boooo!)

Athletics wise I had a very good year. I met my targets for both the NYC tri and for the Tupper Lake half Ironman ( 5:45:00 goal) beat both by a few minutes. However this left me with some unfinished business. I met my goal for Tupper, but I know I could have CRUSHED it, if it were not for getting cramps during the run. I will face off with Tupper again in 08 and remedy that!

Finally, found a way to incorporate my training with another great interest of mine, my dogs! I just love dogs, always have. In 07 I managed to register for the inaugural Doggie Duathlon world Championships to be held in NYC in July ( combine my multisport and dog interests in one!, you can't beat that!)

Now for 08

Well its going to be a banner year I think. For work , well I don't want anymore :)

But for racing I have signed up and am training for the BIG show, Ironman Wisconsin in September. For this Puppy I got myself a real life Tri Coach who also happens to be a kick ass Pro! Lookout! I have also teamed up with the spectacular RACE WITH PURPOSE to not only kill in the IM race ( hopefully not kill myself) but to also kick Childhood Obesity's ASS!!!

Also as stated above, I plan on taking Tupper Lake by storm and crushing the course. I am talking UFC like demolition!!, taking the course , throwing a headlock and waling it into submission!! I'm gonna pulverize it! Crush it like a .... Well you get the picture :)

Finally, the IAMS WORLD DOGGIE DUATHLON Championships!!, we are talking world DOMINATION!! ** Need I say more?

Stay tuned, Alot to happen this year. BTW Talking about Doggie Du's and stuff, I have received alot of inquiries about this from folks. There really is a need for more activities like this. This is something that I hope does take off. Why should folks not be able to enjoy training and racing and doing with their dogs. There are sooo many dog sports out there yet so few of them for athletic minded folks. I am sure there are some out there but its not so easy to find.

Anyhow Have a great New years folks! I think I need to go and decaffeinate a bit lol


** The field in the Doggie Du is truly competitive and the likelyhood of actually winning is slim, but since its MY blog, who cares about reality, the truth can wait for AFTER the race :)