Finding 'it' and what I find when I'm out there...
August 24th, 2008

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." Henry David Thoreau, 1854

Ironman Lake Placid 2008...pouring rain...loving every minute of it! Today I began my formal training for Ironman Arizona, with my coach Chris Hauth of Performance Labs/Advanced Ironman Training...it also happens I was asked today why Ironman, and why 3 (or possibly more) a year? When do I train, why do I put forth the effort? What keeps me motivated? Having 5 and closing in on 6 Iron-distance races, and in November...3 in 2008 alone...I can only answer vaguely...

It's where I find "it"...out there, somewhere. I find "it."

"It" is hard to describe...but training and racing this distance when I'm way out there, swimming, running, cycling...in the heat, humidity, or the rain and cold...there is a place where I find pause, where there is no before, and no after.

There is no anticipation of one moment or the next. I'm in the moment, completely in the moment.

It's funny, but I was at Border's the other day, looking at a book "High Tech Cycling"...and then flipping through a book by Ram Dass entitled "Paths to God." From one, I have found my path to the other, through endurance I find grace.

My meditation, where I feel balanced, where I find grace...is somewhere on the fringe of endurance. I lived for a number of years far, far from this level of understanding...but the gift of finding a passion, something in life that I do, I live and work for, day-in-and-day-out...that also brings me understanding...that's "it."

I wish I could summarize "why" in more concrete terms, but instead I can only encourage other's to find such a passion and go for it...for me it's a bit extreme, but it could be anything. I would never have dreamed of finding myself where I am today...

Ironman Lake Placid 2008...2 of 3 Ironman for 2008...and looking forward to IM Arizona in November
August 2nd, 2008

"I wouldn't Take Nothing From My Journey." Maya Angelou

The air all week was humid, thunderstorms passed through the deep valleys of the Adirondacks, thunder echoing though the mountain range. Only the energy of an Ironman race venue in the days preceding an event could possibly make it add to the electricity all ready in the air.

As I have done this particular Ironman so many times, we are fortunate to get amazing accomodations year-after-year at the Golden Arrow Hotel on and overlooking Mirror Lake (where the swim takes place...the hotel's beach allows me to swim out to the course to get some taper/ pre race workouts in.

We are just across the street from the expo, transiiton zone, and finish, which occurs at the 1980 Olympic Speed Skating ring (where Eric Hieden won his series of gold medal and world record setting speed skating races). Registration is right across the street at the Olympic Ice Rink facility (actually in the adjacent gym of Lake Placid High School), the rink where the US defeated the Soviets in the 1980 Olympic "Miracle on Ice." The energy of Ironman finds a powerfeul synchronicity with that of the Olympic feel of the village of Lake Placid...1932 and 1980 Olympics, and now going on 10 years with Ironman.

...back to the weather rolling through...race day was overcast, up at 4:00 am, it's obvious that weather may factor in...as I prep for the swim, the rain slowly moves in.

IN the moments before the race begins, the rain comes down...and it will continue to come down, and not relent, for the rest of the day. It comes down like nothing Ironman has ever seen, all day long, a deluge, no break. The water is ankle deep in parts...and it dies not relent....

The bike is predictable, and it's a blessing in disguise to have a rain of this magnitude, thus making electrolyte replacement less critical, but calorie consumption plans are thrown off. Although I have a very fast swim, going about 40 minutes my firtst 1.2 miles, and 25 minutes my 2nd 1.2 miles...the beginning of the bike is always predictable, and as my coach had instructed me...slow down, get the heart rate down to Zone 2, and get some calories in.

It was an test in balanceing my ego, and executing a plan...the bike that is. My coach wanted to see if I could do it. Set it aside, let a significant portion of the field I was to compete against pass me, with the understanding that with the amount of calories and pacing routine I was on, I would catch them after mile 61...and I did just this.

The run was brutal. Off the bike onto the run...awesome. First 3 miles, fast. First 8 miles...solid. Then, the wall. It was tough. I knew having taken off 6 weeks following Ironman Arizona to take care of a hamstring injury, and getting a new coach who truly only had 3 weeks to prep me, this was a Hail Mary pass of a race. Ironman Arizona in Novemer is where I'm expected to show myself...all excuses aside, if the fitness is not there, than it's not going to happen.

Contratulations to some of my teammates, Mark (qualified for Kona), Steve (qualified for Kona). Awesome performances, and Mark, I need to learn everything from someone like this who lives and breathes the ultra endurance lifestyle, and is tough as nails.

It was a fantastic race, I'm going back next year, and I have another step in my journey under my feet, looking forward to the next one, whatever it may hold.

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