Leap of Faith

 

Eleanor Roosevelt said it best. . .

 

And I'm pretty sure I've got the next thirteen weeks covered. . .

 

In July of 2009 when I participated in my first triathlon as part of a relay team, I had no intention of adopting triathlon as a hobby.  I was a runner, who liked to ride my bike, and I was perfectly happy with that.  Eight weeks later when I completed my first super-sprint distance (clinging to the side of a canoe for the better part of the swim portion), I had no intention of tackling anything longer or more challenging.  Swimming was still my nemesis, and I didn't think I had the time or skill to train for a longer distance race. 

 

In the Fall of 2011, in a moment of excitement and peer pressure, I successfully completed my first Sprint distance race. Again, I was happy with my finish and felt that the distance was just enough to feel challenged, but not too much to feel completely overwhelmed.

 

                                               

In April of 2012, I took another big step forward in my journey by completing my first international/Olympic distance race.  This new distance challenged me in a new way, and I began to think that maybe, just maybe, I could tackle more.

 

                                             

 

 So, in August of 2012, I signed up for Ironman Raleigh 70.3.  The outcome was not what I had hoped for, and I immediately began to question my judgment of what my body and my mind could handle.  You see, as the distance becomes longer, your mental strength is just as important as your physical strength.  However, I moved forward, conquered my fear, and began to feel confident in what I could achieve once more, and registered again for Raleigh 70.3, leading to a successful and joyful finish.

                                         

                                              

 

Late in the evening of October 26, 2013, as I walked in the dark with the hubby who was shuffling from port-a-potty to port-a-potty during his first Iron distance triathlon, we made a promise to each other to one day do a full Iron race together (2.4 mile swim; 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run).  That promise planted a seed that has been growing in my heart since that night. 

 

As I trained for Raleigh 70.3 this year, I knew that my short term goal was to have a happy (green) race, but in the back of my mind that promise that the hubby and I made was ever present, and I often thought to myself, "Could I really conquer that distance?". 

                                        

A few weeks before we raced Raleigh, the hubby and a group of friends decided to register for Ironman Maryland, and while I lingered over the registration form online, I wouldn't commit until I had a solid, successful 70.3 under my belt.  As we sat around the dinner table discussing his commitment, I shared my desire to race longer and we agreed that if Raleigh was successful, we would fulfill our promise to one another and register for and race Beach to Battleship together in October 2014. 

 

On the way home from Raleigh, I told the hubby that I felt ready (well, as ready as you will ever feel to make a HUGE jump in distance) to sign up for something longer.  I technically had two successful 70.3 experiences in the bag, and I finished both with a smile and gas in the tank.  He asked which race I was considering. . .  Would we do B2B in October as we promised each other or would I sign up for Ironman Maryland (IMMD) which was at the end of September? 

 

The more we discussed it, the answer seemed to appear.  Although B2B would give me an extra month of training time, It would also mean that the bulk of my hard, long training would happen after returning to work in the Fall, making the weeks a little nutty around here.  If I chose IMMD, I could train all summer while I was off work, with my heaviest training weekend falling over Labor Day weekend and a recovery week scheduled for my first week back to the grind of work. We already had travel and hotel accommodations nailed down for IMMD, but B2B is less than a day's drive and we have family that live a few miles from the start, so that wasn't an issue.  My training plan lined up to begin IMMD training after a rest week without having to make a huge jump in the distances I was already used to.  In fact the first few weeks would be a welcome step-back from where I was right before Raleigh.

 

So, on a Thursday afternoon a few weeks ago, I did this. . .

 

I kept it a secret, at first, only sharing with a few trusted and like-minded friends, and unsure that I would ever tell the world of this crazy plan.  But then I remembered something that I read in a weekly email I receive:  In order to achieve your dreams, first you have to say them out loud.  Share them with the world and let your support crew of friends and family hold you accountable. 

 

Although much of triathlon racing and training is a solo venture, the support of those around you keeps you going when the days are long and the training is hard.  So here I am. . . putting it out there. 

 

 



Am I scared?  You betcha.  But, I am also excited about this journey and proud of myself for taking the leap of faith.  Do I think it will be easy?  Absolutely not.  I know the training will be long and hard and I will have to make sacrifices.  I know that race day will be long, so long, and grueling at times, to the point of wanting to quit, but I am preparing now, both mentally and physically, for that challenge (as much as you CAN prepare for this distance). There are no guarantees in this journey, but if I never take this chance I will never know what I can accomplish.

                           

 

So, that leads me to this blog.  When I began this blog, it started as a challenge from the hubby, who enjoys my writing and thoughts and urged me to share with the world.  The blog name "I could go on and on and on" referred to my verbose-ness and unending thoughts.  I have shared thoughts, feelings, ideas, rants, projects and food with my readers (all 18 of you) off and on for a few years now, and I have no plans to eliminate those kinds of posts as I move forward.  But I have also begun to share and document my running and triathlon journey, and while I realize that some of you couldn't care less, many friends have reached out and asked me to blog about this part of my life as it brings inspiration and motivation to their own journey.  I don't document these adventures to brag, but to share in this life's journey with those I care about and maybe, just maybe, inspire someone out there to take a leap of faith and dream big.

 

Over the next 13 weeks, you will probably see more triathlon and training posts here, and if that's your thing. . .  awesome, come along for the ride.  If not. . .  I still love ya.  Because now, "I could go on and on and on" doesn't just refer to my love of talking/writing, but to this multisport lifestyle that I love and want to share with the world.