35 days

35 days and I will find myself in the waters of Kailua-Kona bay with 1600 other amazing athletes. For me, as for most people, this is an opportunity of a lifetime. It is a where I get to race, on the same course, on the same day as the best triathletes in the world. I didn’t secure a spot as most of the 1600 athletes do, with a qualifying Ironman race. I am not an elite athlete, not the fastest or strongest in my age group by any means, but I will be there at the starting line. I have volunteered in the medical tent at the World Championship race for the past 8 years and was fortunate enough to be rewarded for my dedication to the Ironman community.

Dedication is the quality of being committed to a task or purpose and training for a race like this takes 110% and then some. For some of my other 7 Ironman races I had a coach, but not all of them. This time was different, this time I decided to hire a coach (Complete Human Performance coach Jon Fecik). Kona is not just any other Ironman, it is the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. I have had the utmost commitment and dedication to my training for this race. I am not saying that I didn’t miss workouts, I did. I work full time, have a husband and a dog and well, there is just life that happens. I tried to be as consistent as possible everyday and not miss key workouts. I was honest with myself and with my coach about what I could do and what I couldn’t. I have made sacrifices along with my family. And I hope, come race day, it all pays off.

I have had a stellar racing year and I believe it is all due to my commitment and dedication.  I ran my first 50 miler, my first Boston marathon, had my marathon PR and most recently, my Half Ironman PR by almost 10 minutes. Almost 10 minutes faster then I was back in 2006, when I was 36 years old.

This says 2 things to me, one is that good coaching really works. If you have a good coach/athlete relationship, the athlete can really thrive, but the athlete needs to give 110% too. Second, commitment, dedication and perseverance pay off. You get out what you put in and then some. So no matter what it is in life (not just racing) give it 110% and don’t ever sell yourself short.

A wise man named Abraham Lincoln once said ” Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

 

Gratitude

Growing up my parents instilled in me some very valuable traits. Gratitude and the importance of family are just 2 of many things they taught me.

My family means the world to me and I believe they are truly the only ones you can count on when times are tough. Friends come and go throughout our lives but your family is always your family. That doesn’t mean that family has to be blood related. Family means different things to different people, it is the people in our lives that will be there for you no matter what the circumstances; they will support you, comfort you, and be honest with you. They will tell you when you are being a jerk and then tell you that they love you anyway!

My parents have always been there for me. Always. No matter the circumstances they have stood by my side, even when they did not agree with my decisions they still stood by me. They have sacrificed a lot for me and for that I am truly grateful. They have been there during difficult times in my life; in my hospital room every day of those 19 days, and not once did they think about not being there. On the phone with me, listening to me cry, and wishing they could make things better during my difficult marriage and subsequent divorce. During my long days of training and racing, they sacrifice their time to help me achieve my dreams. They have been by my side every step of the way, watching me fall down, helping me back up and cheering me on.

I am ever so grateful that they want to be so much a part of my life. That they cherish the time we spend together, as do I. I never want to take this for granted. None of us are immortal and our time here will come to end, one day.  So, I try and appreciate all the little things and tell the people in my life how much they mean to me and how much I love them, on a daily basis.

“Each day I am thankful for nights that turn into mornings, friends that turn into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love”-Anonymous