My Blog: "Tri-ing to Live"

So last July I had this crazy idea to actually pursue my dream of doing a full Ironman triathlon. That included a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a 26.2 mile run in one day under 17 hours.My thoughts: I am not getting any younger, I have stop putting my life of hold for things that “may” happen, I am having a milestone birthday this year. So at 12:03 PM the day after Lake Placid Ironman 2013 I decided to go online and register for the race. Little did I know me and thousands of other people tried doing the same thing, I refreshed my browser a million times and had some pretty stressful moments but at 12:17 PM I was officially registered for Ironman Lake Placid. 

I began my training in January and I am following Triathlon Geek’s ultra distance plan. I enjoy the plan because it gives you options for the intensity level of my workouts which is nice. I gleefully and naively began my training super pumped and cheery only to get a gut check after a month. I took for granted the fact that I have done races in the past and that the training in the past was hard but it was never too much. Full distance Ironman is no joke! This is taking my endurance to a whole new level and bringing me out of my endurance comfort zone. 

Training for this race has really consumed my life, everything is centered around my training, eating and sleeping schedule. I totally underestimated the commitment that it takes to train for this type of race. I have had several shots to my ego during training, a few can barely walk moments and more than enough “WHY DID I SIGN UP FOR THIS” moments but I wouldn't change a thing.

One of the biggest things I have learned since starting is what it truly takes to accomplish a goal. I know I am not at the finish line yet, but to get anything done in life you need to be focused. Yes you should have balance, but when you are on a mission and you see your goal in the horizon you have to put the pedal to the medal and get the work done. 

Secondly, I have learned how to be comfortable in my own skin. In my mind I have this perfect image of how a toned lean triathlete should look like and I had to throw that all away. Since starting I have actually gained weight, and my legs are getting bigger from all the biking. I prefer a certain look, but I had to go with the flow of training. I don’t have time to worry about slight movements in the scale I have to focus on proper nutrition and getting the training done. It has been difficult for me, I feel out of my comfort zone, but I keep seeing the goal in the horizon. 

Lastly, I needed something bigger then a personal achievement to push me through training. A few months ago I applied to a program that would allow me to go to India and work with a community devastated by the ills of human trafficking. I recently got accepted and I my heart is so full thinking about the people I am going to help by raising money and volunteering for this cause. On the days it is hard I think about all those women looking for a new life and how my little contribution can help. 

Well I just wanted to give a little update about me and my training. If you are interested in learning more about the cause and my trip to India please follow the link: https://fundly.com/triathlon-to-stop-trafficking

What is the biggest dream you have ever tried to reach? What have you learned through the process? What would you do differently? Share your thoughts and comments.