The people who will get me there

I cannot believe it has been 6 weeks since my last post. Needless to say, it has been hard enough keeping up with the training. I just don't have enough hours in a day to get everything done that needs to get done.

I was totally prepared for the fact that Ironman was going to require more of ME than anything I had ever done before. What I was not prepared for was what a sacrifice it would be for those closest to me. Ironman has become the focus, not only of my life, but of Anne's life as well. It has to be...there is no way around it. Every meal and every minute of sleep has to be so perfect because my body and mind are teetering on the edge. I am riding a very thin line between being in the greatest shape of my life and being injured. I am consumed by the need to stay on the positive side, but I am always so close to falling toward the negative. Anne has been my savior in this battle. She has walked through every step of this training with me, hardly ever complaining (except for the times that I got in such a bad mood that she just could not take it any more). She encourages me and makes me feel like anything is possible. I told her last night that if I finish the Ironman, she will be 70% responsible for it mentally. Her love, her encouragement, her food (I am the luckiest guy ever in this respect!), and her devotion to getting me to the race healthy and happy is something I will always remember. I love her more every day because of her strength for me when I am lacking the will to go forward.

While Anne has helped me mentally, I also have to give a shout out to Erik who has done so much for me to help with the physical preparation. First of all, it is important to give some perspective about Erk's situation as I have been training for this race. Erik and Danny have recently become the proud parents of Amelia Jane Vincent, their first child. Despite the stresses of a first pregnancy, Erik has traveled to Charleston, SC with me on two occasions for my long bike rides (6 hours and 6.5 hours). He has ridden 70 miles with me on one occasion and 80 on another and has been such a great companion through these torture sessions. The greatest part about it is that Erik has been so calm through these rides and keeps my nervous energy "at bay" with his steadiness. While I believe these two long rides will serve as the backbone for my confidence on race day, Erik's commitment has gone well beyond just the trips to Charleston. Every weekend, I grind away on 4-6 hour rides on my Computrainer, hoping to find a good movie to watch or a sporting event to become immersed in. At least one day every weekend, Erik has been there with me, grinding away on his trainer talking about teaching, new baby stories, or just sharing in the pain that one can only feel after 4 hours on a trainer. I am confident in saying that if I finish the Ironman on Novemer 1st Erik will be 70% responsible for preparing me physically. I am sad that he will not be there to see me cross the line, but he will certainly be the first phone call I make.

So, I am not writing today to talk about all of the hours of training or to pat myself on the back for the miles logged. What I have learned, more than anything, during this training is that I will owe such a huge debt of gratitude to the people who have walked through the fire with me as I prepare for November 1st. The greatest part about it is that I will already feel like so much has been accomplised, even if I don't cross the line. Ironman is so much more than a race. It is an experience. Many times, all we have to remember it by is the pictures from the actual race. My memory of Ironman, however, will be in the months leading up to it. I will never forget the way that my friends and family rallied to my support during this time. It means the world to me and it has helped me to keep things in perspective. I am very lucky.