Wait, what?

IronMan FL 70.3

So last November on a whim I went to Panama City Florida to watch IMFL and was seduced by it. I’ve never done an IronMan. But watching these people come across the line and all the cheers for everyone who completed; I knew that there was something special. So I found a room for the night, stayed at the finished chute until 11pm, and signed up the next morning to run it myself. I got home and the few friends I have that know what IronMan is did more than raise a few eyebrows my way. I decided to cut my teeth on a half. 

I worked out, learned how to eat a lot better, and disciplined my self with swimming, biking, and running. There is so much I could talk about but I’m just going to hit the high points. 

1. Nutrition is the first leg of a triathlon. If you don’t know how to eat for endurance you are not going to enjoy your race, you probably wont finish. 
2. Training is a lot more than just the disciplines of the triathlon. You need to be doing weight training in addition to your long swims and bricks. I was running out of ability way before I was running energy. 
3. Pack sunscreen. I got sunburned. 

I wanted to finish around 6 hours. I got off the bike and I was still in range for that. They said there was a big hill right at the beginning of the run, I decided to walk it and use that time to eat my honey stinger waffle and drink some, I got to the top and ran. But not far. I started cramping in my sides. I was able to work through that and around mile 9 I started feeling a hot spot on my left foot. Around mile 11 I knew it was a blister. I was at a steady walk and I was saving whatever was left in me for the finish chute. I was able to run through but my calves were locking up. I didn’t fall though. 

At the end of the day if I would have been offered my money back for IMFL in November I would have probably accepted it. I grabbed my bike, put it in the back of my car and went to the Wendy’s by my hotel and got all my favorites. I sat in the shower drinking a coke and a beer. I woke up early and drove home. The entire time I was thinking about what I have to do to get ready for November. 

I’ve got the sticker on the car and I’m back with the best girl ever, it was a great event. I’ll do a recap when I get the pics. Learned a lot that will be important for the full in November.

So I finished but I am worn out. I don’t think I’ll be going to outback tonight.

Tomorrows swim and my trusty bike all racked up and ready to go. Having an Italian dinner at a really fancy spot in Kissimmee.

This has been such a sucky week. Between the bombing Monday, then seeing who it was that did it, then that one boy not getting killed but his life still being over. I don’t know what happened to the older brother, I don’t know who got to him when he was so impressionable, but someone religious idiot did. They twisted him to believe that there was something good about him and bad about me (Americans). Then he began the process of manipulating his little brother, probably by sexually manipulating and abusing him first, then once he was properly victimized by making him believe it was his religious duty. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacha_bazi) Don’t misunderstand me, I’m saying that the older one was made into a monster by monsters and in turn he turned his baby brother into a monster. They did horrible things, and they don’t deserve to live, but they didn’t deserve to be made into this. There’s been nothing good this week, not one thing. 

Until today. Today I went to the state park with a friend and his boys. To be so sad all I want to do is hide under my desk with my little dog and cry, this afternoon I laid back on a rock and stared at the sky and listened to children squeel and play, the air was clear, the time was nice. Now I’m back home. The TV is off, my dog is next to me.