I'm Committed

Well, it's official.

I'm officially listed as a 2012 Muncie Ironman participate.

Now before you get too excited, this isn't a FULL Ironman. It's only the half. That's:
1.2 mile swim
56 mile bike
13.1 mile run

But still. It's enough to scare me, thrill me, and excite me all at the same time. I can't believe I'm actually going to go through with this.

I got the racing bug last year, when I did a few sprint triathlons. I also trained pretty consistently on the bike with my girlfriend Kelly, who did Louisville (full Ironman) last year. I've become fully enthralled with the sport of cycling and my only regret is that I wish I would have known about this sport years ago. It's amazing. And if I don't say so myself, I'm a pretty strong cyclist. Considering I've never had any formal training, and have only been doing it for a couple of years.

One of the qualities I admire most in my husband is his mental strength to power through anything. Let's face it. He doesn't have a runner's body. He's a former lineman and wrestler. But he's always had this competitive edge and drive to power through any challenging obstacle his body may endure. It's part of being an athlete. And that's one of the things I regret most about not doing in my school years. I am so competitive in nature. And hell, if you're reading this than you know me and you know my frame. It's.......solid. I've got huge, wide shoulders, an extra-long torso, and some a$$-kicking muscular legs (Have I ever showed you my "shin" muscle?!?   No?   Next time you see me, ask me about it. Guaranteed to blow you away. Seriously.) And as much as I hated it, people would always ask me if I played softball in school. (Seriously?!?....why don't you just tell me that I'm beefy. Because that's what you're implying.) But point is this: I had the foundation to be a competitive athlete. I just regret the fact that I didn't participate in sports at the high school level.

But it's only been these last couple of years - pretty much when I entered the thrilling thirties - that I've re-prioritized my life. Put things into perspective, focusing my time and energy on the things that matter most to me. So aside from my family, my heath and fitness is at the top of that list. If I don't have a strong mind and strong body, then everything else suffers. And somewhere along this journey to a healthier lifestyle, I became addicted.

Addicted to the feeling of success. Addicted to the results I saw within myself. Addicted to the response I received from my loved ones, thus creating a stronger relationship on all levels.

Addicted to the drive.

The drive to fuel and push myself to my limits. To never give up. To push myself beyond any physical measures I could have ever thought possible. To have the mental strength to endure temporary pain....for a permanent accomplishment.

Which is why I'm doing the Muncie Ironman.