The beginning

I have always longed to do an Ironman, since I was 12 years old it has been my dream. I remember watching Julie Moss and Paula Newby-Fraser as they struggled across the finish line in Kona. I remember marveling at their strength, perseverance, and sheer will to keep going, I said to myself "one day, that WILL be me". Then at an olympic distance race, I think that it was in 1996, maybe 1997, I had the pleasure of meeting Sister Madonna Buder, she is the oldest woman to complete an IM at the age of 75!! I say to myself, there is still hope for me!

In April of 2005, I decided that I would finally compete in my first Ironman. Since it was in my own back yard, how could I pass it up? Ironman Arizona was in its second year and I figured that some of the kinks that would have been there the first year would have been ironed out by now.

I geared up for this race slowly, due to some unforseen medical issues. My base of training was not really there, but I thought this is an extension of something that I used to loved to do (sprints, olympic, half), but lost my passion for. I need to find it again and I need to hurry. I figured that my muscles did not forget, they were just on hiatus and the memory was still there.

As my training progressed, slowly, but surely another bump in the road presented itself. On november 30th, 2005, I had my gall bladder removed. I no longer trained, no longer worked, no longer did anything! For 2 months, I was down for the count. I thought "this is just a glitch and I can do it". People that I knew kept asking me "do you think it wise to compete now? Should you still keep going? do you think you will make it?" I told them "push, pull, crawl or tow my body to that finish line, one way or another, I am getting there".

On April 9th, 2006 I crossed that line. 15 hours, 24 minutes, 16 seconds later. I had done it, my dream completed.

So why the blog you ask?

Well, the race was a fulfillment of my dream. However, it was not what I expected. I expected to really suffer, I expected the mental anguish, the diminish of my soul. It was not there. Please do not get me wrong, it was not easy, yet it was not as hard as I expected. There were some pot holes along the way in the race... being without water for 10 miles on the bike, worshiping the asphalt goddess 2 times (a.k.a. blowing chunks) on the ride and wondering in the small recesses of my mind on the run, will I make it. I had not a watch nor did I ask the time of anyone. I just knew that I had been preparing for this moment since I was 12, I was 36 now. (I was a year behind schedule, I wanted to complete this by the time I was 35. What is one year, when you have been preparing a lifetime?) And it was not as I expected. It was easier and I am thankful for this. I thank the powers that be, and decided since I made it, I had to do it again. This time I wanted to document the progress of my training at weEndure and the new blog spot that I created. I have a new goal and it will be a long and winding road. I want to finish in under 15 hours. Hopefully this time, no bumps in the road and no pot holes in the race will get me there.

For now, this is the beginning... the end, well we will see on April 15th, 2007.

Thanks for coming a long for the ride.