354 days to go!

What the hell was I thinking?  Why did I click that last button to register for an Ironman?  What am I trying to prove?  Is it just a bucket list item?  Can I afford to train as much as I need to?  Will I get injured?  The questions are endless. Well, over the course of this next year I am going to explore those questions and a lot more.

I need to let everyone know how I got here to this point and why I have decided to do this blog.  First, a little bit  about me.  I'm about to turn 48 years old.  I am a CFO for an insurance company.  I work about 50 hours a week and travel about 6 to 8 weeks a year.  I workout at the Lake Nona Y in Orlando.  Four years ago a trainer told me I should try doing a triathlon.  I told her she was crazy, but it started me thinking.

I have always been challenged with my weight.  Working out keeps it manageable.  Would doing triathlons help keep the weight off?  I knew I could swim.  I love to bike.  I just can't run.  Well I participated in my first tri as a relay partner.  I did the bike leg.  The very next day I blew out my ACL in my left knee again!  After surgery and a quick recovery (7 months of PT hell), I did a Muddy Buddy race.  I was back.  No more softball.

So I did a few sprints that year and finished with an Olympic at Miami Man where I took 3rd place in my age group (Clydesdale 185 40+).  I know the official USAT weight is 200 but this race has that category and I use it. That was 2008.  In 2009, a few more sprints and then decided I was going to do a half-iron man at Miami Man.  I got 3rd again.  Woohoo!!  Time was 6:26.

In 2010 I did some sprints but ended again with the Miami Man Half Ironman.  Time was 6:06 with a flat tire.  No podium.  In 2011 my main races were all Olympics. Finished again at Miami Man in the olympic.  A 2:30 time and first place in my age group.  Yes, Clydesdale 185 40+.

Then, our cult leader, er I mean Tri coach, pitched Ironman Arizona or IMAZ.  The course is relatively flat and spectator friendly.  So she put in our heads that we could do an ironman.  Plus a couple of the members of the team had already done a an ironman.  Ultimately we would have at least 10 people training for the same  race.  So I checked with work and cleared that deck.  Then I had to check with the boss, my wife Debbie.  She said she would see me next November 19th.  :)  After some serious discussion she said go for it.

So on November 21, 2011 at 2pm (Noon Tempe time) registration opened and sold out in 10 minutes. I got my spot at 2:07pm.  And now I was committed. Or should I be committed?

We have not started training specifically for it but we are maintaining base through the holidays. In January the fun begins.

Well, so begins my journey.