Ironman, Transformation, Running

“Everything can be transformed.  Every single thing.  Goodness exists.  It is all around.  It’s just sleeping.  It can be wakened.”

I love this quote. It is from the TV show Enlightened. The main character is kooky, lovable, and often makes bad choices - hmm.... sounds like someone I know.  

As I get ready to run my long run this morning I’m thinking about transformation. I’m thinking about how the last six years I lived triathlon. How becoming a triathlete changed my mind and body, how it made me change into a person who could do anything she set her mind to. 

As I watch friends and bloggers write about their transformation while training for Ironman, I am excited, thrilled, and jealous. And since I’m obsessed with nutrition, training, and mental preparation for Ironman I have been reflecting on my own past training and racing. 

After I finished a race I never thought much about the accomplishment of it. I did it. Okay, what’s next? I’m always wondering what’s next.

For now I relegate Ironman to remembering long training rides runs; and how good I felt after. I remember finishing my first, second, and third Ironman and the family and friends I shared them with. 

Coeur d'Alene 2009, Arizona 2010, Wisconsin 2013

I took for granted that they would just happen and would continue happening.

The What’s Next for me is my transformation into a runner: #50marathons50states. I am scaling down and focusing on the run, getting leaner and faster. 

                                                                                   
Monologue from Enlightened:

Middle Park Half Marathon in Granby Colorado

Middle Park Half Marathon was a great event in Granby today. The weather was perfect for a race, cold and cloudy. I got to lead the #1 runner on my mountain bike; it was more fun that I thought. Residents in Legacy Park came out to cheer on runners.

There were great aid stations.

There were great prizes, running hats, and a sweatshirt for all runners.

The route was scenic. Runners ran past alpacas, there was a bull moose who needed to be run off the road, mountains and valley in the distance, and a final mile run through downtown on Route 40.

There were just under 100 runners, next year we will hope for more.

As we sat around waiting for the medals and prizes, a woman came up to me to ask me about Ironman. She wants to race her first Ironman, saw my Ironman Arizona finisher hat, and wanted to ask me about the race. I love talking about Ironman and my advice: put in the time, use a training plan, read everything you can about racing Ironman. We talked for a bit and exchanged email addresses so she could ask me more questions. Now my fourth bit of advice, ask questions to anyone wearing an Ironman Finisher hat.

I love being part of the endurance sports community and bringing it to Granby was an exciting day.

Ironman Arizona - Done

So I finished Ironman Arizona. Just about a year ago I signed up and was hoping for an amazing day; I did have an amazing day.

Sign ups for next year sold out quickly and I'm reminded of the column I wrote about a year ago regarding winning the Ironman lottery.

As I re-read the story, I am reminded about what Ironman is, what it really means, and that Ironman is anyone who sets out to find out what they are truly capable of doing.

“Ironman is Not a Superhero: Ironman is anybody who's ever dreamed of becoming more, who's ever wanted to become better than what they are now, who's ever desired to find out the kind of person they were meant to be.

“Ironman is anybody who's then decided to act, and picked themselves up, and opened the door, and gone outside, and taken the first step of many steps ... towards the number of 140.6 as marked in miles, on a journey that will ultimately last a lifetime. Ironman is anybody. Ironman is you.”

From: http://www.jonathaninthedistance.blogspot.com/

Here's the start of the original column from: Anything is possible, Outdoor Adventures

"I won the lottery.

Not the lottery where you get a pile of money; the one where a triathlete sits online trying to gain entry into the big race: Ironman Arizona. The athlete pays active.com $550; I am lucky - I get into Ironman Arizona Nov. 21, 2010. Entry for all Ironman races is the day after race day, for the following year. Most races typically sell out on the Internet in the first few hours; Ironman Arizona sold out in 25 minutes."

Read the rest of the Story in Outdoor Adventures

Colorado in October - it's a good place to be

Ironman Arizona is just five weeks away. It seems like only yesterday I signed up. Well, now it's very close. This week is a 21 hour training week (a part time job). I actually feel good; not too tired. My body seems to be adapting to the longer training runs and bike rides.
Tomorrow is a 6 hour bike ride; still don't know what route I'll take but the weather is looking good so far, highs of 55.

There is still only snow at 10,000 feet so I'm feeling fortunate that there is none at 8,000 feet where I live so I can still ride outside.


Life is good and this is a great place to be.

Life seems to be handing me so many great things right now. I will be writing about Snow Sports in the Rocky Mountain West for newwest.net this winter and my writing class in Denver is amazing. There are others things, too, but I won't gush here.

For now, riding and running outside, listening to the crunching of leaves and the cool mountain air, all remind me to be thankful for a good life.

Tonight, I look back at where I was a year ago, writing the story about Ironman and training outside in wind, snow, rain, cold. Here is the column from last year:
Anything is Possible.