Finding what is best and worst in yourself and continuing on…

Yesterday I competed in a Half Ironman, 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run. Endurance races like these are when in the midst of pain you examine what got you there, and what it’s going to take to finish. Races are a lot like other hard things in life; you make the decision – to change something, to add something, to race 70.3 miles and when it’s time to start you’re standing there going what have I done? You don’t how in the world you are going to get to there from here but faith gives you a quiet determination to push you past that starting line. During the race there are little things that try to shatter that faith, an ache in your back during the swim, how bad your butt hurts on the bike, the stone that found its way into your shoe-you think of everyone who tells you that you are crazy to even be here and wonder if you can make it the 50, 35, 14 miles. Crossing that finish lines teaches you something new about yourself, that you are strong, that you can do what you set your mind to and that faith can pull you through the pain. Remember this when you are at the starting line of anything in your life, tuck your faith under your arm, put your head in the water and get started, the finish line will come soon enough!

What’s your passion…..

I’m three weeks out to my half Ironman in Wilmington, NC. I’m a little scared even mentioning the race here because now I’ve got to do it! I have my full body wetsuit and am monitoring the ocean temperature, hovering at 65 degrees. All I have to do is get out of the water and I can do the rest of the race, heck, all I have to do is get in the water-that’s the hardest part, once you’re in then you have to swim! Sink or swim.

My friends tell me that I am crazy, why do I do this? I do it because it’s a passion of mine. I love working out (ok, so maybe I am crazy) and pushing my body to the limits, love it so much to squeeze myself into a sausage casing and look like a total dork, to popping blood blisters between my toes during a marathon.

I have a friend that goes away on scrapbooking retreats! SCRAPBOOKING RETREAT! They go to a monastary and scrapbook for the weekend. I hear this and go back to highschool inclinations – I’d be jumping out the windows of the convent in the middle of the night to get away! But that’s her passion, she may not understand my blood blisters, I don’t understand going away for a weekend with the girls and scrapbooking, I mean, especially when there are bars and spas within driving distance!

So, what’s your passion? Is there something that your friends will call “crazy?”

Rambling Rose Triathlon – The Gear Bag

There are still spots open for the Rambling Rose Triathlon-a250 yard swim, 9 mile bike and 2 mile run this Sunday August 23^rd at the Southeast Gateway YWCA.  Join Forsyth Woman on the course and celebrate women with proceeds to benefit the Southeast Gateway YWCA!    A triathlon requires a little more planning including packing a gear bag for all three sports.  Your gear bag can be as sparse or packed as you want it to be.  Here are the contents of a basic gear bag:

Swim cap and goggles

Two towels – one to dry off one to sit on for putting on your shoes

Race Number with Pins

Biking Shoes

Biking Shorts or Triathlon shorts for Bike and Run

Socks

Helmet-required, you cannot race without a helmet on and buckled as you leave on your bike.

Running Shoes

Shorts

Sunglasses

Hat

Sunscreen

Body Glide

Energy gels or Nutrition

Water Bottle

Am I missing anything?  What’s in your gear bag?  Are you ready for the Rambling Rose?