6:14:42 My New Favorite Number

No its not a passage from the bible. It's my race time!!! 6 hours, 14 minutes, and 42 seconds. I had 2 major goals this weekend as I headed into the Wildflower Ironman 70.3( thats a 1/2 Ironman)... 1) Raise $10,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and 2) To beat 6 hrs and 15 minutes. The 2nd goal was one I really wasn't sure I'd hit and if I beat 6 1/2 hrs, I would have been really happy as well. But I accomplished both of my goals!!

Let me set the scene a little for those who haven't been keeping tabs on my life as of recent. 2 1/2 years ago a friend mentioned to me that she was doing triathlons, something I had on my list of things to do in life but didn't see myself doing. One main reason was my incredible fear of water. Not the drinking kind, but the drowning kind. Ever since I was a little boy, I had an aversion to water, swimming, diving. I learned everything very late with regards to swimming but always didn't feel empowered around it. So when it was presented to me, I jumped at it and began my journey into the world of Triathlons. I accomplished 2 Olympic distance events the last 2 years, but this year I was ready to up the stakes and began training very intensely for this past Saturday's event. Though my fear of water has diminished over the last 2 years, this year was an out and back swim of over 1.2 miles.

So I joined Team in Training again because whenever I set goals that are bigger than just for myself, they take on a whole different level for me. I originally set my goal of $4,000 but was encouraged to play bigger, reach higher, and set a goal that made me sweat. So I upped it to $10,000. I had no idea how I was going to raise that much money since the most I had ever raised was less than 1/2 of that.

So the scene is set and the training began. The majority of my weekends over the last month or two were fully dedicated to training. 5:00am wakeups during the week for 4 hour bike rides with my team were norm, training in the morning AND in the evening became ever more common as well. I was definitely getting into great shape and feeling better each day. Fortunately I work from home for myself only a few hours a day so I had plenty of time to train. As it was, my time was very constricted. Between running my business, training several hours a day, playing The Game, and developing a new romantic relationship, it seemed I barely had time to relax, unwind and make some personal time. But I had my goals set. And I was 100% committed to achieving them. Goals are an interesting thing. I have always been very goal oriented and it has served me well, but what I learned about myself recently is that I never really learned to appreciate the victory of reaching my goals. Even after I hit them, I never allowed myself to feel the thrill of success. So over the last few weeks, as I've been charting, writing and celebrating all of my little wins, I have been developing my success muscle as well as my physical muscles.

Ok, so my girlfriend drives me up Thursday to the event which takes place in a beautiful campground with a huge lake in it. And yes, you have to camp out before your race! So not only are you focused on your race, but you also have to remember to bring up the right nutrition and gear for the race, AND everything for camping, cooking, sleeping etc.(I forgot my pillow) We settle in Thursday night, make dinner, go to bed, and wake up early. Kimmie leaves for SF for the weekend(prior plans) and I have the whole day to relax, walk around, do some shopping(tons of triathlon gear for sale) and mentally prep for the next day.

The 4 other people I trained with for the Long Course( the other 20-30 people on my team were training for the shorter distance event) showed up Friday and pitched camp up the hill from me, so I spent the evening hours hanging out with them and getting ready for the day ahead.

Race morning: 5am wake up. Still pitch black out and cold. I get up, and prepare my race day breakfast, get dressed and meet everyone an hour or so later for our final prep, bike check, etc.

6:30am we all bike down to the transition area together which is where our bikes get stored along with everything else we'll need throughout the race. It's where we will leave our wetsuits after the swim, change into bike shoes, grab our bikes and head out. Its also where we will leave our bikes and change into our running shoes after the bike ride.

While setting up our transition area, I meet the guys around me, getting to know each other, finding out which races they've done, etc. Some people are very serious and want nothing to do with conversations, others like me, prefer chatting it up. It takes away some of the race day jitters and gives me a sense of comfort.

7:30am: 5 minute pre-race run with our group. Just something to get the blood flowing, we do a little stretching and get mentally prepared for the day ahead.

8am: The first wave goes off. It's the elite professionals who head out first. Im in the transition area making sure everything is fully set for the day. I know my head won't be able to handle too much after the race starts so its important to have everything set up for each transition so no thought is required.

8:30am: I am now in my wetsuit, goggles and cap in hand. I walk to the end of transition and start to head down to where the swim begins. I forgot my ear plugs! I want to be comfortable so I head back, grab them, and now rush to make my wave start. Still 6 minutes to go.

8:35am: Wave ahead of me starts their race. My wave jumps in after them to get wet, warm up and ready. We head back out and wait for the gun to go.

8:40am: The horn blows and we all run into the water, clammering for space. I am excited, ready, and looking forward to the swim for the first time since I began my training. I start swimming, keeping a steady pace, breathing normally, keeping positive. I continue swimming, feeling good,strong, solid. Each buoy I pass, I get a little more excited, knowing I am getting closer to my goal. The day before my goal was to get to the 1/2 way point. I knew if I could reach that point, I'd be fine. But it turns out I was fine from the beginning. I was firmly enjoying my swim and I knew I was doing well. Buoy after buoy, finally hitting the 1/2 way point, feeling I could swim all day! Heading back now, staying strong; do I push myself harder? Do I stay consistent? I do both. Swimming a little bit stronger with each buoy until finally, there it is. The end point dead ahead. I continue with my breathing, my strokes, feeling good. As I hit land and stand up, I realize I have not only accomplished my goal, but I've actually done well timewise! WOO HOO!!

I run through transition, shed my wetsuit, get my bike and head out. A few minutes into the bike ride, I had my first overpowering spiritual experience. It hit me. It really hit me. I had just overcome a HUGE challenge in my life. I DID IT! I swam over a mile, out and back, with lot of other people swimming around me. I didn't panic, I didn't stop, I stayed the course. I swam strong and I was just starting to celebrate my success! And then I started thinking about how I had set a huge audacious goal of raising $10,000 and I accomplished that as well! I was the #1 fundraiser nationwide for my race! I started weeping for joy, literally. I was overcome with such intense emotion. I was laughing, crying, and celebrating my life. I had done something incredible. I had accomplished huge goals, and for one of the first times in my life, I was basking in the celebration of it. And it felt so incredible. For the next 3 1/2 hours on my bike ride, everytime I thought about my wins, I welled up with emotion. It was the most wonderful bike ride of my life. Despite the intense pain I was feeling in my lower back, despite the heat, despite the steep grades of the hills on the course, I felt great inside. I was channeling such powerful energy through me that every fiber in my body was radiating. It may sound strange, but it was truly a life changing experience.

As my bike ride came to its conclusion, I looked at my watch and I realized if I could now complete my run in 2 hours, I would have beaten my 6:15 goal!!

I hurried through transition, switched to running shoes and off I went. The first 2 miles I was strong, pacing well, hydrating consistently. It was hotter than any training day and I was definitely overheating. The next few miles were the toughest part of the course. Steep hills, little shade. I slowed down significantly, yet only a couple of people actually passed me. By mile 6 I had picked up the pace again. I kept pouring water on my head at each water station, cooling me down. It had never felt so refreshing, so state altering pouring water on me as it did on this day. Each time, my pace picked up. By mile 7-8, I was fully into my race pace and feeling great. I ran up the hill where all of my team was waiting to cheer us on. Hundreds of people with Team in Training were lined up along the road and as I passed by they were cheering me on. That energy was so incredible that my pace picked up even more! I continued on at a steady clip down into 'the pit' which is a mile down a hill, at which point you turn around and head back up the same hill. I was lucky though. There was an older gentleman heading up the hill who was running quickly. I caught up to him, and we paced each other the entire way up the hill. I always run a lot faster when there is someone alongside me. In fact, throughout much of the race, especially when I was feeling overheated, tired, or slowing down, I pictured all of my friends and family around me, encouraging me, pulling me, pushing me, cheering me on. I felt their energy all around me and knew I was being taken care of by others. That sense of love kept me going throughout my run.

Mile 11, last big hill. Tired for sure, but knowing I was only 2 miles away and if I hauled it, I would actually make my 6:15 goal. Someone fast ran by me, but I could only follow for a short bit. I was running slower up the hill. I knew I HAD to continue on. I was almost there. I knew the feeling I was going to have crossing the finish line. I kept persisting and persisting, finally making it to the top.

Mile 12. Last mile. Pretty much a straight shot down a huge winding beautiful hill. As I round the corner, my coaches are there, screaming for me. My final burst of energy kicks in, and I run all out. Faster and faster, passing everyone on the road. Most people have nothing left, but I always seem to find a huge burst of energy in my last mile of my races. I feel like I am floating down the road, effortlessly, completely fulfilled. My pace keeps getting faster and faster. As I head into the final stretch, one person catches up to me and starts to pass me, but my competitive nature in me kicks in, and in the last 200 yards, I have a full out sprint to the finish line. I give it all I have and it feels incredible. There it is. The finish line. WIth my last few leaps, I cross the finish line!! My friend Scott is right there with a high five, there are volunteers right there. One puts my medal around my neck, another gives me an ice cold towel to put on my head, and a 3rd person hands me ice cold water. I DID IT!!!

I am so overwhelmed! I am elated. I am weepy, I am overjoyed. As I cool down and catch up with Scott about our races, we head back to transition to pack up, get our recovery drinks, grab our phones and a bit to eat. I can barely make the few calls I want to because I am so emotional. I have never experienced such pure joy in my life, and it feels absolutely better than I ever could imagine it would.

Could an Ironman be in my future? Stay tuned to find out.

I want to thank EVERYONE who has supported me over the last few months of my life. Many contributed to my fundraising efforts, others assisted with moral support, love and encouragement. Everyone who sent me their love and energy, thank you. I felt it every step of the way.