Why a blog? Let's back up: Why Ironman?

Where to begin? I guess my quest for Ironman began many years ago. Well before I completed my first triathlon. Before I started swimming. Perhaps it was while I was falling in love with cycling. I just didn't know it at the time. Even back then, sometime in the early 1990s, something in the far reaches of my mind, where dreams catch their first breaths, I had an image of me as an athlete crossing the finish line at Ironman. I didn't share this with anyone. They'd all think I was crazy. I didn't even admit it to myself for several years--perhaps I believed the being-crazy-thing.

So I went along with life, finishing my PhD, finding my first real job, riding more and more miles every week, moving to this state and that. And something funny happened along the way. I began to surround myself with athletes, active people who liked pushing themselves. I also pushed myself, farther and harder.

And then I moved to Colorado, where "active" takes on a whole new meaning. Cycling morphed into multi-sport. If one sport is good, three are even better! Sprint triathlon opened the door to Olympic-distance races. As I became officially hooked on triathlon, I wanted to go farther and harder. I had a blast at my first half-iron-distance race. And I thought "this is good! The training was manageable...I can do this distance well...and have fun at the same time. This is good enough."

Or not. Here's the thing. I am wired for endurance. I'm not the fastest, but I can go seemingly forever. The longer I go, the better I feel. I crave 100-mile bike rides. A 3-mile run is a warm-up. A mile in the water is a "light" day.

So why Ironman? Because it's the next distance. Because I can't think of another accomplishment that will require more physical, mental, psychological, and emotional commitment and discipline. And that excites me.

So, then, why this blog? Because I need support. I can't do this alone. I have training partners here in Denver. I have my family and friends. And if you're reading this, you are my virtual training partner. Even if no one really reads this, I will pretend someone is and that will be enough to motivate me, especially on winter days when all I want to do is hibernate.

Thank you for joining me! I welcome your comments...let me know you're out there!