Swim, Bike, Run…..How hard can that be? When you make the distances 2.4 miles, followed by 112 miles, and then 26.2 for a total of 140.6 miles there is no question that when you put your toes on the starting line you know that the day will be a challenge. There were a few issues to deal with – cold water @ 65 degrees, a strong headwind on the bike ride, a flat tire at mile three and some fussiness with the GI system and the Ironman today lived up to the level of a big, hard, challenge one that takes a lot of effort to stay focused on getting to the finish line. There is nothing that can get in the way, we go there to get to the finish line, and we live with the physical and mental battle that is front and center from mile one. THPL teaches us that we need to embrace the pain, to understand that it is to be expected, and to keep forward momentum as the way to get what we go there for – to get the finisher tee-shirt. I got mine along with thousands of other competitors of whom I am so impressed that they endured a day as hard as today- they won my respect, in spades. Ironman is indeed a game changing experience. Number six in the books for me. Till we meet pain again, in all of its splendor…..

Loving life when I cross the finish line….