I *** heart*** Ironman

To those who understand why I do this, I thank you. I thank you so very much for taking the time to understand why I do what I do. I take that time for you and your passion. The fact that you do it for me makes me so happy.

The Ironman is one day. One small day that takes the better part of a year to create. Months of workouts, not necessarily hard workouts. Sure there are some, but most are long. You cycle through building volume and recovering. Speed here and there but mostly long.

The Ironman is made out of runs at 5am before the sun comes up. Runs where you are freezing your ass off, you look at each other and wonder what the hell you are doing. The Ironman is made of bike rides that begin at 5am in your garage. You look at yourself and see the drive in your own eyes. The Ironman is made in the pools at 5:45 am as you and Grimm trade looks and Ken gets in first.

The Ironman is made of the days that you do what others won't so that you can do what they can not. Or should I say might be afraid to try.

There are so many hours and miles that you will never see. But that I will never forget. It doesn't make me special. I chose this. This is my privilege.

In four weeks I will begin my fifth Ironman, with the intention that I will not do another one for 365 days. I am not retiring I am just retreating to shorter distances for a year or 2. I am working on my masters and I have to save my body. Let's face it, Ironman after Ironman after Ironman isn't good for you.

But let me tell you there's nothing like the Ironman and for me there is nothing like Ironman Lake Placid. As soon as I crest that hill and see Mirror Lake my heart jumps. My smile broadens and I feel the sense of passion fill me from head to toe.

I get unpacked in my house and I sit back and I smile. My family is always with me. This year we are sharing a house with Nathalie and her family and next door will be Sarah and Adam.

It just doesn’t get better than this.

All week long we will keep meeting the same eyes. The quiet, nervous excited eyes of the Ironfolk who have descended upon Lake Placid. Nervous glances to wrists to eye the shiny silver band. The band that means yes…… you are in the Ironman.

The smiles at Mirror Lake for the early morning Gatorade swims. The voice of Ironman…. Mike Reiley. When you hear him you know you have come home.

The days of pre race preparation. Registration and check in. The kid's races. Bike check in. Reviewing your plan over and over and over again.

Having coffee overlooking Mirror Lake and pinching myself to remind me that yes, this is real and yes, I am the most fortunate girl on earth.

Ironman Day will come. It will begin about 3am as we each rise and eat breakfast. We'll get into town and we'll stand on the blocks on Main Street. A volunteer will write out numbers on our arms and wish us luck. As we stand up there we will smile at each other.

We will wade into the water and we will wait the gun. The mountains will surround us and we will meet those same eyes.

I will tear up again as the National Anthem is sung by the same beautiful voice that sings it year after year. The gun will go off and the day will happen.

Ironman is one of the very few places within my life that I can be completely 110% present. For 140.6 miles I don't think ahead, I don't think behind. I am right where I am at that moment. It's magic.

Throughout the day we will pass one another and I hope you will all know how much I love you.

I will see the faces of my teammates on the sidelines. I will slap their hands and pull from their screaming. I hope they know how much I love them too.

Afterwards the eyes will be different. You will see a complete stranger the next day, you will walk the same. You will share a smile and a nod. You might talk, sometimes you just grab hands. While you never met you shared so much on the day.

I will laugh as I remember stories of the day. Stories of the year. I can already see us all in the hot tub laughing, aching, bloody and bruised. Proud and honored and grateful and so tired but at the same time so alive.

Eventually I will return home with the intention of returning next year to spectate. And to cheer. And to laugh and smile and remember the day that I love so very much.

We are changed after this finish line. Some deeper, some not so deep. Some appalled that they actually did it. It's something we shall share forever. No matter where we go or what we do or don't do…. we will always have this.