Are You Living It?

Call it trial by fire. I’m five weeks out from the IronMan World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. There’s no hiding from here on in. Since qualifying in Arizona in April, I’ve had a number of training setbacks. Some of them physical and some of them mental. Today is September 1st, so I’ve decided that there are no more setbacks allowed.

Have you ever stopped to consider what passion is? What is it that pushes us to our limits…to pursue some far flung goal?

June was an interesting month for me. I had two half ironman races planned for this month. Back in December, when I planned out my season, I’d hoped to do well at both of these races. Life has a funny way of changing our best laid plans. Sometimes you’ve gotta roll with the punches.

(After my open water swim, I spent some time with the wildlife. Brown Drakes, aka Ephemera simulans, were hatching right on schedule. In a few days, they’ll be coming off the Au Sable, and the trout will be in a frenzy. So will I, now that my passion has been rekindled.)

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back– Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”

During my run at IM Arizona, I went through a multitude of sensations. No marathon ever feels good, but doing one after a 2.4 mile swim and a 112 mile bike in scorching temperatures is best described as tortuous. That being said, my run at IMAZ went fairly well. I experienced some cramping that I managed to work through, and some knee pain that was new to me. My left knee had been giving me trouble since February, but I had a handle on it. My right knee, however, became a bit grumpy during IMAZ. I made it through the race and hoped that with some rest, every thing would be ok. Not the case. I haven’t had a pain free run since early April. The pain reached the point where I decided to get an MRI. Verdict: my meniscus was fine, but I do have a plica. What in the world is plica?? Google to the rescue!