IronMan Wisconsin 2007

Signing up for IronMan Wisconsin 2007 started out rather innocently, several people from the TRIClub was passing e-mails back and forth about signing up.

Hmmm, I was not planning on it really, I haven't even completed my 1st IronMan yet. One, two, three, crap now at least 5 people are signing up. So I asked my wife days before IMWI 2006 if I could sign up for 2007. With a muffled acknowledgment she said "it's okay". So with the credit cards cleared out and the IM Wisconsin finishers hat on my head I was in line for round two of IM Wisconsin.

What was I thinking, It was a hard day out there for me, I still have to schedule my Hernia surgery by the end of the year. But sign up I did, with Greyhound, IronWill, SimplyStu, me, and Runningbanter, along with some other people I ran into.

I did talk to a guy while waiting in line, he was reading the Total Immersion swimming book while waiting to sign up, never did a triathlon before, not sure if he could even swim yet. I wonder about him sometimes?

So almost a year has passed since that day. More miles and sweat I care to think about. More Cliff bloks, gels, protein drinks, and powdered endurance drinks I care not to think about consuming one more day.

What has happened within this year since signing up for IMWI 2007 that day? Hmmm.

Within this year, my daughter has grown older, and hopefully more wiser. I had a conversation with a school administrator on her 1st day of school this week:

Administrator: "First day"

Bubba: "Yeah"

Administrator: "just let her go"

Bubba: ??? I might have to think about that?

Within a year, I've grown older, probably not the wiser.

Within in a year I've made friends with the same people I just used to call my TRI teammates.

Within a year I've ran on trails for the 1st time and loved it.

Within a year I've probably have ridden the most miles on my bike in my life and my sore ass shows it.

Within a year I've had hernia surgery or any kind of surgery for the first time. Waking up and knowing people are still working on your insides is a strange feeling I must say.

Within a year I've appreciated nature, the woods, the animals. What mother earth has to offer while running my Ultra-Marathons. It's a beautiful thing.

Within a year I had a better handle on trying to balance family life with my compulsive OCD endurance life. (Okay, my wife might not agree with me all the time on this one)

Within a year, I learned the most important thing about IronMan 2006, is just not the race, not the many miles traveled to get here. It is was the final moments of my 1st IronMan.

After crossing the finish line I gave the medal to my daughter and I cried. I realized this was the most important part of IM for me. To share it with the people most important to you.

So with IMWI just around the corner, the race is really just a race, to say to finish no matter whatever finishing time I get is not important, would be a lie, but to realize there are more important things in this world;

Within this IM year I've learned this most of all.

So the real taper has begun this week, going to cut out one of the best things in life for me. Ice Cream, doughnuts, and sweet danishes. Oh its going to be hard. But the bathroom scale says I need to.

So onward I go, trying not to get hurt for the next 10 days or so. Going to get my 1st ever massage today to help me hopefully get the kinks out of my sore calf, so I can be ready to run on race day.

The final countdown is on.