Week 38 and speed continued and the Y Factor

Wow, what a really tough week this was. The amount of stress we can put our body through at this level is amazing! Our nervous systems are toast each and every day! The mini-micro cycles set-up with precision, make it so that each and every workout now is critical and misses can have a cascading effect on creating injury and fatigue. Active rest at play again. As mentioned, this week was a roller coaster dealing with personal issues. This had the "double whammy effect". Stress on the mind is at times, tougher than stress on the body. Having both of those go on at the same time is unexplainable. I can’t believe that I did not get sick or injured. I missed meals, stopped everything that was working for me for few days, etc. I’m one lucky S.O.B.

I want to try and answer the most common question I receive, and I know this same question is asked among my teammates. Try as I might, even after trying different ways to answer this; I still see people scratch their heads as if I was from another planet, etc. At times the answer I give will change as the year has gone on. However, the message is fairly lengthy and consistent. Figure out the question? “Why?’

The WHY (Y) FACTOR.
Last night, I watched the 30th anniversary edition of Kona on DVD. The very opening scene went as follows. “Some dare to dream big, so big that others cannot fathom, that the level of sacrifice needed to accomplish the unthinkable is so great. The endeavor is a family affair and at times the racer has the easy part. The family makes just as many sacrifices. Many of them at this moment may not understand the brevity of this sacrifice, but in years to come, they along with the racer will appreciate this on a level of togetherness that many in life will never know".

My Why; I started the endurance "thing" to use it as a tool to become philanthropic and to show gratitude and earn money for causes that meant something to me. I had lost my biggest hero, my mother. My mother slaved for us. She taught us to never let our dreams die. She was my “rock” in many ways. I had a chance to raise money in her memory and for other causes. So, Y number.... 1) I want to build many houses in life by random acts of kindness, and leave this planet giving back more than I take. I want to make a difference and chose endurance sports. My kids would never know their grand mother, but I want to show them her example and her legacy via my actions. Help others.

The second Y.... was that I wanted my children to someday know what I was able to do when I set my mind to it. As I was taught, I wanted them to see that they too can accomplish ANYTHING that they set their minds to. That nothing is unreachable. That they will see sacrifice and obstacles, but that they will chase their star whenever possible. That they like my mother will only be on this planet for a nano-second. That they will only have one life, and that time is not their ally. That they could see all of this along side a supportive family and to do something while giving back to this world. Our elder children like most children and myself included became focused on material things. This I wanted to change.

The 3rd Y. Each and every training session was a viewed as a virtual goal and milestone. I am goal centric, and I want to have things to strive for. I cannot and will not wait for my dreams. I’m not great on achieving gratitude yet at the level I desire, but I’m much better now as a result of this whole process. I’ve been able to use each of these accomplishments and long training sessions at all hours of the day, freezing temperatures, injuries sickness and death to sort what life invariably throws our way. I can’t tell you how many days I’ve had some good-ole cries, some talks with the big-man above. The smells of being connected to the world while feeling your heart pumping and just plain alive.

To take a problem on your shoulders out on a 2 hour run and to come back a better person, a new approach or peace is what it’s been all about. To go out, swim and to organize your day so that you can hit the ground running and be a productive as humanly imaginable has allowed me to work fewer hours and achieve better results.
Often times I could do this so early in the morning before most people press their foot on the floor. It’s a very special thing when that endorphin snaps in the back of your cortex and says. Boooya, you are Alive!!!!

4th Y.... You meet some of the most amazing people. Where else can you see someone who survived cancer or come back from the most daunting challenges to conquer the unthinkable? The news does not have the human-interest stories like the racecourse does. You will never wine once again in your life after seeing up close and personal what that human spirit is capable of on a race day.

The 5th, and last Y factor to this point.... I’ve been able to show by example with my actions and with my writing. Close friends and family and even strangers all over the world learn that anything is possible. I get notes from people thanking me for sharing my struggles and view me as in inspiration. They tell me that they are now eating well, just bought a bike or even just signed up for their first race. I believe that even though people think I’m helping them, I get a huge surge and power from them.

In closing, this Ironman year has been a very good experience. None of it has been easy. Nothing in life worth having is, and it is so much better when its hard fought for and earned. The training at this level is very hard to achieve balance. People sacrifice. I’m confident that someday, as mentioned before in the DVD that I will lay my head down near my final days one day. I’ll be able to sort through all the amazing experience with my journey in life and to confidently look at my maker and tell him that I left no scraps on the table. I can move on now. Can you?