Baby Steps

So how did it all start.... Once I committed to losing the weight and getting in shape I first focused on the nurtition component and learning what a real portion is (unfortunately it is NOT the entire bowl of all you can eat pasta at Olive Garden), how much and how often... Then I decided to incorporate exercise.... So, I went to my local Running Room and signed up for a 5Km Walking clinic... To make sure I was committed I also registered for the Angus Glen 5K walk in November 0f 2009...  First challenge - I get a phone call from teh RR manager, no one else has registered so they're cancelling the clinic.. Oh but I can join their Learn to Run... WHAT THE HELL???? If I thought it would be fun for anyone to see all that shaking going on in spandex I would have signed up for running.... But really - no one needed to see that.... So I took my refund and knew I had to find an alternate clinic... I mean seriously - the back of the Wal-mart shopping lot to the entrance wasn't 5K and it was far enough......
Fate/Kismet/God/ the Powers that be took control and guided me to the Aurora RR where  I met Bev the manager and immediately signed up for their 5K clinic!!! My first clinic day I was sooooo excited... I sat down on that hard bench in the store and looked at the 3 other eager participants.... Bev was also instructing so I felt in good hands... Until she introduced us and welcomed us to the 10K clinic.... Yup - my hand went straight into the air and admitted I had made a mistake and was at the wrong group... I had signed up for the 5K, not 10.....
After everyone stopped laughing I learned that the 2 clinics were 1 and the same and I was stuck.....  But I had already registered for Angus Glen and couldn't get my money back (yes of course I checked)...  So I stuck with it...  By the time of the race I knew I could walk 5K and live... But speed was another thing.... However - seeing that finish line and actually crossing it was a moment of pure pride and accomplishment for me!!! So what if people were running the 10K race in the same time it took me to walk 5 - I DID IT!!!!!!!!!
Everyone who knows me well knows that I can be a bit of an information junkie and I always want to know - why???? How??? So I do a lot of research and have also spent some time looking at some of the motivational videos for triathlon on YouTube... There are a couple that emphasize the CAN mentality....  At the time I finished that 5Km I had no idea what I was going to go on to do but I did know for sure that whatever it was - I COULD!!!!!

Here we go......

A new friend is in the process of writing a book about his adventure/journey becoming an Ironman and urged me to be sure to be sure to keep a running history and record of my journey. I'm not convinced there's a lot of people out there who would want to read about my life but hey - survey says journalling can be cathartic process so here goes....
I've never blogged, am not really 100% sure how this all works or even how I would share it out with friends or the world but I keep being told you only live once so here goes...

It all started November 5th, 1971.. KIDDING - no one wants that many years of rambling so fast forward to 2009.... That's where we'll start the journey since it was then that I made one of the best decisions of my life... You see - I had reached a point where while I could still laugh out loud and enjoy life, I wasn't enjoying me.... And although I didn't technically hit "rock bottom" I did get low enough to realize that something had to change... That one moment started the pyramid that has brought me to today - training for a summer of triathlons, including my first 1/2 Ironman (Muskoka), then on to my first Full Ironman in 2012 (Lake Placid or Louiville), then on to KONA for the motherload of all Ironman competitions..... How exactly did I get here from there - especially given there was lethargic and weighing in at 294.8 pounds??? Pigheaded Determination, a small stubborn streak, LOTS of support and love from Friends/Family/Co-workers/and even acquaintances..  And yes- a slight inclination towards craziness!!!!

I guess to some degree I am an example of the old saying " If I can do it anyone can do it".... That's one of the attractions to Triathlon as a sport - it's all about CAN and it's a never ending journey of making yourself better than you were a minute ago......It's not about the person beside you, ahead of you, or behind you in a race, it's all about where YOU are..... It's a lot like life really!!!!!