Something To Be Thankful For, Day # 251: from worst to best. Yesterdays race didnt go well for me- or so I thought. Right off the bat, I started having a hard time breathing during the swim. I had to hang on from one buoy to the next because I couldnt sustain a constant rhythm. I started thinking about dropping out. I asked God if thats what He wanted me to do- no sign. I finished the swim in 1:57- same as my swim time in my first Ironman in 2005 when I almost drowned. On the bike, same thing. The minor hills never were a problem in the past; yesterday they seemed very hard. On the major hills I had to stop at the bottom to catch my breath before climbing them- I never had to do that before. The struggle continued on the run. I was reduced to doing a run/walk the entire time (for those of you who do marathons- you know that doing that for 26.2 miles seem like forever). I eventually finished the race in about 16:30, my slowest Ironman time ever and 30 minutes short of not making the 17-hour cut off time. I told my kids that I never prayed as much in any race as I did yesterday. On the way home, I told Mariene that I did not enjoy this race at all. It was obviously my worst. But in her God-given wisdom she said, If you think about it, this is probably your best Ironman. All the other ones youd done- you were healthy and felt good. You finished with a lot of time to spare. Today, you were obviously sick (I am having bouts of coughing as Im posting this). But you still finished. You could have bailed out, but you didnt, so this race proves more than any other race in the past that you are an Ironman. My whole perspective changed after that. It is true that the things in life you worked the hardest for are the ones you tend to treasure the most. To my only Sponsor (God the Father), my Coach (Jesus Christ), and the fuel for my soul (the Holy Spirit): thank you for helping me get through this. I look forward to Ironman Wisconsin 2015 under Your full guidance. 2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 13:18:32 +0000
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