140.6

"If it is to be, it's up to me."
~Dad

I am so excited for the race on Saturday. I have been dreaming about this day for a very long time now. My first triathlon is finally here. Even though it is only a sprint, just getting to the starting line means I have won something.

The last few years have been very difficult for me. Some of you know what I am talking about. As I sit and write this I am 100 pounds heavier than I was just five years ago. Life is about living. These past years I just up and stopped living. I became very much an introvert. I stopped hanging out with friends and the only time I went out into public was to go to work or get food. Each day was pretty much the same. I would go to work, go home, sit in front of the T.V. and eat till I couldn't then fall asleep. I ate to make the pain go away. Sometimes I would even cry myself to sleep. I have a very loving family who has always been there for me, but even my parents and my sister didn't know how depressed I was. No one did.

Hope and inspiration can be found in the strangest of places. It's hard to believe this whole thing started by clicking on this little pod cast called Get Your Geek On. Here was an ordinary person just like you and me who was talking about their journey to complete an Ironman. How far is an Ironman you ask? Well, it's a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and a marathon (26.2 miles). For those of you who didn't add it that's 140.6 miles. That is a really long way. As I listened to Iron Wil and the Kahuna talk about their training and life, something clicked in my head. I see sick people every day at work that have no choice in what is happening to them and here I am wasting my youth, wasting my life. I needed a change. I bought a pair of running shoes and I decided that someday I would complete an Ironman. I know, I know, baby steps. That's why my first triathlon is just a sprint. After all, I need to be realistic. So far on this journey of mine, I have discovered many blogs that have kept me going and continue to inspire me. One such blog is Couch Potato to Ironman. Duane is a big man with an even bigger heart. His courage and determination continually fuel my fire to achieve more and never quit, never give up! To all the people in blog land I want to offer a heartfelt thank you. I have a long way to go, but I know that you will be there to help me as I continue my quest to complete that elusive 140.6.