Subject: RE: Ironman Florida : Official Thread Congrats to all of you who signed up for 2012. IMFL 2011 was my first. I did not sign up for next year due a promise I made to my wife, but I did enjoy the experience of chasing the dream to become an Ironman. I would certainly entertain the thought of competing in a 140.6 again. For all you first timers, it seems like yesterday that I was experiencing the same kinds of emotions you are experiencing now. I was very excited and very nervous. There was a lot of self-doubt about making the distance, but I was very much looking forward to the challenge. This next year will be one of the longest years you will experience due to the heavy volume of training and the constant anticipation for November. However, in a twist of irony, it will seem like it all flew by so fast once the race is over. Come the first Saturday in November you will spend up to 17 hours trying to achieve your goal. That day will be a long day but when compared to the numbers of hours in a year those 17 hours or less will just be a blip on the radar. My advice to you is not to wish this year away. Enjoy every minute of training. Embrace the new friendships that are created. Celebrate the many new milestones reached. Becoming an Ironman may be measured by how well you do in one race on one day, but it is truly the journey that should be celebrated. Good luck to each of you. I look forward to following your journey. |