I'm not an Ironman (IMAZ=DNF) (Page 5)

I keep coming back to this thread hoping to be able to finally post something when I wasn't all teared up. No luck.

You all are amazing. PirateGirl, I told your story to my family at dinner Monday night.  My kids are 6 and 8, just beginning to learn that life stuff can be hard and uncomfortable, but that doesn't mean we quit. We got to the part of your story where you are pedaling as hard as you can trying to make the cut off-- of course I'm all teared up and my daughter's eyes are like saucers-- "Did she make it? Did she?"

No, honey. She gave it her all in all that wind and she didn't make it. And she was really really dissappointed and sad. And she cried, a lot. And then you know what she did?

"What?"

She told her friends all about her hard work in the race, and how sad she was...and then she signed up to try it again next year.

"Huh." (thinking pause....) "Atta girl!"

You're teaching lots of lessons-- here on this board and to my eight year old daughter. Thanks for sharing all of it.

You are all reminding me how much positive can come out of all of this. And you have all helped in the healing process. Going back to work and letting everyone there know what happened wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. People realize an IM is brutal, but with weather conditions it can become even more so. But I get to tell everyone that I'm already entered for next year's race, and I'm already looking at other races this year to get ready.

I wanted to thank each and every one of you for your support. It has been a trememdous help. One thing is for sure...I'm not the same person I was before this journey started, and the journey is still going. Thanks for being a part of the journey.