To be inspired...

Two years ago, I attended my first Ironman event in Lake Placid, New York State as a spectator. I was very excited to go and watch some friends compete in the race that seemed to be an insane distance. My first impression of Ironman when I had found out the length was "who in their right mind would want to do that?".

After training myself for shorter distances I knew that it would be a big commitment to complete this distance. The whole area of Lake Placid was buzzing with excitement that week as athletes were arriving in preparation for the big day. I enjoyed training with the others as they were gearing down for race day! I was convinced to bike one loop of the course on a particular day; 90 kms to get a feel for the terrain. There was beautiful landscaping and many challenging climbs along the course which I thought would never end. Particularly when it began to rain, it pelted down and began to hail at one point and I thought to myself...."aw come on, are you kidding me". Regardless I survived and was thankful I would be cheering rather than racing. There were hundreds of spectators as we set out early that morning at 5 am. I had been advised that many people would be wearing costumes to cheer on the race. I had come prepared with my own patriotic costume to ensure I could be seen and support my group, I have never needed a reason to wear a costume!

The day presented itself to be overcast with the possibility of rain. That was an understatement! It rained, and rained, and then rained some more, my umbrella hat sure came in handy despite how many laughed at me earlier in the day. Regardless of the weather, men and woman pushed their way through the distances with intention and purpose. Men and women who were all different ages and different body types. I was amazed to see the different types of people and how they seemed so dedicated and passionate during a test of ultimate endurance. The finish line was emotional watching friends and many others complete this great challenge. I knew then that I wanted to try myself and sign up. I had booked a trip for Thailand the following February for 6 weeks and understood that there was no way I would be able to race the following year with taking training time off. So, I decided that I would return the following year to cheer again and continue to be inspired and sign up for Ironman 2010.

2009 was another great road trip down to Lake Placid! This time with another fellow triathlete Annette. We both cheered, volunteered, and then signed up for one of the biggest challenges we may ever undergo. The year ahead of us is sure to bring some interesting experiences!

Life is a daring adventure, or nothing - Helen Keller -