Zero Dark Thirty

When the alarm went off this morning, training seemed like a really bad idea. A long list of issues warranted a day off.

1. Vacation Bible School, which caused extremely late nights (in Iron Pol terms) since Sunday.
2. Sunday's run through the rain in an effort to avoid the lightning (and what turned out to be a tornado) injured my back.
3. It was really dark, and Iron Wil's adventures biking in the dark are best avoided.
4. It certainly had to be raining.

I went so far as to go check out the front window. Nope, no rain. The back, though sore, probably wouldn't suffer from a 20 mile bike ride. And the sun was sure to come up before I left.

So, Iron-in-Training-Self told Whiny-Excuse-Seeking-Self to get his hiney in gear and get out the door. After all, everything was already laid out and ready for the training day.

Most of my friends and co-workers think I'm wacked out. They have enough difficulty understanding why I would get up at 4:30 a.m. ANY day to train. And when I comment that I'm quite tired because of the training in conjunction with the rest of the week, they just shake their heads. It seems they don't get it.

Then again, despite my relative loathing of swimming and running, any other path is out of the question, for me. The kids I lead have placed the challenge before me. As a role model for both these kids and my children, the challenge has been accepted.

And along the way, I have changed. Training schedules that the average person thinks is insane is now just a part of who I am. Waking up a 4:30 in the morning, though difficult on some mornings, is now routine. Swimming 2000 yards before work on Tuesday, or biking 75 miles before cartoons start on Saturday, or running 15 miles before the sun comes up on Sunday now defines me.

They say that anyone who finishes an Ironman can accomplish anything. Many believe that is because it is an amazing task to complete a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run in one race. And it is amazing. More amazing, though, is what it takes the average person to even get to the starting line.

Anyone who can juggle work, family, and training to complete an Ironman can, in fact, accomplish anything. And anyone who completes the journey will be a far different person than the one who started the journey.

Go get some sleep. Because the morning is coming, and with it, the training and racing that is a part of our lives.