Look Both Ways

At just about any given time, somebody looking at my race schedule will see something on the horizon. While I can train without an upcoming event, paid registrations have always been the best motivation. Whether $15 for a local 1oK or $450 for Ironman Louisville, the result is the same. Money spent equals training accomplished.

Perhaps it is a function of the first marathon I ever completed. After a year of ribbing from a co-worker, I took a leap of faith and registered for a race I wasn't sure I could complete. If nothing else, signing up allowed me to go, "See, I'm entered." Even if I failed to finish, at least I had signed up.

Or maybe it's just that races give me a goal. A target for which to shoot. Winning isn't really a likelihood, but there's always a PR. Or a new distance. A race I've never completed. Something new to say I've accomplished.

I've rarely looked back, though. Once the race is completed, it's history. Finisher's Medals accumulate dust in a box. Race shirts wind up as sleeping attire. And race day anecdotes only come up when someone asks. The memorabilia from my biggest race to date, The Chicago Marathon, went into a display that was shipped to the cancer survivor for whom I ran the race. It's all just stuff.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to see the videos put together by Tac Boy documenting the Tri Blog Alliance at IM Florida. Watching it, I realized that IM Louisville is going to fall into an entirely different category. The journey is longer. The demands are greater. The personal investment is much greater. *Nancy Toby asked if I was implying IM Louisville is somehow longer or more difficult than IM Florida. I see now that I poorly placed my statement. The intent was to compare IM with my previous events, not IMKY with IMFL. Dang! I've revealed the secret that I am, apparently, only human.*

And it appears there will be a slightly larger audience for this trip. And in August, a new reader might just ask the question, "What's all the hype about? What have I missed." So, I'm going to try and start documenting a bit more of this journey in pictures. Pictures of training, before and after pictures, and race day pictures.

Those of you who are on the same journey should consider the same thing. Just as Kahuna, Tac Boy, and a multitude of others put together the Tri Blog Alliance presentations, we can put together an "Ice Breaker" show for when we get together in Louisville. And if we're lucky, we'll have someone of Tac's caliber to document race day.

Because someday we'll want to be able to look back and say, "See, see what I did!"