Journey great, destination better!

American author Greg Anderson is quoted as saying.' Focus on the Journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it."

That is fine and I do not disagree, sort of. I do think it is about time someone stood up and took up the mantle for the finish. It seems that the finish's public relations team  has been slacking and needs a swift kick in the butt. I might just be the person for the job.

I workout 10-12 times a week, my current goals are to ride in the Mohican 100K mountain bike race, perform very well in the Muncie Ironman 70.3 mile triathlon in July, and finish the Revolution3 140.6 mile triathlon in September at Cedar Point. I have completed the first two distances, the third is the relentless monster that wakes me up in the middle of the night.

During my weekly workouts I push hard at times and other times I focus on lasting, making my specialty "going the distance." During those times when I am at my breaking point, I think of crossing the next finish line and how amazing it will feel. My blood moves quicker, my breathing gets a little easier, and my mind becomes euphoric. I have to admit that part of the journey IS pretty cool.

Since getting up off the couch and getting in shape, I have taken many journeys, and finished quite a few races. Actually I have finished them all, knock on wood. I have run a half-marathon, raced in mountain bike and road races, and finished two triathlons. All of my training was beneficial and memorable, but the feeling of crossing that finish line was like a drug that you can not get enough of.

Hi, my name is Jason and I am an addict! A finish line addict.

Saying that it is the journey and not the destination is something you tell someone that is still on the journey portion of their quest.  I have never heard someone talk about the journey once they are on the desired side of the finish line. It is crossing the line that transforms couch potatoes into athletes.

I will concede that a finish without the trials and tribulations of training would be hollow and unsatisfying. There must be suffering during the journey to make the destination so sweet. Oh and how sweet it is too. On more than one occasion tears of bliss have dripped from my cheek as I crossed that magical line. I remember everyone like it was yesterday.

Mr Anderson, it is admirable and accurate to write about the virtues of "the Journey." All of my experiences so far lead me to the conclusion that there is also plenty of joy to be found at the finish. Wanna race me there?

A Good Story

I am feverishly reading back issues of Triathlete magazine, enjoying hand-me-downs from a friend and fellow triathlete. You can find his blog here. One of the articles that inspired me was about a 65 year old by the name of Richard Decker.

In 2009 Mr. Decker was returning to the Big Island after 25 years away. He was returning to Kona for another dance with one of the world's most difficult races. His goal was to beat his previous time of 15:14:17, a time he earned at age 40. At 65, this was one lofty goal. A goal he would not accomplish!

Richard had finished the swim and bike and was five miles into the run when he felt something pull around his right Achilles tendon. He wasn't sure what had happened but it made running difficult. He knew he would have to walk a good portion of the race. He called it the "Kona shuffle."

Richard walked into the darkness, past the Energy Lab to the Queen K. He encountered a man on a cell phone on the side of the road. He asked the stranger to call his son and tell him that he wasn't sure he was going to make it. He told the stranger to tell his son to inform family and friends of the news and head back to the hotel. Richard continued in pain, shuffling in the direction of the finish line. Minutes later he heard someone yelling at him. It was the man with the cell phone. The man relayed this message from Richard's son: "You will make it back before the midnight cutoff!" "We are monitoring your progress and you need to pick up the pace and we'll see you at the finish!"

With a quarter mile to go, Richard's wife and son were waiting on the side of the road for him. They cheered him on and Richard's son ran next to him, encouraging him that he could do it. He would finish! Richard did finish. He was the last racer to finish in 2009, 48 seconds before the Kona Ironman cutoff!

Craig Alexander and Chrissie Wellington greeted the 65 year old Ironman with hugs. His family and friends and thousands of spectators cheering him as he crossed the line. It must have been incredible.

When you are out there, alone. Always remember that you are actually not alone at all. Your friends, family, training partners and competitors are with you. They have the power to inspire you, as much as your accomplishments inspire them!

183.4 or Under the Wire

Growing up, no one looked to me for math help. I decided as a youth that fun trumped math every time. I was not the sharpest compass in the desk drawer.  On Monday I used every bit of math skills I could recall from years long gone. The story problem this wannabe Ironman was asking himself was: How many times does Jason have to run around the Y's running track to complete his month's half-marathon? Here is what I knew; the track at the Y requires 14 laps on the outside lane to equal a mile and a half-marathon is 13.1 miles. My brain struggled with the puzzle. I decided a calculator could solve my problem, so I grabbed my iPod. I decided that if 14 laps = 1 mile, I could multiply 14 by 13.1 and get an answer to my story problem.

14 x 13.1 = 183.4

With this information tattooed to my brain, I took off for the Y. In one pocket was my trusty Ipod, in the other was the lap counter I use in the pool. It looks like a mini watch for your index finger.  In my hand was a 32 oz bottle filled with endurance fuel, orange flavored. In the lobby of the YMCA, I ran into one of my friends, Reese. I asked him what he was doing there, he replied "Racquetball." Reese is an awesome racquetball player, so good, when we play we don't need to keep score. He asked what I was doing there and I explained my plan. "How many laps is that?" "183.4." I replied. He asked me if I was off work on Tuesday. I said that I was, but this needed to be done in February, Not March! He looked at me as if I were crazy and then wished me luck.

I won't bore you with all the details, I finished and it was not fun! The track is shaped like a bean and has one really sharp turn. After 183 of these turns, certain parts of the body become quite irritated. The knees, the ankles, and the toes to name a few. I ran for nearly two hours, the group of runners surrounding me rotated out three or four or five times in that period. For about 20 laps I reversed directions when it was only me and one other woman on the track, that felt real nice. I watched my lap times fall from 34 seconds to 42 seconds in that two hours.

I have a goal to complete a half-marathon every month leading up to my Ironman attempt, so far I am two for two. This one was just under the wire since I am still recovering from an illness. Other than a sore knee, I have to say that I am feeling much better and am very pleased to be working out again. It was a full week I was off and I was starting to go a little crazy!

Here is a fun video that my triathlete friends and I enjoy very much, skip it if strong language offends you. I recommend watching it and laughing!