Race Report: Ironman Coeur d’ Alene – June 21, 2009 Part 1: People

Race Report: Ironman Coeur d’ Alene – June 21, 2009
Ken Landolt (836)

Part 1: People
So here I sit with a lovely Belgian Ale, one week removed from my second Ironman finish wondering what to include. I’ll do my best not to have it all be about me but let’s face it, that will be difficult. Doing an Ironman is inherently selfish and I’ve been “me” focused for far too long.

Everyone adjusts so I can be called an Ironman. Sara graciously and stoically handles the entire household while I prepare and grump about the little details. I’m dedicated and inspirational? Nope, that honor goes to Sara.

The boys don’t get it and who can blame them, they are young. They only know Dad is gone too much and he is grumpy when he is home. All they want is the human jungle gym to reopen for business.

The rest of our families and friends kindly give me a pass while I check out of normal human life and attempt to prepare my body for one very long day.

This goes on for nine months until I pack up my race gear, Sara packs up the entire family, and we all head West in a modern day Conestoga wagon Sara packed to perfection.

Out West I am blessed with more kind-hearted people. The people of Coeur d’ Alene truly embrace Ironman athletes. People in restaurants, grocery stores, coffee shops and our campground welcome us to town, wish us luck and tell us where they will be volunteering on race day. It feels like the entire town is as focused on the event as I am.

As race day looms and I turn into a Class-A prick fretting over details, well-wishers come out of the woodwork. Friends and relatives drive 1,500 miles to watch and it feels like the entire Triathlon community takes time out of their busy schedule to phone or email encouragement. I can barely eke out a thank-you without my voice cracking as emotion wells up inside.

June 21st dawns sunny and cold. Sara and I listen to our traditional pre-race CD. Green Day finishes singing “I hope you have the time of your life” and the next thing I know I’m staring at the ½ mile buoy with 2,600 nervous racers and 10,000 spectators. Today my body will tell me to quit. My mind knows that can’t happen. Family and friends are watching and I need to deliver satisfaction 140.6 miles down the road. Anything less simply won’t do.

BOOM!!!!

Next: Part II: Places

photo credit: I designed our theme shirts---team BAMF. I think BAMF is a mindset vs. a bunch of swear words. During hard experiences you go there (think labor & delivery or Ironman.) And sometimes BAMF makes you smile and you need that during 140.6.

Ken's Finish! Race Report to Come

What You Want Most

"Don't give up what you want most for what you want at the moment."

-- Christie, WeightWatchers leader, Stoughton, Wis.

I love this statement and the ideas behind it. Currently it shapes my life choices in many ways, including:
- Food: I want to eat half the menu at El Taco Loco. But, I'm trying to lose weight and each food choice matters, so I'm going to pass, for now.
- Triathlon: I wasn't sure I wanted to run last night at 9:40 p.m. I went, knowing I needed the workout, and it was fabulous.

- Writing: I want to publish my manuscript via a traditional publisher. Therefore I read, write, rewrite and repeat.

- Parenting: When I'm tired, it's easy to ignore or let consistent discipline slide. But, we want to build boys of character, so as parents we press on with hope.

Have you figured out what you want most, what you're willing to sacrifice for in order to achieve or become? Must you know where you're going to know what you want? Have you defined triathlon and/or other life goals or is goal setting a waste? Let's take a look:

Cecil Murphy, writing craft panelist on The Christian Writers View 2 & author of over 100 books, doesn't set goals. Instead he focuses on the present, he shared in a past TWV2 discussion. "I do what I can do now," he wrote. "That attitude keeps me open to the future; it prevents me from wailing over what I didn't do."

Part of time management and goal setting involves defining what you aren't going to do. Rachelle Gardner, literary agent with WordServe Literary, specifically doesn't scrapbook, garden or follow basic laundry guidelines in order to do what she loves most. Find more time management tips from Rachelle & 33 of her many readers here.

And, if you're a triathlete, the word Kona may mean something to you. Mary:IronMatron wants to qualify for the Ford Ironman World Championships (Kona) before she turns 43.

"So I'm going there. And soon. A lot of life is like that: you must decide you're going to get something, and then act as if it's yours to have," she wrote on a recent post "The Chase, The Pass, The Line."

Questions for you:
What do you want most?
What have you given up to get there?

What distracts you from getting what you want most?

photo credit-my breakfast. It's easy to be good with fruit like this.