Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

It has been nearly a year since I had the bright idea of starting this blog. I have in the last year managed to take a huge step toward becoming the "Iron Barista" . On July 23rd I completed Ironman Lake Placid in a time of 11:49:21. Not bad for my first triathlon. In the process of preparing and competing in the IM LP race I have become hooked on the sport. All along the way people would keep telling me that it wasn't just about the race itself but also about the journey getting there. Now I truly understand what they meant. You don't just spend a year training physically but also mentally. In the end it is the mental toughness you develop in training that carries you on race day. All those workouts were you wanted to say forget it and head home early or not even go out the door because it was raining paid off come race day. In a meeting with my coach before the race he told us that the satisfaction of the race came from overcoming the many "dark" places your brain would go throughout the day while out on the race course. Now I fully understand what he meant. The race was an emotional rollercoaster. Hell the ride started before the race even began. We had some pretty shitty weather the day before the race which sent competitors scrambling to find bad weather gear encase it didn't clear up on race day. We were also given a warning that wetsuits could be disallowed for the swim because the water temp was at 77, a degree off of the cutoff. Then there was the added stress of the potential descent into Keen with wet roads. This is a descent that riders will hit up to 90km/hr in good conditions. Luckily all of this pre race panic was unneeded because the weather just got better and better as the race went on. There were only a few unlucky ones who finished late who had to put up with some rain as the clock approached midnight. I feel that I have now recovered and am ready for the next challenge this new lifestyle has too offer. Ironically Cross starts next weekend so the next post may be like the last.