How to Succeed at Racing

Can summer really be almost over? What a summer it has been... From the wedding to triathlons to album/music stuff...

Right now, the focus is on the Chicago Triathlon (this Sunday), our last race of four... the training has been amazing... in spite of a couple minor injuries (and in Andrea's case, one larger freak injury, which she has overcome like a champ) we have been training largely healthy since March... six full months of early Sunday mornings, 800 milligrams of ibuprofen, aching muscles, tired brains, jackassery on the lakefront...

And now, a chance to do our first "second race." Cannot wait. The weather looks clear... a bit warm but otherwise okay. The lake water temperature has been wonderful this year, and need only hold on for two more days...

With support from Andrea, I'm already eyeing the Madison Ironman race next September... which is crazy but... why not? If you told me in summer of '06 that I could run a marathon (or even a half-marathon) I would have laughed. I had never run more than 4 miles. Since then, I've done several half-marathons and two full marathons, not to mention numerous 10k races. If you had told me in the winter of 2008, when we started swimming at our gym, that I would get to the point where I could swim a mile in Lake Michigan on a day when there was a "small craft advisory" I would have laughed. I could barely swim two laps in a pool without stopping.

And the two most important steps for success in ANYTHING are: 1. Start. 2. Don't stop.

And I've started. And I haven't stopped yet. Which must mean I'm succeeding...

One lake training swim
One brutal mid-day 10k
One weekend brick
One achy morning
One blister
One sunburn
At a time.
jbg