I AM an ironman

Two days ago, my wife said, "you don't really seem that excited about completing an ironman". I realized that I've been in a very contemplative mood since finishing St. George. I thought that it really wasn't the big accomplishment that I had expected it to be, and rationalized that I've achieved a lot of things in my life, and this was just one of them. Well, the last couple of days have begun to tell another story. Typically, after a race I get very excited and want to share everything. I tend to be a fairly effusive and open person, letting my thoughts an feelings out on my sleeve.

The last couple of days, however, as I walk around, I seem to be standing straighter. In fact, I have the feeling of a quiet increased level of confidence. It's that darn ironman:). The more people I talk to, the more I'm reminded of the difficulty of the St. George course. I ran into someone today whose daughter did the race, he spoke of a couple of people they carried out of the water! The number of people who didn't finish, many of them very high quality athletes, is a reminder as to what I accomplished.

But, I don't really want to get on the mountain top and shout anything out. I'm very content going about my day with an increased feeling of confidence and a heightened feeling that there is nothing I can't accomplish if I set my mind to it. I'm looking forward to the rest of the race season. I've got some goals to really see how fast I can be. It's fun to (almost) be 51 years old! I truly AM an ironman.