Journey to Kona Day 219: Thirty Days!

Wow!  I started this blog 219 days ago.  There are now 30 days left to race day.  It's getting real.  In 22 days I will get on a plane and fly to Kona.  In one week, I'll probably officially start my taper. This journey has been a remarkable one.  When I started it, I was recovering from my first 100 mile event. That experience was both unique and profoundly impactful on many levels.  I was also recovering from a job experience that left me beaten up and unsettled.  There were times that I had questioned my own reasons for doing Kona. The last 219 days have helped bring a lot of things into focus.  My excitement for Kona has only increased, to the point that I now fully understand and appreciate that I am truly fulfilling a long held dream.

With thirty days to go, there are a lot of things I can do to screw things up.  I can do too much. I could get injured. I could fall off my diet.  There are a few simple things that I can do to come into Kona fully prepared.  I can not and will not miss opportunities to rest.  The ironman distance deplores fatigue.  I've already seen the value of reducing fatigue over a week ago when I took the greater part of a week off from training, leading to a couple of my best training days ever this past week.  I've learned the importance of having balance in my life and focusing on the things that truly matter to me.

Has the last 219 days been about Kona?  In many ways, it has been.  At this point, the next 30 days had better be about Kona.  I've hit the home stretch.  I'm looking forward to competing in the most iconic triathlon in the history of the sport. It's more than a race.  It's more than a healthy experience.  It's a metaphor for life.  In many ways, my approach to ironman reflects my approach to life, which is probably why I've gravitated to the sport.  Kona is where Julie Moss crawled to the finish line.  It's the ultimate stage where the best in the world compete.  It will be an honor to race in Kona.  Thirty days!