Journey to Kona Day 237: An Epic Day, Ironman St. George 2012 IM #3

Twelve days to Kona and today I'm reflecting on the epic 2012 Ironman St. George.  My journey to St. George for the third time began in October of 2011, http://wassdoc.blogspot.com/2011/10/another-journey-to-st-george.html, when I realized that I really did want to continue on my Ironman journey.  Six months later, I was in St. George, along with 80 other athletes who had completed the first two races there.

Just before the gun went off for the mass start the water was as smooth as glass, and it looked like it would be a calm and pleasant day.  I'll never forget my swim start, I was flying!  It wasn't long before I found out why, we were swimming in a tempest!  My race report tells the entire story.  It's a very long read, and I've actually thought about writing a book about this race over the years.  If you're interested in reading about the most difficult Ironman in the history of the sport, here it is: http://wassdoc.blogspot.com/2012/05/2012-ironman-st-george-race-report.html

For some time after the race I found myself in an unusually calm state of mind.  The feeling of having a near death experience, combined with the satisfaction of completing such a difficult race, gave me an inner confidence and peace that I've rarely felt.  Unfortunately, life ultimately took back over and I slipped back into the daily struggle to find that inner peace.  Rereading my race reports and other blogs from 2011 and 2012 have reminded me of the fact that I really didn't know who I was and what I wanted and needed back then.  I had retired, but I hadn't found my true purpose and balance in life.  That's actually been a constant battle for me my entire life.

I often say that Ironman is a metaphor for life, and my daughter Raishel said to me today, "does that mean we're often getting kicked in the head?"  After I stopped laughing, I realized that in some ways she was right.  To be a successful Ironman athlete, one has to be good at being in the moment, which means moving on after we've been kicked in the head.  While there are a lot of "lonely" points along the Kona Ironman course, who wouldn't want to be swimming, biking and running in Kona at any given point along the way?  When I went to Kona last year to cheer on my friend Robert Key, I felt that inner peace again. I'm looking forward to feeling it this Friday, during my stay, and as long as I can hold on to it after Kona.

I'll be wearing my finishers cap from the 2012 Ironman St. George during my run in Kona.  It's only fitting.  While every Ironman that I've ever done has special meaning, this epic day will never be far from my consciousness.  It has been and always will be my definition of what Ironman is all about!