IMFL Here I Come!

I've wanted to be an Ironman for so long now. Before I was even a marathoner I thought it'd be so cool to do an Ironman.  But never in a million years did I think I'd become one because there was the small issue that I wasn't a triathlete. Well, that sort of changed over the summer and as I got more and more into the tri training and races, my desire to do an IM grew and the day I finished the 70.3, I knew I needed to make it happen.

I did my research and decided that IM Florida was the best fit for me. For starters, the swim is 2 loops which is broken up by a short run across the beach before entering the water again for the second loop. Since the swim is the scariest part for me, knowing I would have a short break on land if things weren't going well would really help me mentally. Then there's the water...swimming in the Gulf, in clear water, yes please!! The bike is fast and flat and the run is 2 loops. Again, I love my loops and knowing I would see my family twice on the run is huge for me.

There are so many things that have to be considered when taking something like this on: family, money, work, social life (or should I say lack thereof). It's not the race distance so much that makes me question if I can do this, it's if I can make the necessary sacrifices. For the past few months I've gone back and forth a bazillion times. Probably more than that. I'm sure I asked Andy 5 times a day if he thought I should do it...and if he thought I could do it. My eye twitched all day every day for the past 3 months until about a week ago when I felt confident I stressed enough over the decision, weighed all my options, and knew what to do.

So today, day after Ironman 2011, I logged on for 2012 registration. Up until exactly 1pm when it opened, I wasn't sure I was going to do it. In fact, with 2 minutes to go I was sure there would be a sign, like my computer crashing, to tell me I shouldn't pull the trigger. But with Andy standing behind me making sure I entered all the info correctly as fast as I could, I hit submit at 1:08pm before I could second guess myself. And just like that, I was registered for IMFL 2012. My heart was racing, my eyes filled with tears and all I could say was, "oh my gosh, I'm actually going to do this."

Andy gave me a kiss and congratulated me when it was all said and done. At first I thought, "congrats for what? I haven't done it yet." But then I realized, just registering was an accomplishment in itself. It would have been really easy to keep talking about wanting to be an Ironman. But talk is cheap and I'm ready to make this a reality. The next year is going to be rough. Is it going to be hard? Yes. In fact, it's going to be the hardest thing I've ever done. Is it going to hurt? Like hell. Will there be tears? Tons. But at the end of this journey I'll be stronger because of the sacrifices I'm about to make and on November 3, 2012 I'll finally hear the words..."Denise Terry, you ARE an..."

Can't jinx myself!! I'll finish that sentence soon enough. First up, I'm going to enjoy this crazy ass ride! Here we go kids, hold on tight, this is going to be nuts.