How do you measure an Ironman?

How do you measure an Ironman? The obvious answer would be 140.6 miles, but it is so much more than that.  I saw yet another beautiful sunrise while I was running this morning and it brought the song "Seasons of Love" to mind.  You know the song from the musical Rent - how do you measure a year? Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes.  (lyrics here if you need a refresher)

Well it got me to thinking: How do you measure an Ironman?  We all know that it is 140.6 miles, but what about all the other "things" that make the story complete?

 Of course, there are all the basics that happen in 18 weeks of training:
1931 miles on the bike
543 miles run
137,000 yards (78 miles) of swimming
280 hours of training

And don't forget:
3 pairs of running shoes
54 loads of laundry
1 flat tire
3 dropped chains

There has to be food:
176 cups of coffee
24 post training breakfast/brunches in which we solved the world's problems
32 breakfast tacos
10 pizzas
countless pancakes/waffles
52 packages of Shot Blocks
10 Pop Tarts
85 bottles of Topo Chico
24 MexiCokes

Along the way there were also:
2 races
3 bike rallies
1 5K age group win
3 parties
5 pedicures
4 massages
1 large book read entirely on the bike trainer

But this is the best part of the whole process, the part that will keep me coming back again and again:
24 Lake Grapevine sunrises
1 duck (the lovable Floyd MayFeather)
35 bad jokes
235 laughs
4 "you are stronger than you think" pep talks
1 long Goat walk
3 "pretty sure this brick run might kill me" runs
1 rain run
8 post long training day camp chair chats
3 friendships that grew stronger and deeper

It is officially less than a week until race day and my bike is on its way to Maryland tonight.  I didn't just survive the training, I thrived.  I am not sure that I have ever had this much fun or learned this much about myself while training for a race.  I feel as if I am on a roller coaster that is slowly climbing the hill before that first big drop.  There is no getting off now, time to enjoy the final ride.

The Space Between: Summer 2017

Hello, first sunrise of summer...we are going to be seeing a lot of each other over the next
few months. There will be smiles and laughter and frustration and exhaustion
and everything in between...and I can't wait.

I snapped this picture and wrote the caption on the first day of summer break, a beautiful Friday morning at Lake Grapevine.  I watched the sunrise every single Friday in this spot and summer saved her most glorious sunrise for the last Friday of my break.  I snapped a picture of that one too because it was just so quietly stunning in its beauty.  Swimming in the calm waters while the sun gently slipped up into an orange sky filled my soul with so much peace.  For a moment I knew that everything in this scary world was going to be okay. Looking through my Instagram feed, I noticed that I had a picture of both the first and last day of summer...but what really caught my attention was all the pictures in the space between those two.  I couldn't stop looking at all of the pictures and thinking of the memories that are attached to each. It is moments like this when I realize just how much my cup overfloweth with people and experiences and love. I am the luckiest. 

I have spent the bulk of my time this summer training for Ironman Maryland, my first.  It has been a real labor of love. I had no idea what to expect when I began this journey, I knew that I was about to put in some of the hardest work that I'd ever done.  I knew that the hours would be long, it would be hot and gritty, and that at times I would be weary.  I expected to be tested and I expected to be pushed beyond what I thought I was capable of.  I didn't expect to have so much fun, to smile so much, and to learn so much about myself. The first week of training was so darned hard, I seriously wondered how I would survive the coming weeks.  But then I found my groove, calmed my perfectionist mind, got to work, and I've never looked back.  There have been times where I read the training plan and wondered how I would pull it off, but then I put my head down and I ended up surprising myself.  Just a few more weeks of hard work remain before the race day in October. You only get one "first" shot at a race and I'm soaking up all of the new experiences, I don't want to forget a thing.

So now it is time for me to head back to work.  I'm thankful for a job that I love and coworkers who are like family to me.  I've missed the kiddos that I work with and I can't wait to see how they have grown and changed over the summer.  I'm also thankful for a job that lets me recharge and enjoy life at an easier pace a couple of months out of the year.  I am a better therapist, a better colleague, and a better version of myself because of the time that I am given.

The space between the tears we cry is the laughter keeps us coming back for more.