Pushing the limits

"Oh my gosh, really?", she asked, with a stunned look on her face.  About twenty potential replies run through my head, then I reply, "Well, I'm turning 50 this year and thought it would be a good way to fight the aging process, or at least prove to myself that I'm not 'old'."  And, I continue, "my best friend did onet last year and I can't have her doing 2 and my having only completed 1."    There are handful of other quips I've used over the course of the last several months to try to explain to the non-triathletes of the world why I would sign up for and train to complete one of the most grueling one day organized events.

The Ironman.  It consists of a 2.4 mile swim, followed by cycling for 112 miles and then you finish by running a marathon.  26.2 miles.  A distance of 140.6 miles in one day.  Crazy, huh?

That's what most people think, my mother included.

What makes some people do things that others would never even contemplate doing? Skydiving. Climbing Everest. Earning a Ph.D. Sailing around the world.  Hiking the Appalachian Trail. Completing a marathon in every state.  Getting a pilots license.  Those all sound incredibly daunting to me and yet people do them all the time.

For me, it's the challenge and the desire I have to become the very best version of me that I possibly can. It's also about living life to the fullest, not being afraid to push myself and the sense of accomplishment that comes with having set a goal and then following a plan to complete that goal.   As I try to explain to Mr. Man, when I die, I want people to say "She lived!"

When faced with a difficult situation, something in life that really tests me, I can stop, close my eyes and say to myself  "You can do it. You completed an Ironman for crying out loud, you can handle four days alone with a 3 year old!"

To me, that's the 'self-esteem' the self-help guru's talk about.  The ability to look deep inside and to know that when the rubber meets the road you have the stuff it takes to get through any difficult situation.

That's why I do it.  Well, for that and also knowing that if I have an extra cookie I'll still be able to fit into my skinny jeans.

IRONMAN TEXAS

MAY 21, 2011

http://www.ironmanlive.com/

Introducing Miss Kenedy Claire!

Ta Da!

Here she is...quite possibly the cutest little girl on the planet, at least in my eyes.  My very first Granddaughter. Miss Kennedy Claire arrived on March 29th and we are so blessed that she is healthy and happy and growing so fast. Already 4 weeks old. Where does the time go?

Big brother, Jacob, was so excited to meet and hold her for the first time.  By now I think some of the novelty is wearing off, but he's certain to be an excellent older brother as they grow up.

It all begins when two people open themselves up to love and to be loved.

. They make a commitment to stick together, to grow in their love, build a life and become a family.

It's a beautiful thing that I never tire of.

When people ask "What are you most proud of?", I think of my children. The people they have decided to be, the spouses each of them were fortunate enough to meet, and the choices they make.

It's nothing that I did, but I did have a small part.

The choices were theirs, and the fact that I'm their mom and they include me in their life, well, that makes me proud.

Of course, I had to bake a cookie to commemorate the birth of Kennedy...it's just what I do.

Welcome Baby Girl!  Proud, Proud, Proud to by your Gigi!