Still not an Ironman

In mid 2020, I wrote a reflection on not being ready, able, or focused enough to do an Ironman (No Ironman). That it was okay, and I reflected that some of it was on everything in pandemic being canceled, but honestly that I lost my drive to do it... made me feel less guilty but still something I thought to myself, "later". 

2021 Blog: Dead Last Winner

Well in early 2021 I thought... I was back in school, I was starting to look for my next position, and that I should get back on try at least maybe a half Ironman. My first triathlon of the year I was slow but improving . I thought this was my year, let's go! Unfortunately those plans were short lived, maybe a month or so after serious training started I hurt my knee working at La Casa. I nursed it, took it easy, but ultimately it needed medical intervention and have arthroscopic knee surgery. It was a meniscus repair on my right knee, which had full ACL replacement in 1997. I was worried it would be a major repair, but luckily the work I had done then held up well and it just need a scope. 

I had the scope done in November of 2021 (One More Scar). I was told I would be back at it in a couple months... the training and while rehab and training was hard, I was diligent about it and got back in the saddle quickly, swimming, biking, and running and getting my distance back. In April 2022 I registered for an indoor Triathlon at the Beacon Aquatic Center in Elkhart, IN. It was a sprint triathlon (400 yard swim, 12 mile bike, 5k run)... and as much I didn't feel ready, I pushed it hard, and I WON! 

So I was BACK and it felt good. Summer 2022 I ran well, ran a lot and was running a 22 minute 5k (goal was 21 minutes) and I remember a 10k I ran in Reno, NV with a fraternity brother in July where my pace was stellar despite the altitude. I then was looking for some longer triathlons, maybe even a half Ironman... 

Then, about a month later a pain started in my left foot. I slowed down the running and shortened distances, even went back to PT a little to work through that, and then it spread to my right foot, and then was causing some tendonitis in my knee. So not only did I cancel plans to race, but by September I paused running completely. Went back to doctor, back to PT, and luckily no surgery, but more rest, and to slow down. 

At the end of 2022, work was stressful, my new job was more work than I thought, and I was not running much, and I gained like 10-12 pounds. I was so overwhelmed, I blogged about it (Overwhelmed). So then I made a plan, I started working with a podiatrist, and knew that 2023 would be better...

Well new shoes, orthotic inserts, and now I am back... well slowly. For the first three months of the year I hit all my move goals and in March I signed up for the IronKroc (did it in 2019 and caught the trithlon bug)... you set a monthly goal to hit all the ironman distances (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run). So I capped off the end of the first quarter of the year and pushed it hard, ate well, worked out daily and slowly increased running distances. I actually finished the run distance first and then the swim distance (what I hate the most) and finished the bike on the final day. It was the IronKroc in 2019 that actually got me to start swimming and thinking about triathlons. 

So I am an IronKroc, but still not an Ironman... and I am still cool with it. I shed the 10-12 pounds I gained in in 2022, and have hope that maybe I can keep increasing distances and 

Is there a lesson here, or is this just a blog about how life has been lately? I mean there are lots of lessons, and one is, that writing and blogging is a nice release for me. So I am trying to blog more and document things I am up to... I also thinking writing this will remind to try and take things slow, to be happy with progress, and that pushing too hard can make things break... 

So here is to slowing down, to setting goals and hitting targets, and maybe having some long term dreams that might never happen, but to keep them as options.