Lake Tahoe Hyatt Beach August 2012
This is what it's all about. I have a blessed life, and a beautiful, healthy, supportive wife to share it with. She is my inspiration to do crazy, health related adventures. I can't tell you how many times that I have been suffering during one of my "crazy adventures" I have pulled from the strength that she has shown these last three years battling breast cancer. In august, as I was in the middle of Lake Tahoe's 65 degree waters swimming 5 miles from the CalNeva to Sand Harbor beach, I remembering thinking as my hands turned numb how I'm I going to make this? I thought about Lulu going through 6 months of cell killing, mind altering, body destroying chemotherapy and I knew I could take one more stroke. As one stroke turned into two, I found the strength to swim through the "discomfort" that I was experiencing. This swim, like my other ventures, is only a temporary inconvenience, not the life altering and constant pain of having cancer. I made this swim on her back.
During May of this year, I completed my first 1/2 Ironman in California. Again this took everything I had and more. I fought hard and found that I could endure 6.5 hours of painful effort. the strength of my effort could be contributed to my wife and her living with the fact that she can't do some of the things she once enjoyed after dealing with all he cancer treatments. I distinctly remember hitting a wall during the 13.1 mile run. This 1/2 Ironman course is know for being one of the most difficult in the world due to the elevation (climbing) that you have to push your body through, and I was experiencing on of the tough dirt climbs (feeling like someone had poured molten lead into my Pearl Izumi shoes), and thinking about how I could just stop right now and be done? Who's going to really care if I finish this race or not? But I knew; I would care, and my wife can't just stop her fight again cancer, so I must finish this for her. Just 200 feet to the top of this quad burning hill and I will get some rest on the downhill, one foot in front of another. Ok, only 100 feet to the top, I just might actually make this? She's watching me. I could feel the power of my wife a state and a half away in Reno, she was guiding me along, adding to my tapped out strength. How can I NOT make it now, only 25 more feet, I'm there. I can't tell you how many times that I encountered those "I can just stop this" feelings (more then I could count), I reached for my inspiration, and it was there for me every time. This inspiration lead me finishing chute of this "grueling " event, and after 6.5 hours I finished wondering "what's next"?
"What's next", turns out to be the USA xterra championships in Utah, with a 5 day (410 mile) bike trip across Nevada to get there. I had set a goal before 2012 season, that was to qualify for this race. The best of the best from all over he US race against each other at this event. I knew making this a goal I was, for me, shooting high, but I could accomplish it with a lot of training and effort. Well, it took "a lot" of effort and way more training then I ever expected, but in the beginning of August I received a email declaring that I qualified for the September 22nd, race. So here we are, the day before heading across the Nevada desert, thinking about what I'm about to do, and why I'm doing it? I feel drawn to the challenge of these adventures. Somehow seeing all the suffering that not just my wife has endured, but also all those effected by cancer, lifts me to new aspirations, ones that hopefully will in turn lead others to try a little harder, do a little more, and care enough to make a difference?
Tomorrow is a new adventure, with God protecting me, and my wife's inspiration moving me forward. I'll make this trek and finish with a newly sense of purpose!
Here I am with my biking rack and panniers, getting ready for the ride:
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