Lets Go For the "Double"!

Here I am sitting in my bed thinking about where the past 7 weeks has taken me. 8 weeks ago I was sitting at home finishing up my spring semester at UW-La Crosse, preparing for a summer of Ironman training, and living with the women whom I thought I was going to marry. Life was good to say the least. Then within a week, I was left scrambling to find a new place to live after me and Kate decided to go our own ways, left looking for a new job as my current job was no longer financially acceptable, and the thought of spending my summer training for another Ironman seemed very daunting all the sudden.

 The past 7 weeks of my life have been a bit of a mess. I usually welcome change with open arms, but this time it was different. I made the choice to move to Madison for the summer, for my training partners, team, close friends, and to help my mother get the backyard prepared for my sisters wedding. The thought of moving back into my parents scared me so I thought I would bum around on couches and friends houses through the summer. Hey I have traveled through Asia and Europe twice with only my backpack, how hard could this be? The first week wore me down more then I expected, meals had to have some sort of planning, packing/unpacking took more out of my day then I wanted. Maybe this wasn't a good idea?

 My motivation for Ironman started to dwindle, I was wearing down myself mentally and physically. I started to doubt myself, my abilities, and my drive for a second Ironman finish. I was beaten down mentally, physically, and emotionally...

 Then a training buddy asked me about the Leadman Epic 250 and if I was interested. Of course I was, the thought of beating my body down relentlessly for 250 kilometers at elevation and over two mountain passes seemed hard to pass up! Of course, when I checked the date of the race, 2 weeks post Ironman Wisconsin, I knew it just wasn't in the cards. Still the thought of finishing Leadman and completing the "double" intrigued me. A couple weeks passed and my thoughts on doing the double dwindled. Then I read this on Jordan Rapp's blog. "No risk, no fun", exactly! Why not? What is the worst that can happen to me? I can't finish Leadman and am stuck on the side of the road climbing up Mt. Bachelor? That doesn't seem like the worst place to be bumming for a ride back home. And if I complete the race? Well then sit down, grab a drink because I have a story to tell you! So here I am thinking about attempting the "double" and the only hold up I have right now is clearing a few days out of my schedule to make the trek out to Bend to punish my body.

 -Sometimes you need to have a little "F@ck it" in your life, planning life down to the detail is monotonous and boring. I accept this challenge as I have absolutely no idea if I will be able to complete it, and that is what drives me to say "f@ck it", lets for for it!