I am not an athlete. Never was.
Yeah, I take CrossFit classes. I run. I've even finished two half-marathons. But I really don't consider myself an athlete even though I've been accused of being one.
You see, I hate running and I hate CrossFit. I REALLY hate to sweat. But I love it. All of it. And I'll tell you what else I love...I love to eat. Running and CrossFit give me caloric freedoms I've grown to depend on. But I'm not an athlete.
I am, however, married to one. Not just an athlete, a TRIATHLETE.
Jon Soden runs. He bikes. He swims. He puts more miles on his body in a week than I put on my car. And he's good at it. He strives to become better. He's an athlete.
When we got married Jon was a powerlifter. Nobody saw this triathlete thing coming. He started running one day and then things just "ran away" so to speak. I'll never forget the day he told his mother and I he had decided to do an Ironman.
We were in New Hampshire for a triathalon eating breakfast when he broke the news. I think he figured he had safety in numbers to deal with our reaction. His mother was there, so I probably wouldn't kill him and there were witnesses. His Mom and I had the exact same reaction, "What the F$&K is wrong with you?" 140.6 miles. I told him to get his affairs in order. I was convinced he would die. He didn't.
And now, this Ironman thing just won't go away. He is ready to take on #5 in Panama City, FL. Although I do respect anyone who completes a physical competition of this kind, I still think it takes a special kind of crazy to do this. I've come to find enjoyment in asking the people who have joined this growing "cult" to please take note of the moment they ask themselves on that long, grueling day, "What the F$@k was I thinking?" Because the fact of the matter is, I don't care who you are, that question is going to cross your mind.
I won't ever have to worry about asking myself that question because you will never see this "athlete" riding that crazy train and here's why...
10. 140.6 miles. I honestly don't put that many miles on my car in a week.
9. I'd rather drown trying to save my cocktail from going overboard than getting kicked in the head at the mass swim start.
8. The last time I rode a bike it had a basket on the front. I probably fell off. I do that a lot.
7. Port-o-potties. Or worse yet, not making it to one.
6. Chafing. In all of the places.
5. 140.6 miles. Did I mention that already?
4. The 17 hour time limit. If I trained for this thing, you better give me a month to complete it if that's what it takes.
3. The fact that you can simply walk around in the tin foil warmer blanket and people will congratulate you on your Ironman finish. It happened to me for real. All of the glory, none of the pain.
2. The only thing I can do for 12 straight hours (or more) is sleep.
1. I. AM. NOT. AN. ATHLETE.
But, like I said, Jon Soden is. And regardless of how crazy I think Ironman is (and I do), he seems to "enjoy" it. There's something to be said about that. There's something to be said about someone who has the dedication and love for the sport that enables them to complete countless hours of training and 140.6 miles of competition. There's something to be said about riding that crazy train for the 5th time...voluntarily.
I've stood at an Ironman finish line before. Sometimes it's pretty, sometimes it's not...but it's a finish, an accomplishment. And a HUGE one at that.
I guess that's what happens when you're an athlete.
The Queen
No comments:
Post a Comment