Happy New Year!
I can not believe it has been over 2 years since I last wrote... In fact, my last post was the day before the big race. The World Championship was a pretty awesome experience but most importantly the trip across New Zealand was an adventure of a lifetime. Amazing memories were created.
I truly enjoyed and took full advantage of the journey. Although not an excuse, I needed the time away from social media, emails, and phones for that matter. It was time for me to focus on myself and enjoy the beauty of New Zealand.
However, when I came back from New Zealand my world somewhat fell apart. The team I trained with dispersed. The past is in the past and I don't want to look back at this confusing time.
Instead, I would like to focus on amazing group of people who gathered together to share the love of the sport. Motivated, disciplined, inspiring are only a few words to describe the people who gathered to create the Wolfpack. All with different goals and inspiration, members of the Wolfpack aim to become the best of oneself and inspire others to be great individuals. The "pack" isn't only known for their speed but also for the genuine involvement around town.... From community fun runs to becoming an enabled body for persons with disabilities to raising abundant amount of funds for various charities, the pack has been present, not for fame but for sincere will to make the world a better place.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/article1925205.html
http://www.triathlonmami.com/category/triathlon/thumbsup-triathlon
http://www.helpinclaw.com/
http://www.empowered.org/Water-Party-MIA-2014
The pack will always be the pack. We might have different goals, inspirations, paths and purposes, but together we stand strong.
The pack changed me. In 2013, I suffered a bike accident while training for Ironman Brazil. I unfortunately had to cancel the race. But the pack was there for me through thick and thin. I will never forget receiving the DVD of Soul Surfer which is the story of this amazing surfer chicks who after suffering form a shark attack, lost her arm but still went back to the ocean and surfed with one arm. Pretty incredible. After months of having my arm stranded in a sling, I committed to competing or should I say attempt to finish my first half Ironman. I only rode my bike for the first time since the accident one week prior to the race. I was not sure if I would even get on the bike. I swam with one arm. I rode my bike not knowing if I would be able to hold the handle bars for 56 miles. I consistently performed safety checks. But once I finished the bike, I knew my mental power would carry me through the finish line. Perhaps not the best decision at the time to complete a half Ironman with absolutely no training but it was an incredible experience. The pack was there throughout the race. I will never forget seeing my pack teammate right before the finish line. Our eyes crossed and I started to choke up. Neither one of us truly believed it was possible for me to finish such distance. But we believe in hope. We believed in the strength of the human mind. I believed in the power of the mind. One of my motto has always been "it's all mental". I can now say, I finished my first half Ironman safely and mentally strong. This type of experiences shape our beliefs, who we are and who we strive to become.
I have struggled to keep focused over the last year and half. I no longer have the speed I used to have. It hurts to run and bike. I try but I don't seem to get any faster. It hurts my confidence but I know nothing is gained without hard work. I might not be the fastest but I can sure focus on becoming the fasted I can be. It is now a competition within and for myself.
So here I am... Less than 3 months from Ironman South Africa. I have signed up and coordinated what will be another trip of a lifetime!
I have one of opportunity to complete my first Ironman and I can only wish for the journey to be incredibly fun and enjoyable. Consequently it is time to commit and be accountable. I must focus on consistent training. I must do it for myself.
The keys to success are self definition, transparency, authenticity and accountability.
It is time for me to commit, be true to myself and my dreams and be accountable.
Happy New Year 2015. Expect to hear (or read) more about my journey to Ironman South Africa! :)
One race at a time, discovering the world!
