I always try to set goals for myself. It's the only way I can motivate my big butt off the couch to do something more productive with my life instead of watching the idiot box. After college I didn't have the infrastructure to keep myself as active as I'd like (free gym, tons of buddies, intramurals, girl chasing...yada, yada, yada), so I fell into a terrible cycle of work, eating poorly and drinking beers. I still kept relatively active, but the bulge started to creep in. I was going to the gym, mountain biking and running on an irregular basis...they were no longer a priority.
Well, after the loss of my brother I needed to find a venue for release and I needed it bad. There was a huge void in my life and I needed something to not so much fill it, but soothe it. So I decided to concentrate on mountain biking. My dad picked me up by boot straps and hauled my ass to the bike shop. He said if I was doing this, I was doing it right. I went home with my first real mountain bike...a Gary Fisher Sugar 2. Well, the next few month you couldn't get me off the machine and I had new buddies that ensured that I hit the trails. I now had a mission...to race in a 24 hour race. The players were set and the goal was ultimately achieved. I've been mountain biking ever since.
Recently, a buddy of mine lost his mother who was also a good friend to me...the whole family is good to me. She fought a long tough battle with cancer and it ultimately won. Needless to say there's a void in my buddy's life. He sent an email a few days after his mom passed away asking who wanted to do an Adventure Race. It sounded a lot like my situation (although he is a seasoned racer). This could be his reprieve from the emotions that he is experiencing...heck, it will be therapeutic for me too. Well, not one to let my friends go through things alone...I threw down the gauntlet. I'm here for my friend and how dare I waste my life on my couch gorging myself, when I can test, extend and possibly break myself while I have the chance.
So, now here I am. WTF did I get myself into? And how the hell do I train for this. I have the biking thing down, but running, swimming, kayaking, rappelling, orienteering...oy vay. So what's a guy to do? Find the experts and get schooled. As we speak, I am compiling a list of event experts ( a marathoner who qualified for Boston, a D-1 swimmer, a rodeo kayaker, and an old Army grunt who was thrown into a foreign jungle...haven't figured out the rappelling part...maybe an ROTC instructor). Hopefully these guys will give me some key training advice and hopefully some motivation.
It's on like Donkey Kong!
1 comment:
Like to hear the motivation!!! It sounds like you are committed to doing this from start to finish. You know I'm in. All three of us have lost people so close to our hearts. This adventure race is for us. Probably the hardest thing that we will be involved in, that's what it's all about. I look forward to the challenge!!
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