What It's All About (not the Hokey Pokey)

The Ironman is behind me now (or should I say for now). All of the build-up, the 52 Weeks To Ironman posts, the training and nutrition and gear and stress all came down to one pinpoint day. Then poof, it's gone. I enjoyed a lot of it, and some of it I didn't. The only real regret that I have is that I allowed myself to become disappointed in me. Because of what?? Because I didn't do as well as I thought I should? Because fate got in the way (again)? Because I didn't make some arbitrary timeline in my brain?

Writing the last part of my race report yesterday brought all of the feelings I experienced in the race back to me, both the joyful bits and the horrible bits. Today I was left feeling wrung out.

Then a very cool thing happened: I went to see my doctor. Nothing special, just time for the yearly physical. My doc is great, he took almost and hour with me, went over every bit of my health from bloodwork to the year's history to a physical exam. And you know what he had to say? I'm in perfect health. Perfect. My heart rate, blood pressure, liver, kidneys, lungs, cholesterol, skin, red blood cells, brain, all of it. It's all good. Yes, I've still got the thyroid condition, which will never go away since I only have half of a thyroid gland. But other than that, no worries.

And that folks, that's what it's really all about. The Ironman finish line is a place in time. A moment that flashes by. But your good health, that's with you your whole life. It sets you up for being able to climb mountains or swim between the islands of Greece in your retirement instead of sitting in an easy chair popping pills and wheezing when you have to stand up. It affects every moment of every day when you feel vital and young, whizzing with energy and so very alive. Now I can't control everything that will happen to me in the future, but I know that these 52 weeks leading up to the Ironman have been a time when I did good things for my body. I exercised (a lot!), I ate well - fruits, veggies, good meats and nuts and seeds. I slept 8 hours a night. I stretched and relaxed when I needed to.

All of that got me across the Ironman finish line, yes. But more than that, it gave me a moment where my doctor said "Well, there's nothing more I really need to talk with you about. You're in great health." That's what it's all about.