expectations

This week I signed up for my first Ironman.  I don't remember how old I was, but I do remember the first time I heard about what an Ironman race consisted of and that I thought it was a bit insane.  But I also remember a time when running a marathon was almost unthinkable, too, and I've now run several. I guess the level of self expectation has risen.

I do really enjoy the challenge of triathlon.  I also really love the community of people I'm privileged to be surrounded by.  Yes, we might be crazy for what we do, but we take care of each other in that.  I don't know if I'd put myself through it if I had to go it alone.  The training can be very time-intensive, so I decided that fall 2014 was a good time to do an Ironman because I'll be finished with school and don't have kids yet.  That's not to say it can't be done in either of those situations, though.

Last weekend I was in Arizona cheering on my friends who were racing the exact race I'll complete, if all goes as planned, next November.  I took care of athletes in the medical tent.  I watched people noticeably struggling and I watched people who looked very strong, despite the physically demanding task they'd undertaken.

I've run a marathon without training for it.  I wouldn't recommend it- it was definitely not my ideal way of operating- but I know that it's possible.  Maybe for some it could be possible to do an Ironman without training, but for me I know that I need to be diligent and disciplined over the next year to prepare.  That excites me- having a year to prepare for a task that at this point seems lofty.

A lot will happen in the next year for me, or so I hope.  I'll finish school, getting my graduate degree that has seemed so far off for so long.  I'll become a nurse practitioner, capable of caring for people in a way I've only dreamed about.  I'll take a job that's closer to what I want to be when I grow up than any before.  And I'll decide whether to stay or to go- to follow my move-every-two-years-after-college m.o. or break that cycle.

Yes, I'm really looking forward to this next year.  I don't know what it will bring, which is exciting.  I have high expectations, not necessarily for the end result (although I do hope to finish the race) but for the journey to get there.