The Gift Basket

Supperclub - a time to gather with friends, sometimes just once a month, for the past sixish years.

They all have incredibly busy lives, full of kids, furkids, spouses, friends and work.

And tonight these fabulous, strong and amazing women gave me a gift basket full of their wishes for IMFL.

I peeked in to see their detailed research and support - the obscurities of the triathlon world, from tri stickers to cliff shot blocks to triple shot caffeine Gu. The thoughtful band aid blister packages I'll be putting in my special needs bags and the super soft, big, fluffy, fleecy Halloween socks that will comfort my feet after attempting 140 plus miles. The beautiful card depicting a cute blonde jogger (is that me? blush) drawn by the sweet daughter of one of our members.

And, oh yeah, the gift certificate for a massage - and the fabulous bottle of wine - for celebrating (crossing all fingers and toes) after the race. They all know me so well.

Then there is the "Swim, Bike, Run" bracelet I'll be wearing from now till my race ends on November 3rd.

How fortunate am I to have found such friends?

Incredibly lucky - and thankful!

THANK YOU!!!!

No One

It hit me the past few days.

I've heard the stories. I've read the blogs. A recent post by Tea really pointed it out.

The many triathletes or runners who have been told by others that they may not reach their goals.

And I realized, one again, how lucky I am.

The chubby grammar school kid occasionally excused from gym class due to asthma who wanted to ride bikes with the neighborhood kids. The pre-teen non-athlete who had kind friends when picking teams during those challenging adolescent years. The girl with just a smidge of dancing background, spending weeks practicing kicks and splits for the high school kickline squad try-outs.

No one ever told me "You can't."

No one.

I was occasionally made fun of. Which may have lead to feeling a bit embarrassed about how slow I was.

But no one ever said "You shouldn't."

I occasionally surprised everyone, mostly myself. I made that kickline squad and became the captain three years later.

And now, as this woman approaching middle age who signed up for some ridiculous sounding race.

No one has said "You'll never."

Over the past year, I've shared my IM goal with friends and family. Along the journey, a tiny few have mentioned their concerns (is the human body made to do this, why would you want to?). But mostly, they've been incredibly supportive. They've checked in on my training and progress. They've cheered my accomplishments, no matter how small.

They've never said "You can't."

They've never said "You shouldn't."

They've never said "You'll never."

I am so fortunate - and so grateful - for their support.

Good News in the Mail

For the second time since beginning this Ironman journey, my mailbox has greeted me with more than just bills and paperspam. The other day, an envelope from my aunt and uncle caught my attention. I opened it to find a supportive note and a news clip called "Women find unity, strength at triathlons." A few months ago, the day before leaving for Eagleman, another article from my sister-in-law, "The growing allure of the Ironman race" seemed like a perfectly timed cheer of encouragement.

Some great information can be found in these articles.

From "The growing allure..."
"There's this sport called triathlon. There's this event called the Ironman."
"'After almost not letting me do the Ironman in 2001, saying it is not safe, my mom came up to Lake Placid to watch me,' says Rich Barkan of Long Beach. 'She had such a great time that now we go up for the race even if I'm not doing it. She's out there cheering.'"
"Time is not on the side of Ironman athletes. Even the experienced triathletes must train 20 hours a week over several months. This doesn't stop people with no tri background from taking the challenge."

From "Women find unity..."
"Triathlons can do that: turn ordinary middle-age women into passionate, can't-stop-me-now athletes." (This might be my favorite!)
"That's where you really get the community feel amongst women in our sport, when they're supporting a cause that is very close to them."
"The nonthreatening atmosphere of women-only events makes them attractive to novices and nonjocks. The emphasis is on testing one's mental and physical fortitude, enjoying a sense of accomplishment and just crossing the finish line -- not necessarily finishing first."

But, for me, the articles are more than just interesting and relevant words on newsprint. Someone I loved took the time to not only read the article, but thought of me and what I am trying to do, found their scissors to carefully cut out its jigsaw like borders, included a handwritten note, smacked a postage stamp on the envelope and sent their discovery to me.

Eventually, these news clips will work their way into a scrapbook I'm planning to put together, with the stack of photos accumulating by the computer, of the TRIgirl experiences and the Ironman training moments caught on film.

In the meantime, they will travel with me in my pocketbook over the next few months - something that will catch my eye as I rummage for change or keys - and will be a welcome reminder of the support I am fortunate to have.