Tag: 2013

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Like "The Flying Monkey" Isn't Hard Enough

UPDATE:  All the “hundreds” of 2013 Flying Monkey Pics have been moved here:  Crushing Iron on Flickr

Tomorrow I will witness a legendary running race.   I will stand, shivering on the sidelines as a bunch of friends and other brave souls tackle one of the harder marathons in the business, the Flying Monkey.

It is a beautiful, yet brutal run that kicks off at 8 am with a starting temperature forecast of 25 degrees.  Making matters worse?  It’s not supposed to get above freezing.  I am totally jealous.

It’s easy to rock a race when conditions are perfect, but weather is the great equalizer.  Tomorrow, we’ll find out how tough everyone is and they will carry that badge forever.  It reminds me of the cold rainy day at my Rev3 race in this Spring in Knoxville, the blistering heat of Ironman Louisville this summer, and 30 degree air for the Ironman Lake Tahoe swim this Fall.  All three had very, very tough weather conditions, and tomorrow, Flying Monkey will join the club.IMG_4551

These are the races that create fraternity for the competitors.  Runners will forever be able to say “I ran the Monkey below freezing.”  Alumni will be able to spot each other simply by looking in their eyes.  A subtle confidence will emanate from their being.

“Hey, did you run the Monkey in 2013?”  “Why yes I did.”  “I knew it!”  High five.

So, if you’re running in the morning and are fortunate enough to read this post before the gun, consider yourself blessed.  Keep your form, don’t let snot freeze on your lip, and beat the shit out of this monkey.  It will suck for a while, but the legend of this race will live a long, long time.  That means years and years of conversation that will be much more enjoyable if you wipe the weather from your head, let go of the pain and leave it all on the course.

And if you want to feel sorry for someone, think of the unlucky spectators who are standing there shivering as you bathe in glorious sweat.  Or, even me, who will be crouched down with frozen fingers taking pictures of your happy faces.

Go get ’em you lucky bastards!
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2013 Flying Monkey Pics
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Even More Flying Monkey Pics

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67 Days Until Ironman Wisconsin

I signed up 364 days before the race and nearly 300 have passed.  I’m tied to the tracks and Ironman Wisconsin is pounding the rails in my direction. 

For months it seemed like a mirage.  I’d look at “swim start” pictures from Lake Monona and get goose bumps imagining the sound of the cannon.  I still get excited, but it manifests in more of a reality because my feet are nearly wet.   

I will be attempting a full Ironman in just over two months and I’ve yet to race a half.  That will come in 12 days at the Muncie 70.3.  

In some ways IMWI is the ultimate test of trust and patience.  My training has certainly prepared me for a half, but doubling that output will take extreme faith and confidence.  It’s especially crazy to me considering at this point last year I’d never even completed a sprint. 

What I have learned in this relatively short period of time is that you should never doubt your potential.  I have transformed from a couch potato into a spirit that believes he can complete 140.6 miles of swim, bike, and run in one day.  If that’s possible, what isn’t?

And that’s what remains to be seen.  Where can I take this momentum?  Will I wake up that morning and Madison, Wisconsin a new man, or a nervous child?  I hope it’s a little of both.

Throughout this process I have been chipping away layers of numb.  I had been living in a shell, honestly dead to the world in many ways.  The passion smoldered below, but I wanted a fire.  I wanted to burn the masquerade.  I wanted to ignite a flame that would force change. 

Hitting “send” and transferring $650 into the hands of Ironman was a major step toward re-discovering myself, but this journey is just beginning.  The intensity of our workouts and the relentless support of everyone training with me has pushed my limits further than I ever dreamed. 

None of this has been comfortable, but that’s what I wanted.  I wanted to feel the pain.  The highs, the lows.  I wanted to swing open the doors that were nailed shut.  I wanted to push my boundaries off the map.  I wanted to explore living by coming apart at the seams to find genuine purpose in this life.  It’s still not clear, but I’m paying close attention and knowing that two of my close friends and training buddies just finished Ironman Coeur d’Alene inspires me to forget the bad swim I had tonight and go back for more in the morning.