A Few Words from My Better Half

Well, Steph has had to put up with me and all this Ironman stuff for the better part of a year, so she has more than earned the right to be heard. So without further adieu:

If he becomes an Ironman… does that make me an Ironwoman?

It has been a long year.  I have watched my husband go from a super quick runner, OK cyclist and mediocre swimmer to a lean (too lean in my opinion, but apparently only Jerry’s opinion matters at this point), dedicated, crazy man.

No longer does he enjoy a tasty beverage with me on a Tuesday.  No longer does he eat his weight in Tuna Nachos from Rudees.  No longer does he want to ride bikes down to the beach on a Saturday and drink beer and listen to the bands at Mahi Mah’s.

He has dedicated himself to finishing this Ironman.  Of course, he has his goals in his mind that he would like to hit, but at the end of the day, he wants to finish.  Earlier in the year, a doctor told him there was no way he would be running this Ironman because of his Achilles.  It didn’t rupture or anything, but after training for the Shamrock Marathon (which he didn’t get to do), he developed a nice little knot that sidelined him for a while.  During this time I encouraged him to really focus on the bike and swim and it has paid off.  Of course, he did “have” to get a faster bike too… hmmmmm maybe it was all a ploy!

I have lived for the past year in fear that he would not be able to do this race.  Every day when I ask him how he’s doing, how his leg feels, how he’s doing after riding the bike for 112 miles (you know what I’m asking there), I live in fear that he is going to break down and say he’s hurt beyond repair in time for Louisville.  I know how devastating that would be to him after all this work.  

I have to give you a little background here.  He’s been “breakable” for a while.  He’s had some medical issues over the past 3 years that have led to 6 CAT scans, 3 surgeries, a series of antibiotics and 2 months of physical therapy. He has chronic neck pain that comes and goes.  On any given morning he can wake up and not be able to move his neck AT ALL. One time he stepped on a magazine, slipped and threw his neck out for 3 weeks. I love him dearly and I worry about him constantly because of this.
 
And even when he is not actually hurt, he always thinks he is. If he gets a stitch in his side when he’s running he thinks he’s dying. He eats his pancakes too fast in the morning and we end up at the emergency room thinking he’s having a heart attack, only to find out that he’s got gas. It’s non-stop drama.

I think that his training has led to an excessive amount of under-training for me.  It’s not what you think… we don’t have kids.  I have no responsibilities except for work.  It’s just too tiring for me to watch him train!  Ha ha – well, also since he’s not around taking care of me as much as he used to, I’ve found that I do have extra responsibilities around the house – you know, if we want to eat dinner at a decent hour.  I have found that I enjoy supporting him in his training.  I like having his dinner ready for him when he’s finished working out at 8:30 pm.  It’s nice to be able to do that.  Sometimes. 

Our house is a mess, our yard is in need of serious love, there’s some carpentry that needs to be done in case anyone “knows a guy”, and I don’t think Joel’s car has been washed in 8 months.  BUT I wouldn’t give it up for anything.  I’m sooooooooo excited to see him during the race and hopefully he will cross the finish line with a smile on his face!  If he has a bad race, it’s OK.  It’s just one day out of many training days that have been both spectacular and heartbreaking all at the same time. 

My wish for him is to enjoy the day as thoroughly as anyone ever has, and to be thankful for being healthy and fortunate enough to swim, bike and run 140.6 miles in one day.

For me, it’s about enjoying the experience and despite all the tired, grumpy days, I wouldn’t give it up for anything (not even a six pack).  Rock On Joel!!!