The Beach and the Big Chainring

     I've heard it said that "it takes a village to raise a child."  While looking back over this past year, I've learned that the whole "taking a village" thing is not only true of children.  It apparently also (at least in my case) takes a village to raise and Ironman. Thank you notes and Tshirts going out to my friends and family who won't be there in person.      There are so many people in my life who have gotten me to the point I'm at today.  Whether it's giving me a pep talk when I needed it most, listening to me whine about the 5 hour bike ride on schedule for the next day knowing full well that I signed up for this, inviting me over for dinner and making extra hamburgers because they, as Ironmen, know the hunger of someone training 15+ hours a week, or making laugh when I was laying on the floor with calf cramps.  It really does take a village, and without my village, I most certainly would have no hope of standing on the beach i

           I’ve been pretty silent on here recently.   Not because I have nothing to say, but because I don’t really know how to say it.   I’ve been training, training, and training some more.   I’ve completed 2 70.3s and 1 full aquabike since the last time I logged on.  They all went great, each had some highs, and one of the 70.3s had some serious lows, but each one gave me a little more confidence than I had entering the water that day.    The aquabike being the most recent and being a huge confidence builder.               I have a little motto I've created for myself.  A mantra if you will: Be Patient. Be Brave.  These are the things I've been practicing these last few months because I know I will need to be patient and brave on November 2.  I've been patient, waiting for that day to arrive.  Waiting for my endurance to get to where it needs to be.  Waiting until the right mile of my run to drop the pace.  But I've also been brave, at least for me.  I've t