Adding Inspiration To My Contest

The Writing Triathlon came about because I wanted to honor my husband, James, who is about to do his first full Ironman. Sometimes, when I feel defeated by my writing, or think about how long my journey might be toward publishing, I think about James' journey to the Ironman.

Two years ago, James was forty-pounds heavier, had back aches, knee pain, and a general feeling of life going by too quickly to obtain his longtime goal to compete in an Ironman Triathlon.

We were out at a store one day when James picked up a flyer for a sprint triathlon. When we got home I told all the neighbors that James was going to do a triathlon and that he was eventually going to do an Ironman. This was not a good thing. He was not happy with me. He felt I jumped the gun on letting people know his goals. Here's why: James and I both believe that once we tell people what we are going to do, we have to actually get it done. (Maybe I was pushing him a little too hard. I wanted him to reach this dream of his.)

Here we are, two years later, and ten days away from his first Ironman Triathlon.

I am very proud.

Getting to this point wasn't easy for him, nor was it easy on our family. The equipment was expensive but that wasn't the strain. The training time wasn't so bad either because he trained mostly in the morning well before anyone was awake. It was the physical and mental exhaustion that affected each of us waiting for his attention. This was to be expected, and the first year we hardly noticed his exhaustion. The trials and tribulations of getting him to this goal are finally coming to fruition, for all of us. We can't wait to see him on the day of the race. We will be there to cheer him on, bring him sustenance, give him bandanas with ice, new water bottles, and general cheering and support.

It matters not how solitary each person's goal is, in the end, it always takes more than one person to achieve a single person's goal. Those are family, fans, friends, neighbors, bloggers. We cannot possibly achieve anything without support.

I used to think starting out was the hardest part of a goal, maybe that's why I waited so long to finally write a book even though I held this goal since I was a child, but now I'm sure that seeing the goal to its finish is the hardest part.

In writing, it's not difficult for me to start a book, or even for me to write thousands and thousands of words, it's the ending that gets me everytime. Maybe this makes me a good candidate for series book writing, I don't know.

In honor of James, I have included his Half Ironman video. This particular Half Ironman was in support of challenged athletes. It was truly amazing to see the challenged athletes, some of them still kids, pushing their physical limitations to get through this grueling competition. It just goes to show that we can all do anything we set our minds to.