Welcome!

Hey everyone! Welcome to the blog that will be chronicling my next 366 days! That's right, on September 13, 2009, I will be embarking on an adventure that I will remember for the rest of my life; Ironman Wisconsin 2009!

That's right, I AM absolutely out of my mind. This is an event that kicks off at 7am, beginning with a 2.4 mile swim, followed by one of the toughest 112 mile bike courses on the Ironman circuit, and capped off with a grueling 26.2 mile run. Most consider themselves lucky to finish by 10pm that day.

Why?

That's what this blog is really all about. The coolest thing, I think, about this event, is that it is rarely about the event itself, but more about the journey to this event. Training for Ironman is no joke. It requires more out of you than you ever thought was possible. This is going to be more of a journal, where you will get a firsthand look at what's going on inside my head as I go through 4am 13 mile runs, 3 to 4 mile swims, and some bike rides that will send my crying home for momma.

A little background on myself, for those who don't know me. I am 26 and living in Madison, WI. I love it here. I have seen much of this country with my 2 dogs, Tenzing and Zephaniah. We put down roots here in 2005 and haven't felt the urge to move since. That's a good thing, I guess!

I am coming fresh off of selling a business that I started, which built whitewater kayak paddles, mainly out of wood. I got out of it because I suffered from a full blown anxiety attack, and decided that I am way too young to be dealing with that kind of pressure. I actually started tri training back in the spring as a way to deal with the stress, and it seemed like a healthier option than smoking... Now tri training is teaching me things about myself that I never would have found otherwise.

Now I am a happy, relatively stress free guy, working at the Ace Hardware Center on Willliamson St near the Capitol Square in Madison. I have been working there part-time for two years, and am now on full-time there. I absolutely love this job. People ask me what I do there, to which I respond "there's not really much I DON'T do...". I have really gained a sense of pride lately, being a part of the greatest hardware store in the store!

I have also really come to love this area of town. The Willy St neighborhood is definitely one of a kind. I have the great fortune to meet some really cool people, that all have a unique life story to tell, and are always interested to hear mine. I truly enjoy every day that I spend on WIlly St. So much so that I often ride my down there on my days off and hang!

Anyhoo, that's a bit about me. You will get more glimpses of my personal life, and my family in the upcoming entries. Thanks for checking the blog out and looking forward to seeing you out there!