No Finish Line This Time

I've made my final decision about the Steelhead 1/2 Ironman race - I won't be racing. I was hopeful that my back injury was resolving after a massage on Tuesday afternoon. The massage therapist was very good and seemed to be quite familiar with SI joint injuries. The relief, however, was short lived. My back tightened up again by later that evening and was really flared up by Wednesday evening.

I know I could complete each of the three events individually. I also know that stringing the 1.2 mile swim, the 56 mile bike and the 13.1 mile run together, one after the other, would not be possible with my current injury.

I've talked with my coach and he agrees that rest is most important to allow the injury to settle down. I'm hoping to be able to do the "Railsplitter Triathlon" on Aug. 23rd. The distance is a bit longer than the traditional Olympic Distance Tri, with a 1 mile swim, a 36 mile bike and a 7 mile run. I can still register for that race up until Aug. 21st, which allows me time to evaluate my recovery progress.

Even though it is very frustrating to be hurt after training so diligently all summer, it does give me a renewed appreciation for being able to participate in athletics. I don't regret the time and effort I put into following my training schedule, even though I didn't make it to the start line of the Steelhead 1/2 Ironman. I know it is not wasted time. It has helped to give me additional experience and strength for future races.

I already have a motivation for my next race - I watched the ABC television special on celebrating the life of Randy Pausch. He talks about the final score sometimes turning out differently than you had hoped or expected.... and he says that is ok when you know you left everything you had on the field.

I plan to do my next race in memory of Randy Pausch. Along the way, I plan to incorporate some of the lessons he shared in his Last Lecture series... paying attention to whether I'm racing as an "Eeyore or a Tigger", what I do about the "brick walls" I encounter along the race course and looking for the "next best part of the day" that might still show up between the start and the finish.