Road to Ruin

I'm excited to be alive today.
There are so many things on the precipice of going full speed ahead that my head is spinning.

The races I'm directing are shaping up every day.
The triathlon club is growing every week.
The athletes I'm coaching are getting better by the minute.
I'm wrapping up my first double-digit-hour, 7 day training week in months.

And I come to the realization that endurance sports are the reason I was put on this earth.
Give me a bike, a lake, a trail, a mountain...anything, and people who are all about it, too. There's something so rewarding about being around people who are outdoors-oriented.
Nothing is negative. No one bitches about the weather, or the economy, or their lack of whatever it is they want.
They rave about the workout, the scenery, or the new shoes they just bought.

I've underestimated the power of training with others.
I somehow forgot that training with someone as fit or stronger than you makes you harder.
We skied last night for an hour, trading leads. After the workout was done, we both revealed that there were times that each of us was ready to puke, but neither of us was willing to let on at the time.
You just don't get that kind of workout by yourself.

I am already more physically fit than I was probably all last year. Now, the goal is not to let it slip...not get stupid, do some superman stuff, and end up injured.
I would say my mental fitness is strong, but that doesn't correspond to ultra mental fitness.
Can I keep my mind quiet past the 6-hour mark at this point? I doubt it.
I won't even go to the 24, 30 or 45 hour mark. Yikes.

Less than 7 months out from the Triple, I know how much work there is to be done.
I won't hesitate to admit than I am scared, but it's a good scared, like right before jumping off a cliff into deep water.

There's a major journey ahead, it's going to be highlighted by a lot of amazing feats I never thought possible a few years ago. Where will this ultra-life take me? What will I be doing next year? What will be possible 10 years from now, when I'm at an Ultra-distance peak?

"Never stop exploring. If you aren't constantly pushing yourself, you're leading a numb existence."-Dean Karnazes