"Oh MY F$%#%$# GOODNESS! You did!!!!!!!!"
I won the lottery. Not the whole thing. Not even the real thing, but something so much better. I won the privilege to rub elbows with some of the finest athletes in the world. A shot to push myself to the absolute limit of my athletic and mental abilities. I won the opportunity of a lifetime.
Hi Linda,
Congratulations! You are now ready to complete your 2013 IRONMAN World Championship registration.
Now let me tell you, there aren't many ways to get into this race. You can A) be an amazing athlete like my new Coach and qualify on your own athletic merit, B) have a very special interest story and be invited to the race, C) you can earn a "Legacy" spot which just means you're broke because at this point you've paid for 12 different Ironman races, or D) you can be the luckiest person on the planet and win a spot through the lottery.
I bought my lottery ticket on my 30th birthday a few months back. I figured if I wanted to win I better start playing. I didn't even tell anyone I got it because I figured I would get made fun of for throwing $40 down the drain (by my husband mainly). So on the morning of tax day when I saw the email, I just couldn't believe it. Never in a million years did I imagine that with my first entry I would be planning a trip to Hawaii.
For those of you who are not familiar with triathlons the Ironman distance is pretty much one of the craziest things that only insane/crazy people do (for fun). You have to swim 2.4 miles, then bike 112 miles, and once you're finished with that you have to run a marathon. That's right, 26.2 miles at the end. You have to be able to do all of this under 17 hours or else you can't call yourself an Ironman. Many have done it, and now it's my turn.
And as my luck would have it, I happen to be surrounded by these crazy people. Right now as I write, I have friends who are swimming, biking, and/or running. I have an amazing support system that is going to help me get through the next six months of grueling training and mental stress. I have assembled my very own crew of "triathlon groupies" that will be accompanying me to Hawaii to cheer me on this October 12th and I am ready to embark on this incredible journey...
