Kicking Off 2013 Race Season Where it All Began...

This past Sunday marked the 1 year anniversary of the last time I competed in triathlon or any endurance event for that matter.  I was forced to take some time off due to a lingering injury that would just seem not to go away.  Once I received the "Green Light" to start training again, I started a training plan, that really did not have a clear destination until we heard the recent news about "Kona Inspired".  I have to admit that it was hard to keep motivated because I just did not know where the finish line was.  Now that I know that Ironman Florida is my final destination of 2013, it was time to do some planning.

For me, finishing an Ironman is not just one journey.  It is a series of journeys and goals that have to be finished step by step.  When I first started my journey in 2010 to become "Shawn's Ironman" I had to strategically plan out each step to stay inspired. I planned a sprint triathlon, Olympic distance triathlon, 1/2 Ironman, and then eventually the Ironman Texas.  I have no doubt in my mind that if I had a bad experience with my first race, that I would have never made it through all the training.

Regardless of how far you want to go in your triathlon journey, I am pretty sure there is not a better place to start than where I started: The Bridgeland Triathlon in Cypress Texas presented by Onurmark Productions. I knew that if I wanted my Ironman Florida journey to be successful, I would have to include as many OUM races in my steps as I could. No matter how many times I you do these races, theyl never get old.

Onurmark Productions is Houston’s largest event production company. For the past five years they have set the standard in quality and safety in endurance sports in and around the Bayou City. Their goal is to supply Houstonians and visiting out-of-town athletes with a unique experience of the highest caliber.

I got to see the behind the scenes of how the race was put on last year when I was one of the OUM race coordinators for the Kemah and Bridgeland races.  It takes tons and tons of work to put on a race. Planning a preparing takes months and nearly non-stop work of several the days leading up to the event date.  It was very hard work for all those involved.  Aaron demands excellence from all of those that surround him and no detail is overlooked.

I can't say enough about the owner, Aaron Palaian, as a person either. I have gotten to know him very well over the past three years, and I consider him one of my closest friends.  He has been extremely generous with his time and money not only towards Shawn's Anomaly, but several local charities. Regardless how busy he gets, he always finds time to provide a word of encouragement or make me laugh. Some people may have a different opinion about him than I do, but that is because they have never taken the time to get to know him. The Houston triathlon community would not be where it is today without his contributions.

I very much enjoyed working the races, but what upset me the most about that experience was the fact that I could not race the best events.  It also was big demand on my time during race day that took me away from hanging out with the other athletes that are racing for Shawn's Anomaly.  I am so excited that I am going to be able to race both Bridgeland and Houston Triathlon this year.

There are still a few spots left, but I know they will fill up fast. I encourage you to sign up for the race, volunteer, or just come out and cheer on the athletes for free.  Who knows, maybe you will get to see Shawn and I cross the finish line together!

No Kona For 2013 but Still HOPE For Future

Since my last post just after finding out that we did not receive enough votes to advance in our group and we would have to await another two weeks to find out if we would receive a wildcard spot, I got what I am calling "Kona Inspired Hangover".  I was really exhausted from all the campaigning to get votes.  I have spend the last two weeks celebrating my son's 4th birthday, hanging out with my in-laws and watching a cousin get married.

There has been several trips to the Texas Gulf Coast fishing or going to the beach. Several days of swimming, biking, and running but not knowing if the ultimate destination would be Kona, HI.  All of that hope and anticipation came to an end today at 11:00AM CST when Ironman announced the wild card winner, and it was not me.

I have to admit, I was initially heartbroken, and I even left my office on my lunch break today to just shed a few tears. A lot of you may think that I am crazy for being so emotional about this, but that may be because you don't understand why I wanted to do this so bad.  It is not about me, or trying to attempt something that is impossible to so many.  The fact of the matter is, I KNOW it is not impossible.  I know it can be done, and I just wanted the opportunity to prove and inspire others.

The Ironman World Championship is just a race, but to anyone who has ever heard of it know that it is the hardest one day endurance race for an individual.  This "race" however is not the toughest test of endurance. Any mother or father that has watched their child cling on to life because they are suffering from a birth defect can attest to that.  It takes every ounce of strength to get through every hour of every day. Eventually the days start to run together and you are not sure even what day of the week it is. The feel of exhaustion both physically and emotionally just starts to feel natural after a while. You constantly look to anything that you can cling to that will give you hope.

I remember the day that I was sitting in my back yard smoking a cigarette after completing my first 5K race when I decided to attempt to become an Ironman.  I knew that if I was going to do it that I could not do if for myself, I had to do it for a bigger and greater purpose.  At that time I did not even know that there was other Ironman events all around the world.  All I knew was Kona, and I was going to do what I could to get there.

I have changed a lot since that day in the back yard.  I am a seasoned non-smoking age group athlete now. My desire to complete the "Ironman in Hawaii" has now changed, but not in the way that you may think.  It is STRONGER!  It is an incorrigible fire that can only be suppressed in Kona, HI.

The finish line of this journey may be Kona, but it does not determine victory.  Victory is achieved every time a someone gets off the couch and becomes active.  Victory is achieved every time our children see our activeness or when we use it to provide inspiration and assistance to the Shawn's Anomaly mission. Victory is watching Team Shawn's Anomaly grow one athlete at a time and seeing them achieve personal records because they chose the SA mission as their Reason 2 Race. Victory is watching a family be provided HOPE because they see that other people care and understand what they are going through.

On October 29, 1941, U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill visited Harrow School to hear the traditional songs he had sung there as a youth, as well as to speak to the students. When he was invited to give a speech, Churchill stood before the students and said, "The pessimist sees the problems in every opportunity. Whereas the optimist sees the opportunity in every problem. Never give in, never give in, never; never; never; never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never ever, ever, ever, give up. Never give up. Never give up. Never give up."

This journey is not about me and it never will be.  It is about providing hope through the strength of others.  It is about helping families tell their stories as method of therapy and a way to educate others. It is about inspiring others to attempt what they may once considered impossible.  For that and much more is the reason that I will never, ever, ever, ever give up.

To all those families that I have been honored to represent, I will not give up. You deserve that. Your loved one's name will cross the finish line of the Ironman World Championship.  I don't care how long it takes for me to get there.  In the mean time I will plan to run at least one Ironman event per year around the world to help continue the awareness and educate others. If you give me the permission, I will carry the HOPE flag with me across every Ironman finish line starting with Ironman Florida in this November.

Thank you all for your continued support. Kona Inspired 2014 campaign starts in 5...4...3...2...1...