Dear Friends,

Recently my nephew Seth, my sister Shannon, my son Paul and I walked into a bar… Just kidding, we met up in Madison to compete in the Half Ironman and Ironman triathlon races. It is always quite the scene.😄 On Saturday, Paul participated in the individual Half Ironman while my sister and I did the relay together. Seth raced in the full Ironman on Sunday. I also knew a couple of patients who raced on Sunday, one of whom attempted the Ironman the year prior, but had to pull out mid-race.

The cool thing about the Ironman series is that it absolutely takes you out of your comfort zone. What does that mean? You enter your growth zone! Everyone at the race has a story that led them there. It’s been a little over a decade since my last full Ironman race and 19 years since my first, which was also in Madison. Holy cow, when I walked in to register for the race I had flashbacks from my first Ironman in 2005 all over again. Those pre-race jitters never go away, even though I wasn’t swimming or running this time.

Paul was incredible. He decided to sign up for this race close to a year ago and trained with dedication and discipline. He is not only impressively fit, but is overall healthier as a result. 

My brother-in-law, Bill, was slated to swim for our relay team, but he fell ill. So Shannon stepped forward (actually I stepped back; again saved by the women around me). Race day arrived and she had never swam in a wetsuit before. A good rule of thumb: never try something on race day that you haven’t practiced prior. In the transition area before the swim she pulled on her wetsuit. When I offered to zip it up for her she looked at me with horror and said “It’s not zipped yet?!?” 😱 Red flag. We had a gagger. This was WELL outside of her comfort zone.

Shannon was pulled out of the water about 30 minutes in because she was struggling to breathe. When she came back to the transition area she kept apologizing to me. I laughed. I could give a hoot that we were technically disqualified. So what – I don’t care if I get a gold star! The officials still let us compete in the other legs of the race. I biked, then Shannon ran like her life depended on it. I was SOOO proud of her for busting through that barrier of getting in the water, then rallying for the run.

My nephew Seth, who is just 21, injured his knee while preparing for the full Ironman and had an altered training schedule as a result. He still did phenomenal on Sunday, finishing in the top 1/3 in all three legs of the race with a smile on his face. He really kicked butt. The only thing worse than the swim for my sister was having to drive with me as I tried to find Seth on the 112 mile bike course. That ride looked like it aged her…

My patients, two friends, finished the race later in the evening. The one who did not finish the race last year did so this year. I woke up and was able to follow her last half mile from my phone. I teared up as she crossed the finish line – she just taught her kids to never give up. All with her friend there by her side, helping her train.

These races are self-inflicted misery. Misery must love company because a hell of a lot of people compete. It is good to seek out discomfort; it fortifies you for when things get tough.

Whether it’s a local 5k walk or an ultramarathon, put yourself out there and support your joints with Glucosamine Synergy so they don’t scream at you when you cross the finish line.😄

Lastly, take a look at The Comfort Crisis. It is a great book about getting comfortable with discomfort.
 

Swim, Bike, Run.
 

God Bless,

Dr. Dan