Where there is a Will There is a Way

Back in May and before heading to Spain I typed a post which for some unknown reason I never posted on this blog. Since then I’ve been meaning to catch up but after a three week hiatus with the family and a much needed break from social media it has just gotten harder and harder to get back to it. Since I’d still like to go back to this one post I decided to post a ‘summary’ of it and some afterwards thoughts…

The majority of this blog is about me and my thoughts on my way to IMFL, but as I got ready for our big trip to Spain, I started to think back the last 6 months and how Sami had completely dedicated himself to IM training and set a precedent to what I have in store…

Last year when we decided that 2012 would be a good year for me to do an IM we discussed the ins and outs, the training, the family the dedication, and everything else that entails IM training. Being both of us triathletes we have to plan our races and training schedule together so that we make sure there is always somebody with the kids. Being that said, and since I was going to sign up for IMFL 2012 was going to be my year and then Sami would do his IM in 2013.

A couple of weeks after I signed up for IMFL Sami’s training partner registered for IMLZ (Ironman Lanzarote), this is a race that Sami has always said he would love to do, knowing he would have somebody to train with just sounded too good to pass on. After we looked at our options and checked with our coach, we realized that both IM (IMFL & IMLZ) were further apart enough that we would be ok and training schedules would not coincide.

Sami & John morning of IMLZ

Sami signed up for the race and that is all she wrote. As I was training for NOLA70.3 him and John (his training partner) trained for their IM race. I would lie if I said it was easy, Marc started soccer season and every Saturday there games and other family responsibilities going on. So , I pretty much got all my weekend rides either early in the morning on the trainer or later in the afternoon while Sami got his long days in.

They say ignorance is a bliss which I completely agree, I now know what is in store for me. But the one thing I have to say is that I will always have the ‘if Sami was able to do it, so do I’. Our social life has pretty much been nonexistent, weekends were for training and during the week the lights went off a lot earlier than we are used to.

I have a great sense of admiration for anybody who works full time and trains, and if is IM training even more so. The hours, dedication and energy that training takes is something only those who do it know, add a family to it and a second person trying to get in workouts, races and such.

I look back at race day in Lanzarote and it was such an unbelievable experience, the boys were ready and I had just a blast. I just wish we hadn’t add more stress to the race than what an IM already entails. But our competitive nature had already dreamed big, not knowing what the terrain or the competition was it was like Sami likes to put it a ‘humble’ experience.

All in all I am SO proud of Sami and John, for sticking to their plan on race day, for fighting til the very end on conditions that I can only tell you weren’t ideal.

I take my Sherpa responsibilities very seriously :) 

If anything I have learned two things, first of all as much ‘respect’ as I have for IM training and as nervous as I am I really think that ‘where there is a will there is a way’, Sami and many others are proof of it. Second of all, this is my first IM, I don’t need to add any more stress to it, the goal is to get all the training in and ‘enjoy race day’, do I really think is going to be ‘enjoyable’?? well, I am sure it will be as soon as I hear the words ‘Carmen Brahim you are an Ironman’, but I am sure I will have my up and downs in race day as well as training. I am determined though to make the best of it, and like they say enjoy the journey.