The Ironman Dream

Last night I dreamed about Ironman Louisville.

There was a river, and there was a bridge. I was on the run, step-by-step working to complete the 26.2-mile marathon after having completed the 2.4-mile swim in the Ohio River and the 112-mile bike ride through the Kentucky countryside. I felt good, but it was early. I woke up before the finish line. So the Ironman dream, today, remains a dream.

Tomorrow I will take the next step in making that dream a reality. When I hit the pool, probably at some God-forsaken hour of the morning, it will mark my first strokes in what will be 30 weeks of preparation for the race on August 28.

Nicki and I signed up last October. We had been on a hike and ran into a guy on the trail who was wearing and M-Dot shirt. He had just finished Louisville, his first 140.6-mile triathlon, and he raved about the experience. Nicki had just completed her second 70.3-distance race of 2010, and I had finished my first 70.3 the previous month. (You may have read about that experience here ...) We had some extra cash in the bank, and within a day or two, we added ourselves to the participant list.

In the months since, the anticipation has grown and grown. I have dreamed about hearing the announcer say, “Charles Shepard of Staunton, Virginia, you are an Ironman,” as I cross the finish line, getting a finisher’s tattoo, being in the best shape of my life. I have also considered what a selfish endeavor training and competing in an Ironman triathlon can be. After all, I will spend more than 450 hours in training during the next six-plus months. Do the math: It doesn’t leave much time for paying attention to other people. And while Nicki and I hope to train together as much as possible (more on what may prevent that later), the reality is I’m about to increase the time I spend paying attention to myself.

With that in mind, I have decided to dedicate my training and competition to a higher purpose. As training begins, I will launch simultaneously a campaign to build the Client Assistance Fund for the family therapy non-profit for which I work, Journey Counseling Ministries. The CAF is used to off-set the cost of family therapy for those in the Shenandoah Valley who cannot afford between $65 and $85 per session. If you read this blog regularly, don’t be surprised if you receive a letter in the mail asking you to join me in the campaign.

I made this choice because, while I dream about crossing an Ironman race off my bucket list, I more often dream about helping families discover redeeming, lasting change.

In this space, on Mondays during my training, I will post an off-day rewind. I’ll update you on my training, but more importantly, I’ll be letting you in on the greater purpose. Topics may range from success stories, to family-related issues, to connecting endurance training and experience to the Christian life and the Gospel experience.

I hope you’ll come back and read. I hope you’ll join the discussion. I hope you’ll commit to pray for me on my journey and for families in need as they live life in a fallen world. I hope you’ll consider sponsoring the mission. Would you consider donating $1 per race mile? Right now, just consider it.

Openness comes before inspiration.

My training week: 01/31/2011
Metrics — Weight: 162.2 lbs. Body fat: 16.6 percent. Resting heart rate: 56 bpm.
M — Off
T — Swim (300m wu, 8x50m drills, 12x100m @ 20 seconds, 8x50m drills, 200m cd); Run (30 min.)
W — Bike 30 min, Z2 (QC); run 15 min Z2
R — Swim (300m wu, 8x50m drills, 3x125m @20 sec, 2x175 @ 30sec, 3x125 @20 sec, 8x50 drills, 200 cd); bike 30 min, 100 rmp, Z1
F — Run 30 min Z2
Sa — Bike 1 hour, Z2
Su — Run 45 min Z1-2.
Key — Z = heart rate zone, wu= warmup, cd=cool down