In the beginning

Post #:1
Weeks of training completed: 9
Miles swam: 30.6
Miles biked: 384.25
Miles run: 124

Goal: $5,000
Total money raised: $0

In mid-April ever year, one of the most difficult professional athletic events in the world - the Arizona Ironman - sets up shop in Tempe. The race involves a 2.4 mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run.

About 3,000 people compete every year. A few more than 2,000 finish. The quickest do it in a little over 8-1/2 hours, the last recognized finishers do it in just a hair under 18 hours.

A few days before the actual event, the organizers of Arizona Ironman - North America Sports - host a charity event, the Mayor's Charity Challenge, at which Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman challenges members of the local media to beat him in a 1/100th Ironman. That would be a 42 yard swim, a 1.12 mile bike ride and a .26 mile run, and each year I do it. The winner wins $1,000 donated to the charity of their choice.

I've never won. Never come close.

But somebody I work with - Eric (who has completed an Ironman) has - and this year, three people from College Times were entered. So the company's owners issued a challenge to us: finish 1, 2 and 3 and they'd double the $1,000 donation.

We did it. But it was almost me that cost us the money.

On the day of that race, I was pushing 210 pounds, my gut was bouncing over the side of my shorts and it took a full out power sprint on the bike and on foot to avoid a big letdown. After completing five marathons - three in 13 months from June 2006 to June 2007 - I had let myself go. I knew right then and there that it was time to do something.

But I was sick of doing marathons - and hardly motivated by something less challenging than that. So I said, "f it, I'm just going to do the damn Ironman." Later that day, as the check was being presented to the charity we chose - Tempe Community Action Agency - I announced publicly I was going to run the November Arizona Ironman and raise money for the same charity, TCAA.

They help children, the elderly, families and the homeless through food, medical and emergency assistance programs here in Tempe. Basically when people need help, when parents lose jobs, when emergencies strike, they're the agency that reaches out to help people get through tough times - and their main goal is to lead everybody back to self-sufficiency. The scope of the work they do, with limited staff, is impressive. Each year, they serve 92,000 meals to senior citizens in the Tempe area alone. Many of them are delivered to their homes - people who are immobile. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

I've already completed 9 weeks of my 32 week training program, and so far, so good. Finding the time to do everything I need to do can be difficult, though. Thus the reason it's taken so long to start this blog.

But now I've started, and I plan to update it pretty regularly. My goal is to raise $5,000 for TCAA, and very soon, I'll have a system set up where people can donate by credit card online if they prefer.

For those who live in Arizona - and I'll explain this more later - there are better ways to donate. TCAA is a special state-recognized charity for which the state of Arizona provides a full tax-credit (not tax write-off, but tax credit) of up to $400 per individual, meaning if you meet several qualifications, the state will refund you everything you donate to TCAA in your 2008 tax return.

But enough about that. Mostly, I'm just glad to have a way to talk to all of you again.

Until next time. Cheers - Ed