Shawn Cheatham

It’s a wonder that I get anything done! In an earlier post I decided to sign-up for Ironman Wisconsin 2008 which consisted of waking up at the crack of dawn and driving to Madison on registration day. What I don’t recall mentioning is the fact that in Madison all I got was a number which was to be used for an online registration a few weeks later. Turns out I misread the online registration dates that were provided on the form and in a later email which resulted in my missing the cut off to an already sold out race. I was FURIOUS more so than I’ve been in a long long time. There aren’t many things that get a rise out of me but this was one of those times that I had set my heart on something and yet totally dropped the ball. The fact that I didn’t have anyone to blame but myself was the icing on the cake. That was last week and it’s only now that I can write/think/talk about it without cursing like a sailor for being so absentminded

Fortunately, Rina was quite understanding and after talking through it we decided that since there were still Community Fund slots open, I should try to get in that way. The Community Fund is a combination of charitable giving and insurance. In addition to the $425 race fee, Community Fund Athletes pay $525 which is given to the communities that host Ironman events and supports sporting events for children. The extra bonus is that by being a Community Fund Athlete you get the option to transfer or postpone your race. So in the event that you get injured during training or just get lazy, you can pick another race to participate in, including the next season’s races. With all of the positives the Ironman organizers made my bruised ego feel a lot better and although I’m still a bit upset with myself for missing the sign-up date, at least I know that the extra money is going to a good cause.

After all that it’ll only be another week or so before I get final confirmation that I’m finally registered for the race. I completed the last of the paperwork today, so I don’t foresee any additional problems with my registration.

Whoever said, ‘Ironman is a journey’ wasn’t kidding! The 2008 season hasn’t even started yet and I already feel like I’ve been put through the paces.

I haven’t been doing too bad w/ my off-season training but that’s not to say that it’s been good. I attempted to try a 10 week plan out of the IronFit book but within 3 days I got bored. Seeing as how day one was an ‘off’ day that’s pretty sad.

Instead, I decided to step back for a minute and adjust my off-season goals a bit. Generally speaking the off-season is meant for relaxation and working on your weak spots, so I decided to do just that. I’ve never been much into lifting weights, I used to love playing basketball and swimming has always been a scary chore. As such, I’ve spent the past few weeks lifting a few times a week, swimming at least once a week and shooting hoops whenever I feel like it. Some people might think that since I was recently certified as a Personal Trainer, I would be on some regimented workout plan with all the bells and whistles but that’s not the case. My workouts are different nearly every day and if I miss a day I don’t let it get to me. The result has been great! Lifting is sorta fun and although I’m not looking to start bodybuilding I can definitely feel the work paying off. I’ve totally rediscovered my love for basketball and can see how it makes me work differently. Swimming is still a chore but a year ago I could hardly swim 20m without taking a 2 minute break and now I do over 2500m in a single workout. I swore off tri-training for another month but in the meantime I’m still making healthy strides that will hopefully pay off next season.