Seize the Day, Enjoy Every Second

It’s so odd not to be racing at the big show today. Ironman World Championships are today in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, and at 7am, when the race begins, all the athletes who’ve worked so hard to get to Kona will begin the day they’ve been training for, waiting for, dreaming of, perhaps fearing a bit but overall sharing this incredible opportunity to race on hallowed triathlon grounds. And for the first time since 2006, (with the exception of one year I didn’t qualify, in 2008), I’m here in California…not racing. No doubt in my mind I’ll be raring to go for next year, and it’s proven very positive to have proactively taken a step back after the end of the 2013 season after not doing so since I began racing back in 1998, yet there’s certainly still a part of me that feels so strange knowing it’s all going on and I’m watching from afar. From friends who’ve tried numerous times to qualify, kept at it and finally earned their slots, to others who qualify each and every year, it’s never anything less than an absolute honor to be a part of this event and I wish everyone who’s out there today all the best- enjoy every second- the ups and downs….every element- whether it’s hot and windy or mild and breezy…and every emotion that fills you, from the lowest of lows when you feel you cannot pull yourself up to the highest of highs when you’re running down Ali’i with a huge grin on your face, giving high fives to all the spectators along the streets. Lead with your heart, exude positivity and overall, enjoy the whole process. What a gift! Aloha! Follow your athletes live!