Monday, September 1, 2008

9 Weeks

Labour Day is here and only 9 weeks until Ironman Florida. Training has gotten to the point I now simply describe it as ‘nutty’ to people and offer as little detail as possible as the amount of time dedicating to getting fully prepared does border on the ridiculous. The 5 and 6 and 7-hour workout days are now upon us. I am feeling as good as I can be. This weekend has actually been a nice rest with “only” a 3 hour bike ride on Saturday and a day off yesterday that we managed to enjoy in Muskoka. Back to reality today however…just found out I need to get in a 2hr run and some strength work. Not only is it now hot out but among other things the lawn needs cutting, gardens need weeding, and garage cleaned. Toss in the obligatory weekend work and reading that comes home with me Friday and I better type fast here as it already past 10:30. All is great however, I ALWAYS remind myself that if my biggest problem in a day is figuring out how to "play" and get that 2hr run in, my life is SUPER blessed! Gotta run.
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THE CAUSE

Regardless of what brought you to our site, we welcome you. Simply put, Racing for SickKids – Ironman Florida 2008 exists for a sole purpose: to raise as much money as we can to support Cardiac Care at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

The division of Cardiology at SickKids was established over 60 years ago and is now one of the largest and most successful of its kind. Like many of the Hospitals’ departments and programs they are world-class innovators, teachers and caregivers. But the real reason SickKids and the Cardiology group is so important to me among the many, many other causes and charities is what they did for my friend, Jonathan Holiday.

I am using the platform of training for and racing in an Ironman Triathlon to share his story. The physical challenges are quantifiable: I will swim 3.9km, cycle 180km and run 42km – consecutively. I will be racing 226km (140 miles) or approximately the distance from Toronto to Parry Sound in a single day. While daunting, I find the mental obstacles far more intimidating, notably having the discipline to fit 15 to 20+ hours of training a week into “life” while avoiding injuries and too many trips to the buffet table. While there is certainly a degree of physical and emotional pain in all of this, it pales in comparison to what the kids and their families are forced to endure every day at SickKids.

Jon was one of these kids. To me he was friend, student, and partner-in-crime. To others he was son, brother, grandson, nephew, classmate, teammate, boy friend. To most, he was better known as “Lawnboy”. For all, he was a special person who, at only 17 years old, left us far too early.

100% of the money we raise will support the Jonathan Holiday Fund to support Cardiology at SickKids. Please follow the link at the top right of the page or click HERE to make a secure online donation.