LIFESAVING STRATEGY: Finding Strength

I'm in love with Brad Fountain. Not romantically, of course. Something better. He's one of my heroes and he gives me strength. I will never bike 112 miles, run 26.2 miles, or swim in bad ocean currents for 1 hour 55 minutes. All in ONE DAY. But the MENTAL STRENGTH it takes to bike with needles in your feet, take off your shoes and ride barefoot with your shoes underneath...against a strong headwind, run farther than most people drive in a day, and then conquer ocean dangers...THAT'S COURAGE. And IRON-WILLED DETERMINATION.
 
I cannot be an IRONMAN. Or WOMAN. Not technically, of course. Something better. I'll fight beyond my limits. I'll push to learn to ride a bike again after falling off twice. I'll train to run a half. I'll swim, even when a PT calls the shots, I'll endure. All these things are small victories, my personal IRONWOMAN routine, but never all on the same day. That would almost kill me. I'm not THAT strong.

Because I have IRONMAN heroes like Steve Dembo, I've become an IRONWOMAN. Not exactly, of course. Something better. Like the Ironman Contest, cancer pits you against yourself. It tests you. Every.day. It forces you to find something inside that pushes you past the impossible. And in the process through pain and torture, physical and mental, you find strength. And you leap forward. Because your everyday heroes inspire you. Everything is possible. It's that simple.

#tblgratitudechallenge #savingyourlife #ironmanchallenge #bradfountain #stevedembo