This post will not be long but I felt like it was the perfect opportunity to get it out there.
They write in the Ironman Lake Placid Athlete Guide that Ironman is an individual support. They claim that others can not and thus will not aide you in accomplishing this dream. Well, Dear Ironman, you have got this one wrong.
The amount of support that I have received over this journey I would have once told you was impossible. In no way did I think so many people could get behind my dream. Well I was wrong as well. You and you all know who you are inspire me, push me, and believe in me. One of my many supporters told me yesterday on the bike that the emotions I will feel at an Ironman finish line are beyond compare. This journey and these emotions that I already feel, especially as I sit here and write this, make me believe he is right.
From helping me fundraise over $5,000 for the MMRF to putting up with my daily talks/obsession with this event, for just being there for me....Thank You.
Monday, July 21, 2014
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Building Excitment
It is almost hard to believe what will be happening exactly 2 weeks from now! Only 14 days separate me from the race that I have been dreaming about for a year.
I can honestly say that I've never been so excited for a race this far out. My dreams of race day have become even more vivid and each time the thought of Ironman crosses my mind I simply smile.
It was on July 18, 2013 that I decided this dream was worth the journey. Nearly a year ago I filled out the registration page for the chance to compete at Ironman Lake Placid and be part of the MMRF. 9 months of training and $5,142 dollars of fundraising later here I am.
As this event gets closer and closer I've found myself thinking back on all the people who have helped me, all the challenges I have been through, and how much I want to take every moment in on race day. It will be me versus 140.6 miles but I feel like I have an army of support behind me. I know I can finish.
Over my years of running marathons I have always enjoyed myself. It has been the challenge of covering such a distance in times that seem impossible to most. However, in all that shuffle I had lost that feeling of what the first time felt like. It has nearly been 8 years since I toed the line at the 2006 Cape Cod Marathon and although I remember that day with fondness, it is hard to remember all the feelings of that finish. 14 days from now, an event that once seemed impossible, will take me back to that first time feeling. It will remind me of how special exactly all of this is and I truly cannot wait!
I can honestly say that I've never been so excited for a race this far out. My dreams of race day have become even more vivid and each time the thought of Ironman crosses my mind I simply smile.
It was on July 18, 2013 that I decided this dream was worth the journey. Nearly a year ago I filled out the registration page for the chance to compete at Ironman Lake Placid and be part of the MMRF. 9 months of training and $5,142 dollars of fundraising later here I am.
As this event gets closer and closer I've found myself thinking back on all the people who have helped me, all the challenges I have been through, and how much I want to take every moment in on race day. It will be me versus 140.6 miles but I feel like I have an army of support behind me. I know I can finish.
Over my years of running marathons I have always enjoyed myself. It has been the challenge of covering such a distance in times that seem impossible to most. However, in all that shuffle I had lost that feeling of what the first time felt like. It has nearly been 8 years since I toed the line at the 2006 Cape Cod Marathon and although I remember that day with fondness, it is hard to remember all the feelings of that finish. 14 days from now, an event that once seemed impossible, will take me back to that first time feeling. It will remind me of how special exactly all of this is and I truly cannot wait!
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Just what type of shape are you in?
I wanted to sit down and write this post for a couple of weeks now, so here goes.
12 months ago I started actively talking about Ironman. Just ask my friends at work, I'm sure they got annoyed at the revolving record player.
"I think I should do it"
"Am I out of my mind"
"Do you think I should do it"
Thank you to all my coworkers for dealing with my banter!
The 11 or so months that have followed since that day that I decided to sign up I will never forget. The only way into Lake Placid was to either volunteer on race day and hang around till Monday (work schedule wouldn't allow for that) or to sign up through the official charity, Multiple Myleoma Research Foundation (MMRF). Why Placid I have been asked. Because where else would I want to pull of this Miracle other than where the Miracle on Ice happened (simple as that)
So here I am 1 month and 1 week till my 140.6 mile tour of Lake Placid and the beautiful surrounding towns of the Adirnodack Mountains. I have trained my ass off and fundraised like a champ. I never imagined all the bumps, bruises, and injuries that this journey would throw my way and yet I wouldn't trade this journey for anything. I could never have imagined how much more meaning would be added to this journey through fundraising for the MMRF. I had never fundraised before and believe me when I say that knowing I'm doing this for someone other than myself has made me push harder than before and believe in myself more. Thank you MMRF.
I have learned a lot about myself during this training. I've sunk to some pretty low, low's because of injury and pulled myself back up. I've exhausted my energy reserves to the point that I felt like I wouldn't be able to take another step. But I have also learned just how much I can take. The fact that I'm standing here right now knowing that I can finish something that seemed impossible when I started, shows me that I can do almost anything.
I titled this post, "Just what type of shape are you in?". I find that this is a discussion amongst marathoners as you get close to your event. We have all heard it, "I'm in great shape", "I'm not quite in the shape I would like to be", or "I'm not in good shape at all".
Just what type of shape am I in right now, Insanity. Insanity because that will be what it takes to make it to the finish line at the Olympic Oval.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Another Week Closer
This past week was a pretty significant one in my mind. Over the past months I have been receiving weekly emails from my team with the big headline always being the number of weeks to go. Well this past Friday, that number turned into single digits....9 weeks to go. As I write, there are now less than 9 weeks and exactly two months from now I will be cycling at Ironman Lake Placid.
Training, at times, can seem overwhelming and often it's hard to spot progress when you are caught up in the middle of it. Each day I take on the challenge of continuing to push and just hope I'm doing enough. Yesterday's bike showed me how far I have come. When I first started this journey I was able to cover the Cape Cod Marathon course (26.2 miles) in just about an hour and 45 minutes. Now, many weeks later, I'm cruising through it at 17.2 mph and finishing the course in just under an hour and a half. My goals in Lake Placid have nothing to do with time, merely survival, but the faster times on this course show that I'm working towards my goal.
It's the small moments in training that usually pick you up and remind you of how exciting race day is going to be. My charity team submitted all our names this past week to Ironman which meant me receiving my official welcoming emailing from Ironman Lake Placid. It sent chills down my spine to know that this dream is slowly becoming a reality. Also, I had the chance to talk with the team coach last Thursday. Myself and several team members took advantage of a conference call and you could hear the excitement in everyone's voice as they asked questions about the course and their training.
The weeks will not slow down at all at this point. Every workout is becoming more and more important. This coming Sunday will be my fundraising party and 10 days from now I will be up in Lake Placid for a training camp. More to come soon...
Training, at times, can seem overwhelming and often it's hard to spot progress when you are caught up in the middle of it. Each day I take on the challenge of continuing to push and just hope I'm doing enough. Yesterday's bike showed me how far I have come. When I first started this journey I was able to cover the Cape Cod Marathon course (26.2 miles) in just about an hour and 45 minutes. Now, many weeks later, I'm cruising through it at 17.2 mph and finishing the course in just under an hour and a half. My goals in Lake Placid have nothing to do with time, merely survival, but the faster times on this course show that I'm working towards my goal.
It's the small moments in training that usually pick you up and remind you of how exciting race day is going to be. My charity team submitted all our names this past week to Ironman which meant me receiving my official welcoming emailing from Ironman Lake Placid. It sent chills down my spine to know that this dream is slowly becoming a reality. Also, I had the chance to talk with the team coach last Thursday. Myself and several team members took advantage of a conference call and you could hear the excitement in everyone's voice as they asked questions about the course and their training.
The weeks will not slow down at all at this point. Every workout is becoming more and more important. This coming Sunday will be my fundraising party and 10 days from now I will be up in Lake Placid for a training camp. More to come soon...
Monday, May 19, 2014
10 Weeks Left
Lets face the facts. There is way to much social media to keep up with these days and I'm awful about keeping up with my blog. That being said, the next 10 weeks are sure to be something special and I want a record of all the random thoughts that will cross my mind so that I can remember them 30 years from now. Thus, I will force myself to be a better blogger :)
A year ago I had a thought and that thought became an interest....interest to a need.....need to a want.....want to a desire.....and a desire now to do what once would have been improbable.
How I ever talked myself into an Ironman and all the training, I will never be sure. Friends and coworkers all inspired me. They told me I could do it and I figured what the hell. I have clicked the registration button for over 20 marathons and never did my hand shake so much as when I clicked registration for Ironman Lake Placid.
Everyone who I believe reads this blog is a runner and plenty of you have completed marathons (26.2 miles). I believed for a long time and still do that to finish a marathon you need to sacrifice something. Time with your family, time with your pillow, time in general just to name a few. However, I have a new definition of sacrifice now, its called 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking, and then a marathon (it's called insanity).
Insanity has brought with it 4 hour bike rides, 2 hour runs, and 2 mile swims and I'm still 10 weeks out. It has brought days where I tear off my wet suit just in time to jump on my bike and then a run. It will only get more insane from here. I know it and I ..... it. I leave that space blank because at the end of this I know I will have the perfect adjective to fill in the blank. Right now there are so many mixed emotions. I have felt excitement, fear, overwhelmed, confident and so much more.
One fact that you can put in ink right now, this has already changed my life for the better. I can't wait to see that Olympic Oval on July 27th and that right there is something worth talking about.
A year ago I had a thought and that thought became an interest....interest to a need.....need to a want.....want to a desire.....and a desire now to do what once would have been improbable.
How I ever talked myself into an Ironman and all the training, I will never be sure. Friends and coworkers all inspired me. They told me I could do it and I figured what the hell. I have clicked the registration button for over 20 marathons and never did my hand shake so much as when I clicked registration for Ironman Lake Placid.
Everyone who I believe reads this blog is a runner and plenty of you have completed marathons (26.2 miles). I believed for a long time and still do that to finish a marathon you need to sacrifice something. Time with your family, time with your pillow, time in general just to name a few. However, I have a new definition of sacrifice now, its called 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking, and then a marathon (it's called insanity).
Insanity has brought with it 4 hour bike rides, 2 hour runs, and 2 mile swims and I'm still 10 weeks out. It has brought days where I tear off my wet suit just in time to jump on my bike and then a run. It will only get more insane from here. I know it and I ..... it. I leave that space blank because at the end of this I know I will have the perfect adjective to fill in the blank. Right now there are so many mixed emotions. I have felt excitement, fear, overwhelmed, confident and so much more.
One fact that you can put in ink right now, this has already changed my life for the better. I can't wait to see that Olympic Oval on July 27th and that right there is something worth talking about.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Turning 30...
It is always a big deal when you enter a new decade of your life. I feel as if I was just back in college counting down the hours till I was 21 (that first legal drink :)) and then in a blink of an eye I'm 30. I hoped that I wouldn't wake up Sunday morning with a full head of gray hairs or a wrinkle or two on my face, I succeeded!
Simply, it's a new age group. A new first number when writing down my age. A step towards maturity lol....It is also a new chance. My 20's had so many moments. Some good and some not so good. I feel liked I learned a lot and have plenty more to learn. I begin my 30's with a wonderful career (a career I would never have imagined a decade ago), an amazing group of friends and family, and an incredible goal.
If you had asked me when I turned twenty what my goals would be for the next decade, I would have had many responses. To graduate college, become a successful teacher, make new friends, and travel would have been just a couple. However, some of my greatest accomplishments of this past decade would never have been spoken of when the decade began. Run 25 marathon (are you kidding me) in 13 states (that's a good one Dave). I hope you see my point.
Now as I turn 30 and enter what is going to be an even better chapter in my life, I know of at least one major goal that lies ahead. Ironman Lake Placid on July 27, 2014. The name and date flow off my tongue like it was my own name. I'm sure people are already sick and tired of hearing me talk about it but yet I promise not to shut up about it for a long time. Where these next 8 months will take me will defy all that I know. I will push myself to the ultimate finish line in the Olympic Oval. An oval that once housed the greatest athletes in the world. A place, in 1980, where Americans were given a second chance to believe in there country by a hockey team that wasn't suppose to do anything.
I will, in my own small way, attempt to redefine the word possible. I will do it through the tremendous support of my friends and family. Here is to the next 10 years and the journey that is sure to be amazing!!
Please consider supporting my cause for Ironman Lake Placid. You can donate at my webpage, http://www.active.com/donate/14mmrfimlakeplacid/davidcorbett
Thanks so much!
Simply, it's a new age group. A new first number when writing down my age. A step towards maturity lol....It is also a new chance. My 20's had so many moments. Some good and some not so good. I feel liked I learned a lot and have plenty more to learn. I begin my 30's with a wonderful career (a career I would never have imagined a decade ago), an amazing group of friends and family, and an incredible goal.
If you had asked me when I turned twenty what my goals would be for the next decade, I would have had many responses. To graduate college, become a successful teacher, make new friends, and travel would have been just a couple. However, some of my greatest accomplishments of this past decade would never have been spoken of when the decade began. Run 25 marathon (are you kidding me) in 13 states (that's a good one Dave). I hope you see my point.
Now as I turn 30 and enter what is going to be an even better chapter in my life, I know of at least one major goal that lies ahead. Ironman Lake Placid on July 27, 2014. The name and date flow off my tongue like it was my own name. I'm sure people are already sick and tired of hearing me talk about it but yet I promise not to shut up about it for a long time. Where these next 8 months will take me will defy all that I know. I will push myself to the ultimate finish line in the Olympic Oval. An oval that once housed the greatest athletes in the world. A place, in 1980, where Americans were given a second chance to believe in there country by a hockey team that wasn't suppose to do anything.
I will, in my own small way, attempt to redefine the word possible. I will do it through the tremendous support of my friends and family. Here is to the next 10 years and the journey that is sure to be amazing!!
Please consider supporting my cause for Ironman Lake Placid. You can donate at my webpage, http://www.active.com/donate/14mmrfimlakeplacid/davidcorbett
Thanks so much!
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Lake Placid Here We Go
Over the past 8 years I have learned to love being active. Running, the simple sport of putting one leg in front of the other has turned from a weight lost technique to a passion. Until very recently I had never seen myself as anything more than a really active runner. Well that is all about to change over the next 9 months.
What could be more challenging than trying to push myself to sub 3 hour marathon performances? Perhaps an ultra but that's not really my style. There is always the Ironman! Yes you only have to run 26.2 miles but there is that 2.4 mile swim and 112 on the bike before you get there. Perfect!
Over the next 3/4 of the year I will challenge and push my body to perhaps its physical limits. I will learn to accept doubt and continue to push through the voices that say it's to much. Why would I do such a foolish thing? Because it is the Ironman.
The Ironman! The ultimate endurance event that challenges everyone who throws themselves into the arena.
I hope you will follow me on my journey to the finish line I will likely dream about almost every night. I also hope you will all consider giving to the Multiple Myeloma Foundation. It is thanks to them that I can dream so big and give back in my own small way. Simply visit my fundraising page: athttp://www.active.com/donate/14mmrfimlakeplacid/davidcorbett
Anything you can give means so much to me and I thank you so much in advance!
Here is to the journey that will lead to July 27, 2014 :)
What could be more challenging than trying to push myself to sub 3 hour marathon performances? Perhaps an ultra but that's not really my style. There is always the Ironman! Yes you only have to run 26.2 miles but there is that 2.4 mile swim and 112 on the bike before you get there. Perfect!
Over the next 3/4 of the year I will challenge and push my body to perhaps its physical limits. I will learn to accept doubt and continue to push through the voices that say it's to much. Why would I do such a foolish thing? Because it is the Ironman.
The Ironman! The ultimate endurance event that challenges everyone who throws themselves into the arena.
I hope you will follow me on my journey to the finish line I will likely dream about almost every night. I also hope you will all consider giving to the Multiple Myeloma Foundation. It is thanks to them that I can dream so big and give back in my own small way. Simply visit my fundraising page: athttp://www.active.com/donate/14mmrfimlakeplacid/davidcorbett
Anything you can give means so much to me and I thank you so much in advance!
Here is to the journey that will lead to July 27, 2014 :)
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