Anticipation

In a little over two weeks I slash through my second and hardest race to date, the Half Ironman. While not down to the wire yet, I have to admit that I'm getting nervous. The distances in training are getting long enough now that they take up more time and energy and I have started to have to pack nutrition and carry more water. I actually get hungry on the ride! This past weekend, 35 miles of biking followed by 9 miles of running, I had to do the race after working my night shift. The weather was overcast and rainy. Half of the bike was achieved in a torrential downpour with some scary lightning. I was soaking wet. I was also surprised to see cranes and wild turkeys sitting on the trail. That was kind of cool.

It's interesting. I had set out to do these 5 Races in 5 Months, one of which is an olympic distance triathlon. What I didn't count on is that in training for the Half Ironman, I am essentially doing more than the olympic distances on the bike and run every week. It is regular and unavoidable.

I think of the regular bullying that kids endure in school. It comes out of nowhere, there is no special circumstances that cause it to occur, no path that you can avoid. I think about waking up in the morning to get ready for classes knowing that you have to go, wondering if today will be the same as before, wondering if there will be a reprieve. I think of the additional armor that kids have to take with them or build in front of them, not unlike the additional water and nutrition that I have to take to get through the long ride. I can understand how some kids, when faced with an additional torrential downpour just decide to quit.

By clicking on the donation page on the right, you can help me help GLSEN end the downpour of bullying that kids everywhere endure on a regular basis.