Diving in the Keys

Diving in the Keys

Friday, January 14, 2011

It was the Best of Times and the Worst of Times

I land from Toronto at home last night and get a text from our son saying that he needed to talk to me. I pulled over and called expecting the worst. It was an incredibly emotionally and uplifting conversation because he know what I was going through. No one knows me like Michael does. He encouraged me in ways he will never know. If I finish Ironman, I am going to look for him, hug him and cry my eyes out. He is in the documentary that was just published about my adventure and that is very emotional because he was interviewed before he checked himself into a rehab facility and is now is a much better place.

Brian Phelps - Triabetes Captain 2010/2011

Today started with a lot of work and then I ran for lunch 8 miles around the lake. The 8 mile run around the lake was very enjoyable but slow 1hr 27min. Went back home and got stuff done. I was about to eat dinner and then I saw my portion of the Triabetes filming show up by email. I was half way through it and my wife came in and said my elderly neighbors needed me there now to deal with their grand kid who they are raising. They were afraid he was going to attack them (this kid has a record of arrests and drugs). I was fired up and dealt with the situation without touching him. I then went to swim in a very angry mood. Needless to say my nice easy 4100 yds was done fairly quickly. I honestly tried to go easy for my timed 2000 yds but I kept picking up the pace because it felt good and I felt the anger leaving me. I was expecting about 30 min but I did it in just over 26 minutes. Blah blah blah, quit whining and look at my run time above ;->.

It can't believe I am saying this, but I am looking forward to my 4hr 15min ride tomorrow morning before I go ice fishing at a local lake. Mind numbing exercise is becoming enjoyable now.

Thanks and please donate an obscene amount of money to my Triabuddy, Zyler, as he leads out and inspires other diabetics to dominate their disease just like he is doing.

Zyler is traveling with his Mom to San Diego next weekend for the Carlsbad marathon. He is running in the Kid's Mile. What is SUPER COOL is that Zyler was selected as a "Hero of the Marathon" out of 9000 runners and will be treated as a VIP along with his Mom. He will be presented an award at a VIP dinner Friday evening and will be speaking in front of 200 other diabetics on Saturday night. Zyler, YOU ROCK!!!


Donate to Zyler and Impact the Lifes of Diabetics


Brian Phelps

2 comments:

volock said...

It's amazing how much emotion can push a workout isn't it? I ride my bike so many miles because I find it a great way to deal with emotion and stress. I'll get frustrated with homework or something and jump on my bike or just the trainer and put in some hard intervals, often harder than I intended.

So to wonder is your half-ironman your first Tri or just of that length? The Boulder Half-Ironman is going to be my first unless I do the XTERRA Four Corners Off Road Triathlon as a practice one ahead of time.

Also I'm with you on the runs being slow. I can't seem to consistently keep my running pace increasing. I can go more than fast enough on my bike and my swim is getting better, but my run is weak, I just don't get as into it. Though music running helps, since I won't bike with music on if I'm on the streets.

Brian Phelps said...

The half iron in Oceanside is my first half iron. I did the Olympic distance at the Rattlesnake Tri at Aurora Reservoir last August and my first Tri was the Indoor Tri at Lifetime Fitness last March. I think that I will be allowed to use my iPod in Carlsbad but most of the official races do not allow music so I purposely train without music sometimes to deal with my thoughts and boredom.