No, not that one. The one I actually give a crap about. Not the day when my mother brought me into this world, but the day I brought myself into this world, in a manner of speaking.
Four years ago today, I took the initiative to change my own life. To be fair, I was just sad about a recent breakup and needed an outlet, but on that day I went for a run. And it hurt a whole heck of a lot. At the time I was, at best, a sporadic and inconsistent exerciser. I had done a half marathon each April for the past two years and had completely abandoned running in the time between. One of them I didn't even train for, so I'm not sure it even counts.
So anyways...on February 18th, 2009 I stepped out the door into the cold and searched for a way to distract myself from my life. Not going to dwell too much on the similarity between that day and my current situation, but it would be inappropriate to completely ignore it. However, that's not what this is about. This isn't about that FIRST run. It's about what happened next.
A lot has happened between that day and today. Starting with that first painful, gasping-for-air mile...fast forwarding 4 years...up through Saturday's 10 miler, my legs have carried me through 2,625 miles. In addition, I have traveled 4,464 miles via bike, and I have swam 83 miles.
I've received finisher medals for 11 half marathons, 2 marathons, 3 50k's, a 40 miler, 5 half Ironmans, 2 full Ironmans, and a generous smattering of shorter races. And I've done quite a few races that did not involve medals at all...though I do love all the Shiny!
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| Pretties |
Today also marks my 49th day of consecutive exercise, on a quest to hit 100 straight...and maybe beyond? Honestly, if I made it that far, why quit?
So what is it I'm trying to say? Obviously this day means a lot to me. It's a day that makes me proud of who I am, what I've achieved, and what I have yet to achieve. It's a day when I get to reflect on everything I've done and take a moment to celebrate Me. Most people do this on their actual birthday, but I like this better. I'd rather celebrate myself on a day where I can look back and say “I accomplished something”.
I can not look back on the day of my birth and be so bold. I think there was a lot of drool and poop involved. I was completely helpless and unable to care for myself. And I couldn't even hold my head up on my own.
Sometimes even now as a grown-ass adult, I have trouble doing that.
But it's not because my head is too massive for my undeveloped neck muscles to lift(Though with all the bragging I'm doing, you might suspect that). Lately it has been hard to maintain a positive attitude due to life's curve balls, but I am trying to fight the good fight and be a happier version of me. This exercise streak may have something to do with that, both as a byproduct of, and a treatment for my depression.
Writing helps too. I like to write down my athletic stories because they help me remember all the little moments of those big races that would otherwise be forgotten within months. They help me fully relive an event which was meaningful to me. Even today I could go back and reread Part 4 of my Ironman Coeur d'Alene report and still get choked up remembering how exhilarated I felt turning onto the home stretch of the run and how raw the emotion was when I crossed the finish line and became an Ironman. When I write, I primarily write for me.
But there are some added benefits associated with making my stories public. I get to share my experiences with family and friends. I get motivation from people who read them and congratulate me on a race well run, or who help lift my spirits after a race that didn't go as planned. Finally, perhaps my favorite part, is that I get to watch others become inspired.
Now I'm not going to sit here and claim responsibility for anybody else's achievements. I know that I did X, and then So-And-So read about it and eventually went on to also do X. But they found that motivation and drive to succeed from within themselves, no question.
I simply like to think that maybe I just planted an idea in their head. Got them thinking about something they might not have otherwise considered. Something along the lines of when my good friend Delaware completed his first Ironman. I thought to myself, “Gee...I thought only freak-of-nature humanoid cyborgs could do that. Delaware is totally a real human and HE did one!” And that's not to say that he's not a badass, because he totally is. BUT...it's that shift in how you view the world, how you view a particular challenge, and how that shift changes the way you think about yourself.
That's what I mean by “What one man can do, another can do.”
I sincerely hope that people who read my blog don't come away with the notion that I'm any better, any faster, any stronger, or any more likely to succeed than they are. I really hope they come away with the thought that “Danny can do that. I bet I can do that too.”
And I have heard a few stories indicating that this is sometimes the case.
So...now....what do I want for my birthday?
So what is it I'm trying to say? Obviously this day means a lot to me. It's a day that makes me proud of who I am, what I've achieved, and what I have yet to achieve. It's a day when I get to reflect on everything I've done and take a moment to celebrate Me. Most people do this on their actual birthday, but I like this better. I'd rather celebrate myself on a day where I can look back and say “I accomplished something”.
I can not look back on the day of my birth and be so bold. I think there was a lot of drool and poop involved. I was completely helpless and unable to care for myself. And I couldn't even hold my head up on my own.
Sometimes even now as a grown-ass adult, I have trouble doing that.
But it's not because my head is too massive for my undeveloped neck muscles to lift(Though with all the bragging I'm doing, you might suspect that). Lately it has been hard to maintain a positive attitude due to life's curve balls, but I am trying to fight the good fight and be a happier version of me. This exercise streak may have something to do with that, both as a byproduct of, and a treatment for my depression.
Writing helps too. I like to write down my athletic stories because they help me remember all the little moments of those big races that would otherwise be forgotten within months. They help me fully relive an event which was meaningful to me. Even today I could go back and reread Part 4 of my Ironman Coeur d'Alene report and still get choked up remembering how exhilarated I felt turning onto the home stretch of the run and how raw the emotion was when I crossed the finish line and became an Ironman. When I write, I primarily write for me.
But there are some added benefits associated with making my stories public. I get to share my experiences with family and friends. I get motivation from people who read them and congratulate me on a race well run, or who help lift my spirits after a race that didn't go as planned. Finally, perhaps my favorite part, is that I get to watch others become inspired.
Now I'm not going to sit here and claim responsibility for anybody else's achievements. I know that I did X, and then So-And-So read about it and eventually went on to also do X. But they found that motivation and drive to succeed from within themselves, no question.
I simply like to think that maybe I just planted an idea in their head. Got them thinking about something they might not have otherwise considered. Something along the lines of when my good friend Delaware completed his first Ironman. I thought to myself, “Gee...I thought only freak-of-nature humanoid cyborgs could do that. Delaware is totally a real human and HE did one!” And that's not to say that he's not a badass, because he totally is. BUT...it's that shift in how you view the world, how you view a particular challenge, and how that shift changes the way you think about yourself.
That's what I mean by “What one man can do, another can do.”
I sincerely hope that people who read my blog don't come away with the notion that I'm any better, any faster, any stronger, or any more likely to succeed than they are. I really hope they come away with the thought that “Danny can do that. I bet I can do that too.”
And I have heard a few stories indicating that this is sometimes the case.
So...now....what do I want for my birthday?
More stories...
If I were to make my life into a book(Don't worry, not actually going to happen), I'd like to think it would be less full of things I did, and more full of things that I inspired others to do.
Have you ever read one of my race reports? Heard me talk about a race, or even just heard 2nd hand about something I did or attempted to do? Were you then motivated or inspired to try something new or take on a challenge in your own life? I'd love to hear your story. Leave me a comment on this blog, on Facebook, on Twitter(@DannyKTB), or send me an email, dloental@gmail.com. No matter how big or small the story, or if you've even told me already, tell me again. It's MY BIRTHDAY and this is what I want.
I don't necessarily believe in a “meaning of life” as the scholars would define it, but I think that a really solid approach to our time on this planet is to try and leave the world a better place than we found it. For me, I think it's helping others achieve happiness and serenity the way I did four years ago today, by becoming active, healthy, and confident in themselves and their potential.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
KTB,
Danny
If I were to make my life into a book(Don't worry, not actually going to happen), I'd like to think it would be less full of things I did, and more full of things that I inspired others to do.
Have you ever read one of my race reports? Heard me talk about a race, or even just heard 2nd hand about something I did or attempted to do? Were you then motivated or inspired to try something new or take on a challenge in your own life? I'd love to hear your story. Leave me a comment on this blog, on Facebook, on Twitter(@DannyKTB), or send me an email, dloental@gmail.com. No matter how big or small the story, or if you've even told me already, tell me again. It's MY BIRTHDAY and this is what I want.
I don't necessarily believe in a “meaning of life” as the scholars would define it, but I think that a really solid approach to our time on this planet is to try and leave the world a better place than we found it. For me, I think it's helping others achieve happiness and serenity the way I did four years ago today, by becoming active, healthy, and confident in themselves and their potential.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
KTB,
Danny
You've come a long way, my friend! Happy "birthday" (or runniversary as I like to call it on my "birthday")! You have no doubt inspired many people. I've wanted to do an Ironman for a long time, but it's always been a passing goal that I never really put much thought into. You are one of a small handful of friends that showed me it is really possible and inspired me to start working seriously toward that goal. This Sept when I finish my first 70.3 I will be thanking you & next year when I hopefully finish my first 140.6 I will be thanking you again. You are right, we have to drive ourselves to meet these big goals, but having a friend show us that it's really possible and help keep that internal drive going is very important as well. Thank you for all the inspiration you've given me. Cheers to you, my friend!
ReplyDeleteI am not a real human. Just a humanoid cyborg with a mechanical heart.
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Danny – I look back on the summer of 2009 with much the same pride as you. I too was going through a major breakup (divorce :/ …) and, unlike you, had never exercised a day in my life (unless of course you count high school golf!). You encouraged me to get out there and ride. Your motivation, encouragement and training helped me complete my first 5k, my first two triathlons, my first duathlon, and a whopping 180-mile bicycle crusade with the Fun Police that summer! I may not be quite the avid athlete that you have become but I still tell myself “Hey, I’ve done that once so why not do it again?” I am certainly healthier now than I ever was any year before 2009 and am back training for a couple of races again this summer. Let me know if you are doing the Tinman or Midwest Mayhem this year (those are the ones I am aiming for) or even the Kansas Half Iron Man (I’ll come cheer you on!). Also keep me posted if you are doing any training this summer in Lawrence and wouldn’t mind a very slow tag-a-long! My life changed the year I met you and I thank you for that from the bottom of my heart!!
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