Maybe Next Time

When I came down with pneumonia weeks prior to my first marathon, I was disappointed. When I broke my ankle just a few weeks before the third marathon I'd trained for, needless to say, I was disappointed. But to pretend to know the disappointment my husband feels at having to turn down an opportunity to travel across the Atlantic to compete in the World Championship Duathlon because of injury is absurd. I can't even begin to know the gravity of that kind of letdown.

T qualified for the run-bike-run back in April when he competed in the Powerman . Unfortunately, this past Tuesday, he made the difficult decision not to get on a plane to Belgium because a nagging pain in his hip, one that kept him from running, was not improving. A few weeks before our departure date, during a training ride on his bike, T had crashed trying to avoid a dog. Plus, my theory is that his body was also physically exhausted from a grueling months-long training program.

T trained all winter to compete in a half-Ironman. He raced that in May then jumped right into another tough training program for this race. As any long distance athlete can tell you, that sort of training quickly begins to take its toll on your body.

I would just like to say how proud I am of the way my husband has handled this. Those who know him best understand his disappointment at not being able to compete, but he has not worn that disappointment at all. He accepted his injury with grace and even commented to me how there are Olympic athletes who train their entire lives and are forced to pull out of the biggest sporting event of their lives right at the last moment. So he is truly keeping it all in perspective. A faith in God and a trust that He knows all and is in control of all also keeps T's disappointment short-lived and his focus on the next phase of his athletic endeavors. I love you sweetheart and am proud of the man, father, and athlete you are!