Carpe Diem

"Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted, one moment, would you capture it or just let it slip?"

- Eminem, Lose Yourself

Finally getting a chance to catch up with the blog after 3 weeks off. Training has been picking up and it seems like there is never a free moment. Any free time I do find usually ends up being spent playing with John or doing chores. This morning I got in a quick swim workout and some time with the weights which kept tonight open. I'd be lying if I said that I haven't been looking forward to tonight all day.

Myself & Chief Bill Daywalt at the 2011
ALA Climb the Tower Stair Climb.

A developing theme over the past few weeks has been all about making the most of the opportunities in front of me. I think that's what pursuing an Ironman is all about. Taking one shot and making it count. I guess you could say that I'm taking "someday" and making it today. These chances pop up even when you're not expecting them to. Sometimes you just need to be in the right place at the right time. Other times you need someone to guide or push you. And sometimes, you're just along for the ride trying to hang on. Then there's always the chance you're influencing someone else to push themselves just a little bit harder to do something they've never done.

A few weeks ago a few of us from the firehouse competed in the American Lung Association's 2011 Climb the Tower. This is the third year that we've competed, but this year we recruited our former chief, Bill Daywalt. A few years ago Chief tried to recruit some of us to apply for the show "Mantracker" in which a professional tracker chases a team of two through the Canadian Rockies after giving them a head start. We all declined. Then this winter someone challenged him to an obstacle filled mud run. He signed up. So, it was no surprise to us that he said this was the year that he'd join us for the stair climb. He started running to get ready. After work or on the weekends he snuck away to get some practice in at some of our local high rises. Billy made the most of the day and made it to the top 50 stories up from street level. He wore all his gear including that ridiculously heaving, but stylish, leather helmet.

Two weeks ago during my Thursday morning run with the group, I knew it'd be an adventure once Paul took over and we started following him. Paul's tolerance for road only seems to extend as far as official races, so it was no surprise when we were off on another trail adventure. Over a river and through the woods and next thing I know we're headed up and over Mt. Joy. I'd never done that before, so check it off the list. Down the other side and across Rt. 252, and then we started right up Mt. Misery. I'd always wanted to run both in one shot, but I never set out to do it.

As we descended the other side of Mt. Joy and looked across Valley Forge National Park, I told the group that running both hills in one run had always been on my "someday" list. Someone chimed in and said, "Well, I guess someday just became today." Check it off, because it's done. I'm looking forward to the day I'll no longer have to say "Someday, I'll be an Ironman."