The Verdict

After writing yesterday's blog post, it became pretty clear to me what my desires are for 2014. Sometimes just writing everything down - whether it be in an email, a blog update, or a detailed spreadsheet with weighted and color-coded pros and cons - clarifies how I feel about something. Having everything laid out in black and white helps me relax the mind enough to listen to the gut.

By the time I got in bed, I was 98% certain of my choice; when I awoke this morning, I felt at peace with my decision, excited about the coming year and all of its challenges, and confident that I will be happy with my decision a year from now and beyond.

I am happy to announce I am NOT racing Ironman Chattanooga in 2014!

(The whole world can exhale now! Everyone can go on with their lives! ha ha)

As much fun as it would be, I can tell my desire is just not high enough to get the job done. When you're in the middle of training and you're tired, worn down, pushed to your limit with training and planning and showering and laundry and everything else and you hardly ever see your husband or your kid and almost never see your mom or your sister and niece and you forget to pay the water bill and you start to wonder why the hell am I doing this?, that desire needs to be there to pull you through. I suspect I will have that desire again in the future, but I certainly don't have it now.

Boy, is my mom going to be happy to read this! She texted me 6 times before I even got out of bed this morning (that's the equivalent of spitting out her coffee in alarm). Apparently she did not fix her coffee before reading the blog post, but everything else, I got right: she doesn't want me to do it, but she would support me if I did. How awesome is that?!?

So, what will I do in 2014 instead of an Ironman? Lots of awesome things:

• Charleston Half Marathon in January with my friends whom I don't get to see often enough
• Asheville Marathon at the Biltmore in March with my husband with whom I don't get to run often enough
• A full season of duathlons in NC, SC and GA (and maybe AL and AZ... We'll see...)
• The local sprint triathlons
• An organized bike ride or two
• Volunteer at Ironman Chattanooga so I can cheer on all my friends!

Plus the usual stuff: lots of traveling for work, a few concerts with the South Carolina Philharmonic, an actual family vacation to DC, and... oh yeah... I will probably pay all my bills on time.

Also, I'll turn 40. How hard could that be?

Thanks, friends, for your advice and perspective. I look forward to supporting all of you on your road to Chatty and partying with you at the finish line.

Then, in 2015: CHOO-CHOO!