This one hurts, but it’s the right decision. A friend of mine had talked me into signing up for Ironman St George a few weeks before the event. Normally that would be ridiculous, but I had a couple good months of training under my belt and thought it would be a nice change to just “jump in” and do it rather than having it weighing on me for a year (most Ironman’s fill so far in advance you must sign up a year early to get in). A great half Ironman 3 wks before the race, which included an encouraging run course record and 2nd overall finish made it look like a good decision. But a serious lower leg injury sustained in that event had me on crutches for 3 days and still walking with a limp more than 2 weeks later. So, as much as it hurts to do so, I’ve pulled the plug on the Ironman next Saturday. Very, very disappointed, but time to move on.

My goal is now to work on improving my cycling while the leg continues to heal. Hopefully I can get back to running within the next 2-3 weeks and be on target for a solid race in Lubbock at the Buffalo Springs Half Iron. Having made a firm decision about St. George has provided motivation to get back on track for a strong performance there in June. Let’s go!