In the Wake of IM Fortaleza

In the moments following crossing the finish line of Ironman Fortaleza, I met up with my Ironbuddy Hal, got my medal, saw Felipe, looked for food, took some goofy pictures and crashed.  Hal and I sat down and for the first time and I realized how much trouble my feet were in.  I knew I had blisters. I knew they hurt during the race, but the adrenaline and excitement of the race has ended and now I was left with the reality that my feet were f*cked.

 

I had to do some house keeping stuff like get Bella and my gear bags and of course find a place that serves Bloody Marys.  Hal and I managed our way over to the race host hotel as their restaurant was still open and surely they could make a Bloody Mary.  As I was hobbling over, I truly wonderd how I just completed 26.2 miles on these feet that I could barely walk the 300 yds to get to the hotel.

The next few days were spent staying off my feet as best as I could and hydrating.

My IronBuddy, truly was, as he helped me out a tremendous amount.  He even found me a sterlized blister needle to help drain them.  So began my daily routine of waking up, draining my blisters, sitting by the pool, 

hobbling to lunch, returning to the pool, 

draining my blisters, then sitting by the pool until the sun started to come down,

then hobbling to dinner in this quaint beach town in the northernmost part of Brazil called Canoa Quebrada.

then heading to bed but not before one last drain of the fluids from my feet and the blood from under a few of my toenails  (For Jessica's sake, I've spared you photos I took of that but email me off line if you'd like to see!)

I started to feel guilty by being in this beautiful part of the world and here I was just sitting by the pool as I was afraid of getting sand or dirt or anything in my open draining wounds.  So the next morning we got up earlyish and I hobbled my way down to the beach.

We continued to hydrate and recover.

 

The time came for Hal and I to bid the sleepy little oceanside town of Conoa Quebrada goodbye and off we went to the airport to catch a flight to Rio.  Hal lives just outside of Rio near Priai u Pepe.  We had a few days in Rio, unfortunately it rained most of the time but I was able to catch up with some dear friends (Joana & Isabela) from back in the Killington days that worked with me.  As well as more recent Brasilian friends 

Marcello and Felipe.  It was great to see every one.  The last day in Brasil the sun came out one last time for me.  It was enough to catch some vitamin D on the beach and grab one last acai con banana, mel y granola.

Hal and I made our way to the airport as he had meetings in the states and was catching a different flight back to the U.S.   This Ironbuddy pulled out one last treat.  Admittance to the VIP lounge where we continued to work on our hydration skills.

I landed back in the states, late Monday night to begin work on Tuesday morning after swim of course.  Half expecting to see a pink slip on my door for taking this trip.  But no such luck.  A few more weeks at the grind an then a quick weekend jaunt to spend Thanksgiving in Florida with both sides of the family was perfect and just what the doctor ordered.

Since November things have been a bit of a struggle for me.  Not too much different than before I went to Fortalzea, predominately because of work.  About a year ago I wrote in this blog titled What am I doing??????  It was basically a 1st Quarter report of 2014 but in it I talked about dealing with stress.  Stress at work, stress at work causing me to miss workouts, poor eating habits, poor sleeping habits.  Again all a by product of the work stresses.  Since my return from Fortaleza that stress has easily magnified itself a countless amount.  I don't mind stress, I actually think I reveal in it.  Remaining calm in a sea of craziness.  I have made a professional career out of turning things that were upside down into successful ventures.  But I think there comes a time when we all must say enough is enough.  I won't use this blog as a forum to "bash" the company I worked for.  They do it to themselves enough daily through the way they treat their employees and guests.  Let's just say that on Jan 20th, enough was enough and I tendered my resignation.  The toll that my spirit, my mind and my body had taken needed to end.  I have been asked a billion times.......What's next Marty?  What are you going to do?  Are you staying in Boulder?  Are you still racing?  and on and on.  My answer.....simply, I don't know.  I didn't have a master plan and something hidden in my back pocket ready to pull out.  I know my spirit, my mind and my body essentially makes up my being and all that who I am.  Those three components when balanced make me feel incredible.  That is what I have been doing.  Taking care of those three essential needs for myself.  Since Jan 20th......Besides loosing 4 toenails....

.....I've gone on bike rides with my friends

and worked on my kisses

Returned to "The Boat" with my godson....

...and enjoyed epic Pow Pow

I've devoted time to my boy...

...and have tried new things with my girl.

I don't know what my future holds or where it will take me.  I know that I have the love and support and belief that I can do anything.  We truly are the only ones stopping us from obtaining our goals.  That doesn't mean every day is sunshine, rainbows and unicorns.  Doubt and fear creep into my mind.  Wanting to do nothing but lie under my sheets enters my thoughts.  I acknowledge those feelings and thoughts but I don't allow them to lead me.  I know I will land exactly where this path, this journey, this life is meant for me to be and I will appreciate the experience and each moment along the way.  SO for now I don't have a ton of plans.  I am seeking the next true great opportunity for myself and my future and keeping my mind and spirit open to all that comes my way.

What about racing and triathlons?

I am not giving up on these just yet.  I enjoy myself way too much to stop having these in my life.  If you have followed my Ironman race blogs, you should/could easily guess I have some unfinished business to attend to.  I am happy and proud of my 1st year racing triathlons.  I think I did a decent job of representing myself as an individual.  I would however like to get back to represent myself better as an athlete though.  I have had people laugh at me with that statement. "Dude, 3 Ironman races in a year, yet alone your 1st year of doing triathlons is a pretty incredible athletic feat."  I hear it, I appreciate it, I don't agree with it.  

What I don't have is a complete summer schedule planned out.  I know the schedule that I would like to do but I am unaware of where geographically life will take me next.  So because of this I have only committed myself to a few larger races.  The Sprints and Olympic distance training races are still up in the air.

So what are those larger races??

June 13th ~ 1/2 Ironman (Boise, Idaho)

August 2nd ~ Ironman Boulder (Boulder, CO)

October 25th ~ Ironman Los Cabos (Los Cabos, MX)

I welcome you to join me in this and my adventures.  Whether it be to continue reading about my journey in this blog or to literally join along as a participant or spectator.  Book your rooms, make the plans, commit. 

I feel a sense of relief that I have been able to regurgitate the last 4+ months in these last few days and pages of my blog.  I look forward to this continual wacky wonderful world and life that we live and the Chapters of the books that we write as we move along our way.

And in the end, it'll all turn out as it should....as it always does.