BRICK WORKOUT....hit me already!

This has been a contemplative week for me. First of all, it is the end of Lent and as a Christian I am in “Holy Week” mode...anticipating the joy of Easter...attending services and thinking about the sacrifice our Lord made for us. Second, I have a little over FIVE WEEKS to go until St. Anthony’s. The reality of what I am attempting to accomplish in honor of Matt is really setting in. OMIGOSH! Training has been going well...I’m at it SIX DAYS A WEEK...rain or shine, heat or cold...and to be honest, I am pleased with my progress. I can now swim 80 lengths [1.13 miles] without stopping, can manage to pump my way through nearly 30-mile cycling sessions and, of course, I can run 8 miles without any issues. These distances are more than I need to complete St. A’s.

There are, however, some looming concerns. I still haven’t done a “BRICK WORKOUT” where you put one or more of these elements together. I haven’t practiced doing “transitions” where you learn to move swiftly from one event to another...a crucial skill that can make or break your day. And, even though I have done them before...there is always the unknown element of the scary, open-water swim in deep water. Mine will be in Tampa Bay’s [shark-filled] waters, depicted here! Will the water be cold? Will it be choppy and rough with unrelenting currents that will sap my strength??? While I can train and do everything in my power to be ready, there is so much I can’t control.

I think of parallels to Matt and his family. When he was diagnosed with leukemia, he and his parents were told exactly what treatment regimen would be required to try to beat it. There were crises along the way...new things to learn, how to cope. And then, there was the UNKNOWN...things they encountered or couldn’t control. Today, as a result of LLS research, doctors have an arsenal of drugs and therapies that successfully fight back leukemia and other cancers.

I pray that Matt’s dangerous seas are behind him...that the course ahead will be smooth. I await the day when Matt can shout out for all to hear, “I won!” In my mind he already has...but to insure his survival...and for any other folks who might still be swimming in deep waters...struggling to move forward, I will continue to raise funds for cancer research...and push on, too.