23:10

Hi.

Welcome to my Ironman story.

Card-carrying introvert that I am, I never thought I would feel compelled to share this kind of trip so publicly, but somehow it seems like the best way to put the journey on record and bring my friends along. Thanks for coming.

I am training for Ironman Canada, which takes place on August 30, 2009. It will be my second shot at this challenging course, which begins and ends in Penticton, BC. I last raced there in 2005. Despite being hampered by mechanical problems on my bike, and finishing over 1:30 slower than I should have, it was still one of the best days of my life. In fact, it was unforgettable.

With that in mind, I have made "unforgettable" the theme my Ironman adventure. Inoubliable, as you may know, is the French word for unforgettable. I chose it because the wordnerd in me loves the fact that it uses every vowel once, and the letter "i" twice. I is for Ironman. I is for I can do it. Ironman training is a selfish endeavor. It is up to me -- and only me -- to lay the groundwork to succeed, and to come through on the day. Hence the magic of this word. I want to do what it takes to make this training season, and race day, inoubliable.

Mike and I had front-row seats on the Champs-Elysees in July 2003 when Lance Armstrong won Tour de France number 5. We framed the front page of the daily newspaper, Le Parisien, from that day, and hung it in front of the treadmill in our exercise room. The top half of the page has a color photo of Lance in yellow, with the now-disgraced Jan Ullrich to his right, and controversial Alexander Vinukurov to his left, representing second and third in the race, respectively. The headline says, bold and in all caps: INOUBLIABLE.

I am not one of those people who believes that "your Ironman defines you" somehow as a human being. Yes, it is hard. Yes, it takes sacrifice -- not just yours, but that of the people who love you.

I believe the Ironman experience is very personal, and the days that get you there should be memorable, fun, intense and happy. The race itself, while it may not change your life, it will teach you lessons you will never forget.

Today marked a good beginning, with a 5K time of 23:10 on legs tired from a week's worth of solid training. It was a small race; I was the first person to cross the line. Now that's a feeling worth remembering.