Overcoming Life's Challenges: A Father's Fight Against Cancer

Today I should have been headed to Cambridge Maryland set to achieve a new personal record for 70.3 distance triathlon. This weekend is Eagleman 70.3. I was set to go and do this race with one of my best friends. The day they put in my port for chemo my oncologist told me no more swimming out of fear of it becoming displaced. I had planned 3 half Ironman distance triathlons this year to set a new record for me. When I was told no more swimming I was devastated.

Instead of doing a long triathlon my friend and I are going to Keuka lake and I am doing a duathlon. It will be a 3.1-mile run, followed by a 13-mile bike, followed by a 3.1-mile run. In all honesty I am going to be slow. I don’t care though.

I do triathlons, and in this case duathlon because I have always told what I couldn’t do. I was the chubby kid who wasn’t good at sports. I wasn’t great in school. I was mediocre at best. When I joined the Army so many people told me I wouldn’t make it. Even endurance events people have told me what I could and couldn’t do. I refuse to live someone else’s view of what I can and can’t do.

I do endurance events because when I am out there I am disconnected. I am free from phone calls, text messages, and emails. I am free from people. These events and training for these events are my time to be free and be me.

I’m not fast. I don’t finish first. I don’t get on the podium. When I am done though, my mind is free. Any stress, frustrations, and anxiety in life I was feeling is gone. It isn’t about being fast. I don’t care if I ever finish first. The only one I am comparing myself to out there is myself. Did I do all that I could? Did I do my best? That’s all I care.

So, I see Sunday’s race as something I have to do. It is my time to go and manage my stress, frustration, and anxiety with everything going on in life in a healthy way.