So… I throw my suitcase wide open in the middle of massive swarms of people (most are traveling to see mama for Mother's Day)! My personal items are lying all over the sidewalk as I have to transport and shove poundage in Lance's bag and our carry-ons! It looked like Wal-Mart had exploded! (But, I've never packed for an Ironman, and I wanted to make SURE I didn't leave any vital items at home… Obviously, I didn't!)
With a little maneuvering, I got it down to 61 pounds (not supposed to be over 50)! But… by the grace of God, the customer service man was kind enough to allow my bag to "pass!" Whew!! (I enjoyed that mercy!)
IN THE AIR!!: We are now on the plane, 34,000 feet in the air… headed to the big state of Texas (swallow hard)…
NEW VIDEO DOCUMENTARY: The Ironman video production crew is flying in from Canada and other parts of the country for the shooting of our Project Giving Ironman Documentary - filmed at 9:30 in the morning (swallow hard, again)…
FRIEND OR FOE??: Dozens of miles swum, thousands of miles biked, and over 1,000 miles run since the onset of my Ironman training… And, now it's staring me in the face… sometimes with the look of friendly competitor eagerly awaiting my arrival… sometimes with the look of a fierce warrior taunting me to make a mistake so he can crush me… (mouth dry… swallowing difficult…)
"IT'S HERE!!!!!!:" All the work, the energy, the consuming thoughts, the mental and physical training, the prayers, the dreams, the blood, the sweat, the tears… And, IT'S HERE… IT'S NOW!!!! The Ironman is THIS SATURDAY!!!! We jump in Lake Woodlands at 7:00 A.M., with 3,000 of our closest friends, to being the 2.4 mile swim. We transition to the bike for 112 miles of pavement. Then, the rubber meets the road as we culminate with a 26.2 mile run… All must be finished by midnight (17 hours)!! (parched… can't swallow!) (My Superman already has 2 Ironmen under his belt! He is almost invincible!! My raw & candid thoughts… I'm scared out of my mind!!!!)
MY PERPETUAL INNER THOUGHTS (LIKE A HAMSTER WHEEL):
God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called…"
"To whom much is given, much is required." (Luke 12:48)
"God will infuse us with His strength to accomplish the task…" (Philippians 4:13)
"My grace is sufficient for you… My power is made perfect in your weakness!" (2 Corinthians 12:9)
LANCE'S & MY PRAYER:
"God… every time others are around us, they fall in love with you…"
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE KINDLY ASKED ABOUT HOW TO TRACK US THIS SATURDAY:
1) Go to myathletelive.com
2) Go to "Track My Athlete"
2) Go to "Ironman Texas"
3) Find our names, and "click" to track us (FYI - No athletes can be "found" until Friday or Saturday - when the trackers are turned "on.")
(Or)
Download the free mobile app, "My Athlete Live."
TO HELP US MEET OUR GOAL!!:
Our goal is $35,000! To date, we have raised around $24,000!! To share your tax-deductible contribution, go to http://konainspired.thismoment.com/base/kona?region_id=us-en&content_id=642
(While you are at it, you can, also, still "VIEW & VOTE" (unlimitedly) until May 31 for our 90-second Project Giving video, which increases our chances of winning one of the 7 coveted spots in the Kona Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii!!! (WHOO-HOO!!!) Our "Bridges Building Possibilities" would be ENDLESS with that kind of global exposure!!!!!
THANK YOU… OH, THANK YOU… FOR HELPING US "BUILD BRIDGES OF HOPE" FOR DARLING FAMILIES WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC MEDICAL ILLNESSES…
YOU ARE LOVED…
Toni Henson Slade
(A.K.A. - Spencer's Mom)
Founder, Project Giving, Inc.
(478) 224-HOPE
www.projectgiving.net