And in the beginning we discovered Kevin had a heart...

So here I go.  My first blog.  I wonder by the time I am done with this goal if anyone will actually follow this blog?  I doubt it but what the heck! It least along the way I will have a diary of my pain and suffering.  And just maybe someone will find some enjoyment from it.

So why am I writing this?  Late last year started it all.  I was having some fairly serious issues with my body.  I had some massive dizzy spells and I felt like I was going to faint all the time.  I was told by my doctor and close friend to go see a specialist.  That specialist ran all the tests (echo, stress, event monitor), poked prodded and told me he found nothing.  Then a month later I was told to come see him ASAP!  That is never good when a doctor tells you this especially when he is one of the best cardiologist in the country.  He said I might have a hole in my heart.  For some reason this always makes me sing this bad 80s song.  But it may not be anything.  I heard what he said but the look in his eye said this is serious. 

Well, I then had to go into the hospital for a TEE.  This means they gave me a ton of drugs to knock me out (thank god), shoved a tube the size of my thumb down my throat to listen to my heart.  The procedure took almost 2-3 times the normal time to complete (its good to have friends who are doctors because they go the extra mile for you).  Come to find out it there was no hole in my heart (stop the bad Extreme song in my head) but my heart does do some strange swirling motion in the upper chamber that is not normal but is harmless.  Good news is they proved I do have a heart so my significant other can no longer call me heartless.  :-)

The combination of this incident and my family history of heart conditions scared this thirty something to start doing something he dreaded, RUNNING!!!  My whole life I dreaded running with a passion.  Running was something that was only invented so the weak (people like me) could not be eaten by the creatures from Drastic Park.  It also gave me a chance to start running with Bonnie who had just started running. 

I fought through some 5Ks, some early morning runs and started to challenge myself to do a ½ marathon (13.1 miles) which I completed in January 2010.  Something clicked and I started to like running (minus the serious pain it caused my knees).  Within 4 months I was a Half Maniac (a club for really weird people who run way too many races).    A later post will be dedicated to these weird, running addicted people.

Then I bought a bike and decided to do a sprint triathlon, then an Olympic distance and then I was really addicted.  This was better than running! 

So then I guess I had a mid life crisis.  Since I finished my first goal of finishing college I have been stuck with no real challenges.  I was extremely lucky to have a successful career early in life and even before finishing college.  So what can I do that will be the next big goal?  How about the insane idea of a ½ Ironman?  No, not the comic book robot guy from the movies but the crazy triathlon that is 70.3 miles (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run).  So I signed up for the Rohto Ironman 70.3 Florida (Orlando) for May 15 2011.

So begins my adventure in pain, early morning exercises, sore butt from riding, bankruptcy from equipment purchases, bad unflattering pictures of me in  tri clothing (spandex) and this blog.  I hope you can fight through the bad grammar, spelling and my strange humor to enjoy my adventure...