Whenever I need a pick me up, when the long weeks of training become a grind, when life gets in the way, I like to look back at one of the best moments of my life. In 2007, one of my lifelong dreams came true when I crossed the finish line at Kona. October 13, 2007 at 8:43 pm HST, I did something I never believed was possible but yet I always kept that crazy dream alive. I wish every triathlete could experience what Kona is like, so I tried my best to let the readers of my race report get a small slice. THe full report can be found here: http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=93818
The two parts I did best were the preamble and the finish. Reading these two parts still puts a chill down my spine. Enjoy!
The Dream:
For everyone who ever had a dream.....
When I was a kid I had all sorts of crazy dreams, scoring the winning basket at the Final Four, hitting a ball over the Green Monster, Throwing a touchdown pass to win the Super Bowl. However reality came along and made sure those dreams would remain just that. But I was part of a most fortunate generation that got to watch this sport of triathlon come into being and grow. I remember watching Julie Moss in 1982 on ABC Wide World of Sports and asking myself why would and how could someone push themselves to the point their body was shuting down just to reach a line on Alii Drive. At that point a dream was born, I watched Dave Scott (who lived a few towns down the freeway from where I went to High School) and found a hero. I watched Dave and Mark Allen battle, met a guy named Mike Pigg, but then my dream went on hold for 14 years as I "grew up" joined the Navy, started a family, got out of the Navy. But every year in December, I would watch the NBC Kona Special and the dream would be rekindled. New heros emerged Chris S., Sara Reinhart, Jon Blaze and I started down the path of chasing that dream again. In Nov 2006, I became an Ironman at Ironman Florida, and I thought that was as close to the dream as I'd ever come. But fate has a funny way of helping you out and on April 15, 2007 I saw my name on the list of Kona lottery winners. Dreams can come true!
The finish:
Now you are headed down Palani to mile 25 thru the last Aid station. Now you know you made it. The crowds which have been gone the last 15 miles are back in force and the closer you get to Alii Drive the bigger they get. Everyone is cheering you, you turn down and then one last turn onto Alii drive. Its magical. Suddenly you are flying down Alii, the positive vibe from the crowd and most importantly your fellow atheletes has you walking on air. These people understand and appricate what you have gone thru the last 13 hours. They don't care if you are a lottery winner and didn't qualify, they know whats going thru your head at this moment. Pure unadulterate joy. Your dream is 300 yards away. You enter the shoot and start going from side to side giving high 5s. And there is Mike Riley. Then you hear it "Andrew Rosebrook from Royersford PA....You are an Ironman!!!"
Follow the dream and never wake up! The journey will always be worth the price! Plus you may get to see something like this first hand.
