The Era of the IronMAJ

There's nothing like the fresh, clean smell of a new beginning to fill you with energy and vitality (or, as my grandfather would've said, piss'n'vinegar.  Don't ask.)  The 2011/12 season promises to be the start of many things for me: a new life on my own (or maybe a better attached life than I ever imagined possible); new PRs and trophies to conquer; the realistic hope of being cancer-free; the very possible fulfillment of my lifelong dream of being a PhD student - just to name a few.

The Year of Living Dangerously is (mercifully) over.  The Year of the MAJ, and the Year of the PR, have dramatically drawn to a close.

It's the dawn of a new day. The eve of a new era.

The Era of the IronMAJ.

Now, before you go jumping to all kinds of crazy conclusions here, running amok through the streets of the city like a wildman/woman, arms akimbo, spreading the word far and wide that MAJ has decided to do an Ironman 140.6 after all, I have one word for you.

Don't.

Because I'm not.

This week I get my one-year whole-body scan, which will determine if the suspicious tissue found in April is more cancer or just scar tissue.  Between this and other financial and schedule considerations, training for Augusta 70.3 and any other far destination races is out of the question until around October or November.  Yet here I was, tooling around with this training group I got attached to, cycling with these cycling groups I stumbled upon, sometimes actually having the balls to jump on the tail end of a breakaway group, pull a pack or lead a ride (not for long, trust me) and all of a sudden I find myself training for a century and a 5k openwater swim.  And not just any century - The Ride 4 Ronald, a charity ride benefiting the Ronald McDonald House Foundation.

Then I thought, why not do the Savannah Marathon in November?
Someone else I know is doing it.
It's far enough off.
It's not terribly expensive.
It's not a long drive.

So someone says to me, "you're going to have to go on an Ironman training plan."

And I said, "Why?"

And they said, "Because you're basically doing an Ironman, 3 months apart.  Century in September, swim in October, marathon in November."

And I thought, hmmm.  imagine that. (No, really.  iMAJine that.)  Why don't I just call this the IronMAJ?  It will be my very own Iron-distance event.


And then I thought, Sign me up.


Wait, someone already did.


Oh yeah.  That was me.



IronMAJ 2011.

Are you in?