Well….I changed my mind….

Virginia here with a big update….

I registered for IRONMAN FLORIDA 2014!

So, if you read my last post, you know that I had counted it out. We realized money was just too tight, and we cancelled our trip to Florida. The plan had been to volunteer there so that I could register. I booked the hotel six months ago, signed up to volunteer, and had been SUPER excited for my mini-vacation. BUT, my husband and I realized that the whole thing was just out of our budget. Not only is the race expensive, the trip to Florida was just pushing the whole thing over the edge.  I was BUMMED…. SAD…. WALLOWING in my FIRST WORLD PROBLEM….

I decided that I would register for Beach to Battleship to be my first full. Now, my last post seems to have offended some folks, so let me be clear here….

1. I KNOW that B2B is an awesome race.
2. I KNOW that 140.6 = 140.6
3. I KNOW that my feelings were silly and irrational

That being said, I just want to hear Mike Rielly say my name. And….honestly….it’s more about the fact that I just WANTED Florida to be my first. For a long time I had pictured it as my first. ANY race other than Florida would be a tad bit disappointing. Again, I know it is not a rational thought.

BUT….I was going to do B2B. I have a list of races I want to do someday, and B2B and Vineman are at the top, so I decided that I would just change up the order of things. I knew that I would be happy in B2B, so I was beginning to focus on that race.

My PLAN was to register soon after B2B opened on Nov. 1. For some reason, I just couldn’t register on that day. My revised PLAN was to register today. When Sunday rolled around I was a bit sad because I knew that Ironman Florida online registration opened that day. Online registration was set to go up at 12:00 CST, so I knew at 1:00 I would be really bummed. Fortunately, I was in the mountains with my parents and some extended family, so I was a little pre-occupied. I kept telling myself that after 1:00 I would feel much better because all options would be GONE. Around 10:00 I texted my husband and said, “I’m thinking maybe I should try to register for Florida online.” He texted back, “CALL ME.” When I called he was sitting at the computer looking at the registration process. He said he was “so relieved” that I wanted to try. As we talked, I realized I couldn’t actually try. I was going to be driving home at that time. I realized it was up to my husband. EEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKK!

So, my sweet husband went to work. In the hour leading up he hit the registration button on a few open Ironman events. He filled out the forms all of the way to the credit card information before clicking cancel. He had the whole thing ready to auto-fill. Since Florida filled up in less than one minute last year, he knew he was going to have to be quick. Sure enough, when the time came, he was ready. He filled it out and the system timed out. AHHHHHHHHHH! Take two…. This time it went through!!!

I was riding in my parent’s car staring at my phone and waiting for his text at the time that it came through. When I saw that I was in the race, I immediately felt like I would throw up. When I told my parents my mother said, “Oh Virginia, you aren’t really thinking about doing that are you?” LOL! She doesn’t get it.

So, I’m in. I’m thrilled.

Yes, the race is too expensive. Yes, I would have been happy with the other race (and I’ll do it someday). Yes, I am ridiculous. BUT…I’m happy. I’m doing Ironman Florida in 2014!

HERE I GO!