If the Door of Opportunity Doesn’t Open for You; Knock it Down. If There’s No Door; Make One.

At the Tri Blogger Alliance post-Ironman Florida suoirée (translation: we was gettin’ schnockered by the pool) the Iron Kahuna put down his fermented blue agave long enough to propose a meet up at the Wildflower Triathlon Festival. The newly minted Ironman didn’t have to say it twice to get buy-in from the faithful present.

Wildflower… ah, the name alone evokes tri-dreams of fancy. The legend and the lore of a jewel of a race that’s much more than just a race. It’s a three day festival of multisport combined with camping in a remote section of Monterey County, California. I could write more but frankly my words just couldn't do the experience justice. Trust me on this one... it's a must do weekend.

The May festival not only attracts professionals and age group athletes from all over the world it also is a major event for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training. Eager athletes, many of them for the first time, raise money to fight blood cancers and come to Wildflower to test their mettle. Their athletic struggle is a metaphor for the survival struggle of the patients they honor. Chapters from all over America send teams to the race but unfortunately not mine. Not what I wanted to hear. Undaunted I asked if there was a way for me to join a TNT team that was going from another chapter but, that wasn’t possible either. Until… the North Texas Chapter Triathlon Coordinator extraordinaire, one Iron Sarah (she completed her first Ironman in Florida in November) pulled some strings, called in some favors, and called me to say…

“Why don’t we create a team just for you? You’ll be its only member and you’ll represent all of North Texas at Wildflower. What do you think of that?”

** blink** **blink** [sound effects courtesy of Nytro]

‘BoomerNation I couldn’t say “yes” fast enough and before you can say, “Athletes, clear the transition area and head to the water,” I emailed the Kahuna, TriMama, Taconite Boy, Bold, IronJenny, Wil and other groovy Tri Blogger Alliance cats and kitties with the good news!

Dude, if the door of opportunity doesn’t open for you; knock it down. If there’s no door; make one.

Wildflower Half Ironman is the first in a series of races I will run in support in the fight against blood cancers and I can’t be more excited to plan what is to be a monumental year of racing and fundraising. Click HERE to find out more.

And.. and… ooh… ooh… there’s more news! Some really cool news but, but, I can’t tell anyone right now. So, don’t be a stranger to my blog. Bookmark it, Blogline it, tell your mamma and your Autnie Em and come back often to hear the fan-freakin’-tastic announcements I’ll make soon.

Stay tuned…