OK.  What does this mean…

It means I registered last night for the IRONMAN 70.3 in Providence on July 11, 2010.  It means a 1.2 mile ocean swim.  A 56-mile bike ride.  Then a 13.1 half marathon.

It means that I will definitely be using this as 4… count ’em… 4 things in my 57 in 52!  Each individual race and the Ironman 70.3 as a whole.  Can you blame me?

I am scared.  I am excited.  I am, like, what did I do?

But I am also making hay while the sun shineth… jumping on something that I’ve honestly never, ever, ever considered doing because TIME is of the essence.  Because some day when I can’t try, I’ll wish I had.

I don’t want to wish I had.  I want to have tried.

The moment came to me yesterday as I was walking with my Mom in the rehab facility where she is getting her strength back after her 15-day hospital stay.  The center is filled with senior citizens… people of a hard generation of hard work and hard wars and hard-fought battles for women and equality and good lives.  As I looked at each of them, nodded or smiled or said hello, I wished I had TIME to hear each of their stories.  These are strong people for whom Time is passing, but I’ll bet there are farmers and steelworkers and pilots and seamstresses and gardeners and teachers and doctors and principals and musicians and piece-workers and service men and women in that group.  People who perhaps have already made hay while their suns shinethed.

There are many, many things I want to accomplish in my life and in my 57 and 52.  Some are volunteer endeavors.  Some are artistic endeavors.  Some are writing endeavors.  Some are just plain out-of-the-box fun or a tab bit crazy.

2010 Amica IRONMAN 70.3 Providence here I come.  70.3 miles of pure self.  Pure TIME.  Pure heart… for my husband, my children, my grandchildren, my Mom and her generation… and for the sun that shineth today.

Hey!  There’s hay to make!