IronMan Hero

I am leaving the GA Low Country Friday and won't be back here

until Thanksgiving. I had to get my fix of the wildlife around here.

These pix are courtesy of Joe while we were out over the weekend to

complete 18 miles. I am very encouraged that I felt so good the

evening after the 18 miler. I took two Advil the evening before, as soon as I got home, and before bed that evening. If I can stay on my feet without any problems, I can do this.

I have two 20 milers ahead of me in November.

My honored hero this week is Kyle Garrett. You just won't believe

his story, which is quite incredible. Kyle just finished the Hawaii

IronMan Triathalon at age 38. He finished it 3 years to the day

after receiving a heart transplant. The IronMan requires 140.6

miles: 2.4 miles ocean swim, 112 miles biking, and 26.2 miles

running. He was the first ever heart transplant recipient to do an IronMan.

Kyle is a Los Angeles based writer and motivational speaker. He has had four cancer diagnoses. At age 18 he was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma in 1989. He had additional lymphoma diagnoses in 1991 and 1994. A bone marrow transplant in 1994 led to irreparable heart damage. In 1997 he was diagnosed with secondary leukemia, triggered from the damage by very aggressive chemotherapy drugs. In 2000 his right shoulder and hip had to be replaced, again because of damage from his cancer treatments. In 2001 he went on the heart transplant list. On Oct 10, 2006 he got a call that he was going to get the heart from a 42 year old construction worker who was killed on the job.

The IronMan has a 17 hr limit to finish the course. Kyle was quoted

saying that he didn't care if it took him 16 hrs, 59 min, 59 secs.

This guy was obviously happy to be alive. He undertook this

in spite of having a bum left shoulder. Also his new heart and brain

don't communicate properly which leaves him winded when he

does very strenuous activities because his heart doesn't get the signal

to go faster.

Next time we have a bad hair day or a poor golf score or the pork

roast isn't as tender as we wanted, think about Kyle and your

day will be rosy.

Things to be thankful for: dinner out with our neighbors,

NCIS re-runs, Smart Wool socks for blister control.

Our thoughts this week are with our Brenham friend whose MIL

went to heaven this week. Our prayers are with you and your

family.