I get asked sometimes why I like the process of training for and racing Ironman. I wrote this poem with a different subject in mind but it also answers the question of why I enjoy the triathlon process.
A boy looked at his father and asked a question mild and meek
Why do you climb the mountain what’s up there on that peak
He asked his father why the struggle and the pain
Why ascend the cliff and make your body strain
Why climb the mountain and not the easy road
Why do you fill your path with such a heavy load
The father tried to answer but he did not know what to say
He stared down at his son his words trying to find their way
He stuttered and struggeled and tried to share the feelings in his heart
He shook his head and then he got down on one knee and began to start
I’m weak my son, I’m sorry, I have weakness in my blood
I’d rather take the easy road than toil in the dirt and mud
The natural man inside my skin likes to take the easy way
It makes me want to stop and sit in the shade all day
Overcoming is what brings me to the mountain at its base
I climb to mount to battle myself, My weakness to erase
I find the trial brings out my best, I become a better me
I leave my old self behind the struggle makes me free
You see my son we start this life as dirt just bits of ore
Its through the fire that we can become so much more
The hotter the furnace and the more intense your pain
The greater refinement your ore will one day attain
So why do I climb the mountain what’s up there on that peak
I go to make me my best self to push out all the weak
Because When my life faces it’s setting sun
I’ll only be left with what I’ve become
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Triple Threat Triathlon Interview
Collin Swenson of Triple Threat Triathlon interviewed me. Here is the interview.
http://triplethreattriathlon.blogspot.com/2013/01/spencer-woolston-strength-of-10-men.html
http://triplethreattriathlon.blogspot.com/2013/01/spencer-woolston-strength-of-10-men.html
Friday, October 12, 2012
Ironman World Championship 2012 tomorrow
Are you a gazelle? or a lion?
Doing the killin’ or you diein’?
Either way it’s time to run
Either from or with a gun
On the edge you feel like diein’
You sure as @#$% ain’t no lion
You’re out there getting killed
Morticians ‘bout to be billed
The mountain you climb is filled with pain
Walls, Cliffs, Hunger, Thirst, and Acid Rain
Lion or gazelle I guess it don’t matter
Could be the former could be the latter
When the sun comes up give all you got
Lion’s gotta kill, gazelle’s can’t get caught
I hope I have a good race when the sun comes up
Doing the killin’ or you diein’?
Either way it’s time to run
Either from or with a gun
On the edge you feel like diein’
You sure as @#$% ain’t no lion
You’re out there getting killed
Morticians ‘bout to be billed
The mountain you climb is filled with pain
Walls, Cliffs, Hunger, Thirst, and Acid Rain
Lion or gazelle I guess it don’t matter
Could be the former could be the latter
When the sun comes up give all you got
Lion’s gotta kill, gazelle’s can’t get caught
I hope I have a good race when the sun comes up
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Utah Half Race Report 2012
My overall time was 4:20 which was the fastest time of the day. There were 4 guys who registered as Elite’s and where not allowed to wear wetsuits like the AGers were, one of those guys, Marc Rosello got a 4:25. Aaron from RaceTri told me they would not have an overall winner because the race was different for the Elite and AGers, (makes sense, I am faster with a wetsuit, so the course was different for the Elites versus AGers). I’m really disappointed in my bike. For some reason I could not push very hard on the bike, my average heart rate was only 147, my speed was not what I hoped for. I felt that for the conditions I should have been able to be faster. I just couldn’t push the pedals at my highest level today. I felt great on the run for about 5 miles and then my speed dropped and my heart rate shot up, I spent the second half of the run running at the same speed I averaged for most of Ironman St George. (And IM St George was a much harder course, and everything was twice as long). Just a really bad day I guess, some day’s you’ve got it and some days you don’t. Days like today make me realize that Triathlon will never bring me happiness, but my Family sure does, I am so blessed to have my Wife and Kids! They do bring me happiness!
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Ironman St George poetic summary
Some days are just horrible right from the Start
Like you’re in “the scream” of Edvard Munch Art
Waves crashing all around is all that you know
Which way is straight and where do you go
Some days start just so ridiculously tough
You wonder deep inside do you have enough
But, some days it all clicks and you are at your best
Performing at your highest yet feeling at rest
But, then some days all the air goes out of your tire
You stop and realize all your dreams just went up in fire
But some days Angels appear out of the blue
Those angels give you a tire all brand new
Then, some days you feel it before the third and two snap
Your extra sense tells you that they’ll run the trap
You’re a step ahead and you beat the block
The back is smashed hitting the turf like a rock
You’re at one with the run all day long
You feel invincible and can do no wrong
But, some days you wonder what am I doing and Why
What is the point of this dumb thing that I try?
And some day’s your agony is beyond description
Like a nice excerpt from Steven King fiction
Your pain is intense and you just want to cry
You’re an exploding burrito cooked on High
But some days you feel amazing like heaven on earth
Like when she said “I do” and at your kids birth
Some days you feel a deep inner tranquil satisfaction
You’re at one with life, at peace with no distraction
And today all these feelings were rolled into one
During one hundred fourty point six miles of fun
In non-poetic form below:
The swim was absolutely insane! 40 mile an hour winds, Huge waves, Couldnt see the buoys swam 1:18 very bad, the good swimmers put 25 minutes on me whereas normally its more like 10-14, so I was in a huge hole
The bike was awesome because the wind kept blowing, that is good for me because it elongates the bike allowing me to put time into the weaker cyclists. I felt great and everything was going good till I heard pissssssst, I had a flat tire and I had nothing to fix it with so just like that my day was over, I got off my bike and started to walk it in to the next aid station but then after a few minutes suddenly two angels appeared in the form of Bike support, I was insanely lucky that they were driving down the road and stopped just a few minutes after my flat to help me, they cut off my flat tire, glued on a new tubular tire, adjusted my bike so it would fit the larger tire and then I was back on the road, I had to repass a ton of guys that I had already passed and it put me back a lot on time but I am very thankful I was able to finish the race! Thanks Bike support!
I had the breakthrough run that I have been looking for, I ran a 3:07:48 Marathon, That was good enough to put me 10th overall and the 4th Amateur for the race. After such a tough day my good marathon makes me feel good.
Like you’re in “the scream” of Edvard Munch Art
Waves crashing all around is all that you know
Which way is straight and where do you go
Some days start just so ridiculously tough
You wonder deep inside do you have enough
But, some days it all clicks and you are at your best
Performing at your highest yet feeling at rest
But, then some days all the air goes out of your tire
You stop and realize all your dreams just went up in fire
But some days Angels appear out of the blue
Those angels give you a tire all brand new
Then, some days you feel it before the third and two snap
Your extra sense tells you that they’ll run the trap
You’re a step ahead and you beat the block
The back is smashed hitting the turf like a rock
You’re at one with the run all day long
You feel invincible and can do no wrong
But, some days you wonder what am I doing and Why
What is the point of this dumb thing that I try?
And some day’s your agony is beyond description
Like a nice excerpt from Steven King fiction
Your pain is intense and you just want to cry
You’re an exploding burrito cooked on High
But some days you feel amazing like heaven on earth
Like when she said “I do” and at your kids birth
Some days you feel a deep inner tranquil satisfaction
You’re at one with life, at peace with no distraction
And today all these feelings were rolled into one
During one hundred fourty point six miles of fun
In non-poetic form below:
The swim was absolutely insane! 40 mile an hour winds, Huge waves, Couldnt see the buoys swam 1:18 very bad, the good swimmers put 25 minutes on me whereas normally its more like 10-14, so I was in a huge hole
The bike was awesome because the wind kept blowing, that is good for me because it elongates the bike allowing me to put time into the weaker cyclists. I felt great and everything was going good till I heard pissssssst, I had a flat tire and I had nothing to fix it with so just like that my day was over, I got off my bike and started to walk it in to the next aid station but then after a few minutes suddenly two angels appeared in the form of Bike support, I was insanely lucky that they were driving down the road and stopped just a few minutes after my flat to help me, they cut off my flat tire, glued on a new tubular tire, adjusted my bike so it would fit the larger tire and then I was back on the road, I had to repass a ton of guys that I had already passed and it put me back a lot on time but I am very thankful I was able to finish the race! Thanks Bike support!
I had the breakthrough run that I have been looking for, I ran a 3:07:48 Marathon, That was good enough to put me 10th overall and the 4th Amateur for the race. After such a tough day my good marathon makes me feel good.
Friday, May 4, 2012
IronMan St George Tomorrow
It is time to go supersonic
Time to kill like the plague bubonic
From deep inside feel the sonic boom
Bursting out with a humming zoom
Let it come, allow it to flow
Hear it whisper,” it’s time to GO!”
Clear the mind, no need to think
Finding speed beyond the brink
It’s Time to go super massive
Be insane reject the passive
Lose your mind breaking through
Destroying limits is what to do
Push the brain past what it accepts
Making smoke of its past precepts
Emerging through the ashes all brand new
The super massive breakthrough is part of you
Time to go to bed. IronMan St. George tomorrow morning, I hope I can have a good race.
Time to kill like the plague bubonic
From deep inside feel the sonic boom
Bursting out with a humming zoom
Let it come, allow it to flow
Hear it whisper,” it’s time to GO!”
Clear the mind, no need to think
Finding speed beyond the brink
It’s Time to go super massive
Be insane reject the passive
Lose your mind breaking through
Destroying limits is what to do
Push the brain past what it accepts
Making smoke of its past precepts
Emerging through the ashes all brand new
The super massive breakthrough is part of you
Time to go to bed. IronMan St. George tomorrow morning, I hope I can have a good race.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Happy Anniversay Megan
Before May 5th of the year 2 triple zero
My crops wouldn’t grow I needed a hero
I look at my life as first a cold then a warm season
Your warmth came to me and gave my life reason
Your Sun shined its light on my fields starting 12 year ago
A harvest of joy and happiness has continued to grow
So I look at time in terms of A.M. and B.M.
B.efore M.egan I had nothing worth Sayin
But A.fter M.egan my life is so stinking bright
I just can’t stop these lame-O poems to write
It just oozes out and it’s cause of you my treasure
I hold a poetic license and overuse it with pleasure
Your blasting light is what brings my crops needed heat
Goofy rhymes are the grain, like the fruition of wheat
Yes your rays are the source of these odd lyrics I say
These odes are your fields just a growing like hay
Happy Anniversary in two days Megan! I had to post this early because Megan let me do an IronMan on our anniversary and I would be a little to busy to write poems so I did it today instead. Thanks for 12 amazing years!
My crops wouldn’t grow I needed a hero
I look at my life as first a cold then a warm season
Your warmth came to me and gave my life reason
Your Sun shined its light on my fields starting 12 year ago
A harvest of joy and happiness has continued to grow
So I look at time in terms of A.M. and B.M.
B.efore M.egan I had nothing worth Sayin
But A.fter M.egan my life is so stinking bright
I just can’t stop these lame-O poems to write
It just oozes out and it’s cause of you my treasure
I hold a poetic license and overuse it with pleasure
Your blasting light is what brings my crops needed heat
Goofy rhymes are the grain, like the fruition of wheat
Yes your rays are the source of these odd lyrics I say
These odes are your fields just a growing like hay
Happy Anniversary in two days Megan! I had to post this early because Megan let me do an IronMan on our anniversary and I would be a little to busy to write poems so I did it today instead. Thanks for 12 amazing years!
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