Bummer or Not?

So kinda bummed about missing my bike ride this morning. Just got my new 2011 Felt B16 (see pic) and have only gotten in one long ride on Sunday, but it was 17+ mph Kona-like winds and kinda hard to hang onto, so I was looking forward to a good "normal" ride this morning. Well that didn't happen; the two factors that contributed to my not being able to ride were:

1. it's coming a frickin monsoon here right now


2. already had my life insurance physical scheduled for this morning (wouldn't allow me to workout due to skewing the bloodwork and I needed to be fasted).

So I almost canceled the physical and put the bike in the trainer, but I didn't ride at all this morning and opted to go through with the physical and get it over with.

After the physical, I'm now embracing the fact that over the last 19 months:

1. I've totally changed my outlook on life
2. I've lost a total of about 40 pounds (and still probably have another 10 or 12 to go)
3. am in the best shape of my life
4. can see that I may, in fact, actually have abdominal muscles
5. quit using smokeless tobacco (copenhagen - 20 yr addiction)
6. I no longer have to take medication for high blood pressure
7. have now put myself into a preferred insured category for my life insurance
8. have created a monster that now feels like a total slacker for missing one workout
9. have probably ensured that I will actually be around to see my grandchildren
10. I have gone from an XL shirt to a Medium
11. have accumulated a crapload of clothes that don't fit and need to go to the thrift store
12. have gone from thinking an Ironman triathlon is awesome but I could never do one, to actually signing up for a half-ironman (Ironman Augusta 70.3)

I know I'm not the only one that can tell that story; many triathletes, if not most, have similar stories to tell. I even heard 4-time Ironman World Champion, Craig Alexander say that until he was an adult, he was a fat kid; triathlon has changed countless lives. I guess I'm just looking for reasons to still be pumped about today...So those aren't the only reasons but at least that's my top 12 reasons why I should still be pretty happy today, right???