As many of you know I went to the Ironman in Kona this year to support my brother Chris in his final prep, and on race day, meanwhile getting in some good training for Ironman Florida. Well, let me tell you it was quite a day out there full of excitement and plenty of emotion.

So it is race day morning in Kona, 1:30 A.M. Yes, you read it right 1:30, the race doesn't even start for another 5 hours, and I am up do to nerves. I swear The funny thing is i am not even racing!! Matt Lieto here, brother of Mr. Trifuel, and race day favorite Chris Lieto, checking in before the madness hits.

Only three years removed from a life-threatening car accident, Brian Boyle overcame near death to fulfill his dream of competing in a triathlon.

Of all the sports in all the world why have I become addicted to this one? It is an interesting process going back through the years and seeing the steps which have lead me to the here and now. Mainly being ridiculously obsessed with this sport and the culture surrounding it.

I first met Dan Dantzler when he came in for a bike fitting. After working for two hours on his fit, we were getting close, but still had a ways to go. This was not a normal fit; Dan had one leg that was significantly shorter than the other.

I don't remember much; the light turned green and we took off. I have a vague recollection of a "crunch." I was told in the emergency room that I had been struck broad-side by a car sending me cart wheeling over 20 feet. The first thing I did was move my fingers and toes, and thank God I was not paralyzed. I thought the grit in my mouth was dirt but it was actually bits of my teeth.

As I sit here on a plane while returning from a business trip to Ohio, I realized that flying to me is similar to my training and athletic endeavors. See, I was always afraid to fly and when I first flew, I would get nervous and get sweaty palms and sick to my stomach. The same thing happened when I first started racing. As I flew more often, I realized that it was part of the journey.

How many of us have wanted to make a change in our life? New job, buy a house, get married, pick up a new sport or maybe try to adopt a healthier life style. Making a change from our current comfort zone can certainly prove to be a 'transition' of another sort.

For those first timers out there Ironman is an inviting challenge to take up - there are many traps for new players however so make sure you plan well and set appropriate goals early.

It is April already. Some of us have been training quite consistently since our season break from last year. By now, you have done over 3 serious month of base training, and with the weather still cold and gray, you might be feeling a little worn out and down. But you are not alone, as most people have a hard time training now for a race that is usually 6 months away.