I figured I would take a little time and talk about each discipline.  Swimming, as in the Ironman, is first on the list.  Shortly after I arrived I saw what I thought looked suspiciously like a lifeguard chair towering over an "empty" space surrounded by a fence (and concrete barriers of course).  I looked over the fence and sure enough there was a pool.  It wasn't open yet but it gave me hope.  I had not decided at this point to train for an Ironman because, well, there was no place to swim.  But now...hmmm...I was intrigued.  So I   inquired and discovered it would be opening in two weeks: mid May.  I went right then and ordered some goggles, a kickboard, and pull bouy on-line.  By the time the pool opened I was first in line.  They had 3 lap times: 6 AM (for an hour), 12 noon (for two hours) and 6 pm (an hour again).  I started going at noon, over my lunch break and then eating lunch immediately following.  This worked out well because the pool was very refreshing in the middle of the day and it didn't interfere with sick call (most people took a long lunch anyway).  I learned something very interesting that first day: the pool was 33 meters in length.  Strange distance I know, but to verify I measured it myself: 33 meters?  Thankfully, Ironedge coaching with its personal attention modified my workouts to fit a 33 m length setup.  It was kinda strange to swim workouts of 198 meters, 264 meters, or a 3201 meter long swim, but it did the trick.  I had to start small...so for a couple weeks I went between 800 & 1200 meters (approximated of course).  I purchased the Total Immersion book and worked on form, trying to become slippery, master bouyancy, and be long in the water.  I learned a lot about swimming.  I learned that form is so important and that being relaxed in the water is a must.  Heather and Todd got me to swimming 4000 or more meters a couple times per week and on Saturdays I did a 2 mile (roughly 3201) straight swim.  In the beginning this was taking over an hour, 65 minutes or so and I was beat.  But as time went by I started dropping time.  One day I did a very relaxed 55 minutes for 2 miles and was extremely happy.  I was consistently swimming 1:37 to 1:40 per 100 meters.  I started struggling to do 100 in 2 minutes.

Not everything was perfect however.  In late August I started feeling terrible about 30 minutes into the workouts.  I could not figure it out.  Nothing significant had changed...or so I thought.  One day I asked the temp of the water, 95 degrees was the answer.  I didn't realize it because 95 still felt cool compared to the average noon-time temp of 120.  But I was trying to swim in a hot tub.  It explained why I was feeling sick.  Fortunately it didn't last too long as the nights began to cool the water off in a few weeks. 

But there was a bigger problem.  The pool was going to close in October!  So after I came back from leave there would be no pool.  I still had 3 months here...without swimming.  Well...earlier in the deployment I had made contact with the president of Endless Pools, inc.  He offered to donate a Fastlane pool system to the Army, for the deployed soldiers of Camp Taji.  I never really thought it would happen because while the Army was interested, the shipping costs (which we would need to pay for) would be outrageous.  However, God stepped in and while I was on leave a Fastlane Pool arrived at Camp Taji, directly to our clinic.  Its primary purpose was to be for rehab & therapy, and then recreation as available.  It only took me 2 days to put the pool together (complete with the pumps and shell).  However, there was a bigger issue still.  The pumps were designed for 60 hz and power in Iraq is 50 hz.  This was an apparent "no go."  As a shor-term fix one of our maintenance companies provided a generator.  But we could only run the pump for 4-6 hours per day because of gasoline supply issues.  A pool pump is designed for continuous operation, for both cleaning and heating.  This meant the water never got above 74 degrees...brrrr and I was burning through chlorine like crazy.  When I let the Endless Pool folks know they again showcased their generosity.  They sent new pumps - that could run on 50 hz AND they paid for the shipping.  I could hardly believe it.  So...almost 2 months later we finally had the system up an running.  I worked my way back up to swimming an hour or more 3 times per week.  I have no idea how fast but for now that doesn't matter.  The good thing - it is a great workout for shoulders, chest, & back and it is consistently 78 to 82 degrees, much better.

 This entire project has been like this.  God has just continually blessed and provided at every turn.  I seems as if when it seems like something is impossible...He makes it possible.  Go figure...you can't find Diet Dr. Pepper or portable DVD players here, but you can get a pool delivered, built, and running.  We will pass the pool on to the incoming unit and the Physical therapists will hopefully make good use of it.  In the meantime, Ironman training goes on...Operation IronFamily drives forward.  Talk about Divine Providence.

 Will write again soon

 Aaron