Today in the shower, after getting in my last workout of the week, my thoughts wandered and got me thinking about what we (athletes, endurance athletes, triathletes to be exact) sacrifice every day to get closer to our goal, whatever it may be. (to get fit, place in our A.G., win a race) Sometimes I think I am crazy for putting in the time that I do. I am told to focus on a job, to live a "regular, normal" life style, to get other "hobbies", and to stop exercising so much. (because exercise =wasting time) And sometimes I partly agree with these statements, especially when workouts don't go as planned, and when every single step of a run feels like 10lbs of clay are stuck on your shoe, and when riding into the wind seems to get you absolutely nowhere, frustrations running high.
Those times are a reality check, but luckily my brain quickly erases bad experiences in workouts and lets me only remember the good ones most of the time. And it's the good ones that I believe inspire us to keep pushing on and keep going. When you get that run where you feel weightless and effortless and feel like you can keep going for miles and miles, and when you want to keep riding, even long after your ride has ended, those are the memories that we hang on to. And because I for one don't have days like that alot, live for those nearly perfect executions of a workout or race. They can carry you along on a high for hours and days even, and give you the confidence to believe in yourself and your abilities.
And that is what makes this endurance sport different from other, more main-stream (read baseball, basketball, soccer etc) ones, as I doubt you could ever get the high you get from endurance, and ultra endurance sports. People might look at us like we're crazy, I mean, who in their right mind would actually honestly enjoy 3 hr runs and 6 hr rides, working out more in a single day than most "active" people do all week? But they don't know how it makes us feel and what satisfaction we get from doing what we do.
And then, when that race comes around, when we toe the (invisible) line at an Ironman, it all comes back to us. All those mindless early runs and rides we wanted to get out of, all of that time spent in the pool on cold nights during the week, they all suddenly serve as a backbone for the confidence we desperately need in the long journey to the finish. When hour 7,8,9 rolls around and our bodies are weak with doubts, the money we put in the bank for months, can finally be withdrawn and help us reach our goal.
Anyways, I am not sure where this is all going so I better stop, but I just started thinking earlier and now I am wondering if anyone else feels the same way? It's OK to have doubts along the way, along with some failure, but when we keep the big picture in mind and all the little pieces we fit to put together the puzzle, we realize that the little detours are just that, little. And in the end, we amaze ourselves with what our bodies are capable of doing. Next time the going gets tough, just keep that in mind.
Btw, is it just me or is it impossible to put any pictures on the blog smaller than the largest size possible???
5 comments:
Your post couldn't have come at a better time, for me. I rode for 3 hours yesterday, in Boulder, and the last hour was PAINFUL. Talk about wind!!!! I had to completely stop a couple times b/c I was fearful for my life and I am not kidding! But I know those kinds of workouts make us mentally more tough and come IMKY I'll be thankful. Today though? Not so much.
I agree! And our blogs help us remember those amazing training sessions! This morning 20x400's for me. I wondered why? Why do that, and why after just racing? But I did the workout, it went well and by 7:30a.m. my confidence was back.
I am inspired by those that quiet their mind and just do what they love. I am battling with all of this now, but that's why we have friends going through the same things to share these times with! Whenever you need to vent, or wonder why...I'm here for you!!
xoxo
Loved what you said. Part of it is that in many sports you have to execute perfectly, in a small time period. For us, our particular skill level isn't so important. As long as we get out there and do it, we get the rewards. It doesn't matter if other people think you are slow because you just cracked an hour for a 10 K run, you're probably over the moon with happiness.
I feel your computer pain. I've lost one keyboard to orange juice and had a couple close calls. You might try ebay and other computer parts places. It might be possible to buy another one that has something else wrong with, and swap parts. Try http://lowendmac.com/ to get the info on your laptop so you know what to ask for. Apple isn't the only source of mac stuff. Good luck.
I recently retired a Mac Cube, and currently have a new imac. Sweet!
Hey Uli,
Great post, I couldn't agree more. I liked the part about the brain erasing bad experiences and remembers only the good ones. So true.
I am soooo excited to be your neighbor! We can ride all the time, except if it's super windy like it has been, in which case we can just opt for trianer parties instead. March 30th, oh yeah!!! Keep your fingers crossed for us that all goes well until then :).
What we do wakes me up every morning and gives me something to look forward to and it IS my HIGH!!!!
I hate wind! Oh, and hills . . . Oh, and rain . . . wow, we could be a while!
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