As many of you may know...I love the sport of triathlon. However, I will confess that since I've been separated/divorced/single (or hell...maybe even before that) I struggled with loving the process of training. Maybe its because the group I was affiliated with had a way of sucking the fun out of it, maybe I let myself get wrapped up in the excuses of life, or maybe I just flat out enjoyed a warm bed over a cold swim, bike or run?!? Regardless...I have spent too much time NOT doing the work to reap the benefits I desire and yet, I still expect them.
That's where ego and arrogance enter into the equation. The fact that I "think" I can be AS FAST as I use to be while doing only a small fraction of the work. And you know what? Gosh darn it.....it just doesn't work that way! And yet time in and time out, in some tiny recess of my brain...I think it will.
Two weeks ago, one of my besties, Kristen (a.k.a. Chippy) was working in Fort Worth, She finished up around lunch time just as I was finishing up and we decided to have lunch. The only remaining commitment on my schedule was to meet my friend Mike Emery for a bike ride at 4:30. No biggie....right? So...off to Brownstone we go for lunch and some patio sunshine. When I arrived, Chippy was having a cold Miller Lite. OK I thought....happy Friday to us!!! I followed in step and we began enjoying the afternoon and the sunshine and the beer and the lunch......soon we had company as Cass' brother Greg joined us. We laughed and hung out and had a great time. At about 3:30 I announce I must depart to join Mike for our bike ride. Both Greg and Kristen look at me with a "what the hell" expression on their face.
"You are going to go ride after having a few beers?"
"Of course...I told him I would and its no big deal really. What's a couple of beers?"
Fast forward about ninety minutes, halfway into my bike ride and I'm uber miserable. Beyond miserable. Exhausted, lagging behind, and feeling oh so stupid. Who exactly do I think I am? Hello? Like I said, intellectually I know better....on many levels I even know better emotionally. But there is some part of my psyche, perhaps simply wishful thinking, that totally and completely believes it will not be any different than it was years ago---when I trained with regularity and consistency. D'oh! Not so much.
As with most things I guess the difference comes in what you do after these "humbling" moments. I had sent Cass a text during the ride that read "discouraged". His response was perfect...."Really?!? What the heck did you expect?" I love honest friends!
So with that ride I reached a new sense of commitment. Ironman is NOT that far away and I don't/can't show up on that day ill prepared. Heck...I am already a bit behind. But....I start. I am more excited about the journey than anything else. I fully expect to have many more days that I really suck and get discouraged! LOL.....but I take them with pride because they remind and motivate me to DO THE WORK. Just DO THE WORK and the rest will take care of itself.
Hmmmmm..........am I still talking about triathlon? ;-)
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