I am often asked how I can train and race while having three jobs. It is a challenge, to be honest. The logistics of having a few careers along with training daily can be a real grind- and I would not have it any other way. I am on my path. I have said it in past posts in this blog- I love my life in this sport. It forces a strict regimentation into my life that I find comforting and fulfilling. Obviously, I would not be in my 30th year of military service if I did not enjoy a little structure.
I love the routine and life rhythm of training and racing. It is fun to think how and where I am going to get in my training. As one who lives a good portion of life on the road, figuring out how that training is going to take place is a huge challenge. It is also hugely rewarding when I do get that training in there with everything else I have going on. I sometimes have to train tired after flying all day. From an exercise science perspective, it isn’t optimum, but a lot of things in life are not optimum. Life is frenetic, confusing, and can be wrought with mistakes…and so is some of my training. As I get older, it gets easier as I have figured out how better to do things, but it is never perfect. What in life is?
On the drive back from Buffalo Springs, Teresa and I had a very long talk about why we still race triathlons. We both had unsatisfying efforts. T was forced to DNF due to sickness and I was run down by two athletes in my AG after having been in the lead of the race for 4 hours. The travel, the money, the time training, the pre-race nervousness, the obvious suffering that takes place in long, hot, difficult races- why? T and I are in our late 40’s and early 50’s. Why the forced, unnecessary pain? We spent hours driving through the northwestern part of Texas breaking our sport down in great detail. The answer we came up with is that in the rigor of racing and training hard, one can often find their “best self”.
Your best self is that part of you that surfaces when you draw from deep within to find strength, courage, and toughness and the other personal qualities one needs to make it through this life and avoid the enduring downward pull toward mediocrity. The demands of living a life in this sport forces a person to continue to work on finding their best self. In order to set the table in your life to find that best self requires that you build a system for living that facilitates finding the extraordinary in yourself- every damn day. If you can find it in Ironman, you can find it in love, work, and any area you need to. I have come to embrace all areas in my life at the same temperature I approach Ironman. I believe I am better for it. Ironman, like real life, never gets easy. You have to continue to try harder every day. The results are extremely satisfying when you do succeed and infuriatingly maddening when you don’t. It is in that tension between success and failure where the contest of life truly resides.
In addition to constantly searching for your best self, other reasons for continuing to live a life in this sport are the authentic friendships in which I am blessed to be a part. Some of my best buds are in my triathlon community. Obviously, I am blessed with a tight navy network of dudes that are my dear friends for life. Triathlon has also provided me with a “bro network” of wonderful and authentic folks with whom I like to stay in close touch. Along with those close buds, the overall community of folks we see at races is really fun. Big events like Kona really drive that home. It was such a pleasure to walk through town this week and re-unite with so many wonderful people from our Ironman life. Aussies, Kiwi’s, Brits, Americans, South Africans, Austrians, Germans, Brazilians, Canadians, and Portuguese- our triathlon friend network is literally global. I find that part of our sport to be fantastic.
So there it is. Life in this sport is an exercise in finding your best self. Along the way, it is very likely you will find a bunch of epic friends to help you in that search. The thought of that makes me feel at home in a sport that I have decided to invest a sizable portion of my life.
Jonser
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