Running 4 Your Life

I am not a triathlete and probably won’t be. Personally, I’d rather run 100 miles than swim 100 yards. However, I have great respect and admiration for those athletes who swim, bike, and run to practice for any triathlon distance - especially my friend Lori, who is competing in the Steelhead 1/2 Ironman Triathlon in Benton Harbor, Michigan tomorrow. (FYI: 1/2 Ironman is 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run.)

Even with greater mental fortitude than most people I know, Lori has had her share of trials in her training. Just in the swim practice alone, she has dealt with the near heart-stopping cold water, brain-jarring waves, slimy ladders and bouys, and e-coli in Lake Michigan. She has weathered 5 nasty falls on her bike as she slid yards across gravelly pavement and completed 70-mile rides in the pouring rain. And, an avowed race walker, she has modified her training to include “trotting” to better prepare for the time constraints of the rigorous race course.

I am in awe of her dedication and persistence both mentally and physically. With all the adverse conditions she has encountered, many people would have just bagged it. Not Lori. She has driven hundreds of miles to swim, bike, and trot - getting in those workouts no matter what.

Tomorrow, she will toe the line among 2500 other triathletes. No doubt she will be anxious - a health combination of nerves and excitement. And, no doubt she will be victorious in her endeavor. I’ll be there to cheer her on throughout the day and to celebrate with her when she crosses that finish line. Then, who knows what’s next?

This entry was posted on Friday, August 1st, 2008 at 9:19 am and is filed under Success Principles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.