2014 ended rather abruptly around here and so I’m going to put a bit of closure on that chapter before moving on to the next one.
Last year was a tough one. Good races and bad.
It was a battle, plain and simple.
Me vs Myself.
I had to face some harsh realities about my mental fortitude during difficult training sessions and how I race. It’s not all that fun to look deep within yourself and admit that while you may… “talk the talk, you’re not always… “walking the walk”!
I had to figure out a way to stop coddling myself like a mother would her child. I had to learn how to no longer accept the negotiations, that went on inside my head, as if I were writing a UN peace treaty. I had to truly embrace the challenge of a difficult training day and carry that with me to racing.
Was I successful? We should ask my coach, but I’ll go ahead and give my thoughts…
I made great strides. I’m closer now than ever before, but it’s constant work. Some days are easier than others.
My last race of 2014 was River Roux 70.3 in the worst conditions I’d ever faced. Conditions I don’t think I could’ve imagined and I’ve got a pretty wild creative streak in me.
Nine months of hard physical and mental training got me to the finish line that day.
And when I got there, I cried. Hell, I started crying when I SAW the finish line.
And just so you know, I’m not a crier. I didn’t cry at my wedding, when my son was born, when I finished my first Ironman….I’m very practical and pragmatic. I typically don’t get that emotionally “spent”.
But on that afternoon I was fried. Sure I was tired physically, but mentally; it was the hardest thing I’d ever done.
Every now and then though, we get rewarded for our efforts.
My time was far from record-setting, but that was the nature of the day. Part of my battle was being able to “let go” of what my computers were telling me, keep the frustration at bay, and trust my training. All of it.
I earned 1st place (40-44 women) at River Roux. I wanted more, but on that day…for the 1st time ever…I can honestly look at myself and say that I left everything out on that course.
I’ll carry this with me and continue to build upon the foundation that was laid, creating what I feel will be a remarkable 2015 season.
-Whatever the mind of a man can conceive and believe, it can achieve…..Napoleon Hill
See y’all soon!
