In case you didn't know, like you live under a rock or don't own a TV, this is Olympic week. In case you didn't know, most likely you aren't my Facebook friend or you have me on ignore and shouldn't be reading this, this is my half Ironman week too! Most of my friends are racing various other ultra distance races this weekend or in their core training weeks for their upcoming marathons. So watching the Olympics is bound to get us all pumped and ready! Isn't it something to see these athletes work so hard to accomplish their goals?
Last night while watching Phelps take on his 20th medal, I couldn't help but tear up with him. I mean 20 and he still stands there barely holding it in. What happened to you when you finally accomplished the hardest thing you have done? How did you react? How did you feel? What inspired you to train, work hard, and finish something you never thought you would do?
A few years back I had a couple friends finish their IM. I remember following them during their training. On race day I was glued to my computer waiting for updates. When they finished I cried and Cory was like, WTF Niki? Sometimes it is hard to explain, you just are so happy for them and can relate to the feeling. The feeling of knowing you just did something you have never done before and you will remember that feeling forever. You put your body through a lot and put in so many hours and you accomplish it.
So what inspired you to do it? Not everyone just wakes up and says, "hey I think I will do an Ironman this year!" I mean, unless you are Valeria that is usually not something you just decide after a mini tri! But this is Valeria we are talking about and she isn't just someone!
What made me decide to go after a half Ironman was the need to do something more. I had done a marathon and Olympic distance tri and I was hungry for another goal. When I came around to deciding to go after the full IM I think I was drunk. Haha jk. In all honesty, it scares me. It scares me admitting I am going to do it, it will scare me signing up, and it will scare me training. If I can accomplish it, and I say if because I am not sure I can, it will mean so much to me. This is the first time I have went out to do something that I am not 100% sure I can actually finish. I guess that is what inspired me to sign up. I am doing something that scares the shit out of me and that is living to me.
So I was talking to my coworker today about why people workout. We got on the topic because we were talking about where we go for a release. What makes us happy and relaxed, what gives us energy. I said running or working out. She mentioned that she works out 5 times a week and she is more tired and grouchy after. I told her I think our problem is we do not see working out as a means for release or to make us happy. We exercise to race, to lose weight, to be social, as so many do. It is hard to concentrate on the emotional benefits exercise can give you when you are focused on training and losing weight. I mean everyone does it for different reasons. I know some of my best training days are the ones when I have no goal but to just go out and do an easy run or a social bike ride with Cory. There is no pressure, no clock, no goals. Afterwards I feel happy because there was no goal other than to just have fun doing it.
So back to what inspires us, I got off track sort of....
Last night I was watching the Olympics and the announcer mentioned, in regards to the USA gymnasts, that they will be the ones that young girls want to be. Young girls will want to do what they do and be them when they grow up. I think it is great to have athletes like Olympians to be inspired by. I hope if I ever have children that they look up to an athlete like Michael Phelps, Gabby Douglas, Meb, and the many other athletes out there.
On the radio today they mentioned how these athletes are super humans. How they would like to have an average athlete out there in each event so we can see how good these people really are. To see a normal athlete in comparison to the greats! They train hard and they live for this. They are inspirational! Good for them, I only hope I can work that hard. They are inspiring and I can say it has definitely been a benefit having the Olympics the week of my half! I am pumped, so much so I can't sleep at night, I am ready to race!
But when I am struggling in the race, when I want to quit, when I am tired and just want to say F it, will I think of Phelps and get a boost? Will I think of how he pushed it past not only Le Cros but the other two athletes that were just as talented and worked just as hard but just not hard enough - you know, a second less hard haha? No, I probably won't think of any Olympian.
You see, Olympians work their asses off and I will never underestimate their talent and dedication. But they go there, they work hard, they are recognized, and their hard work is rewarded.
Think about the "Olympians" in our life. The ones who face battles daily in their life, the ones who fight just as hard and keep getting back up after being knock back down. It may not be a sprained ankle, it may not be a stress fracture, it may not be a.05 second difference between gold and silver. Because they won't be recognized, they won't stand on a podium and hear their country's anthem. They won't take home a gold medal for the battle they just fought, the accomplishment they just made, the fight they just made for their life. Those are the people that when I am feeling sorry for myself, when I am thinking I can't push harder, when I want to quit and think I have it bad, those are the people I remember. I get inspired by them! They will help me push harder and want more out of what I am doing. Because I know their battles are so much worse than my goals and if they can do it than I can surely finish my goal!
So what inspires you? I think anything that inspires anyone to just go after a goal should be recognized! Even if it is a goal to run a mile and a piece of pizza is what inspires you to push it, well, it got you out there! Go Pizza! We all do it for some reason! I think those reasons are important!
#ironmansteelhead70.3
#myheroisbatman
#runningformurelle
