So i realize that it has been way over a month since I last made an entry. I have been busy, life gets like that sometimes. Also, I have not been racing except for a 10k I did last week that was just for fun. I realize though that just because I am not racing does not mean life ceases. There is far more to life then just racing, in fact, the amount of time that any of us actually spend racing, no matter how much we do so truly accounts for a very minute amount of time in our lives.
4 years ago I was in my senior year of high school. A run-a-holic, I was a racing nut. I lived to race. I devoted every waking moment of my life to running XC/Track for my high school. I was dead set on running in college, regardless of where I would have to go to do so. Therefore, when I received an offer to attend the University of Miami where I would run XC and Track for the Varsity program ecstatic only began to describe my state. As most of you know that did not work out for me so well. In addition running lost its "fun."
The other day after an hour on the rollers on a rainy day I laced up my shoes and set off for a run in the rain in 60 degree weather. As I cruised around the campus, people carrying umbrellas gave me disdaining looks as I flew past them over the brick covering the campus sidewalks. The weather perfect, my body perfectly in-tune with itself I realized that I was smiling. Smiling and running? What the hell is this, training isnt supposed to be fun....right?
This is where many of us are wrong. Some of you know Jon Grey, the all-american runner at the college as a 28 10k guy. This is one hell of a feat. Unfortunately, Jon tore is labrum last year and has been suffering with mis-diagnosis and will now have to undergo surgery. The other day Jon and I were discussing being injured and having to take time off. Jons time away from running has been tough for him. When I was injured in Miami, or last year when I thought I had torn my ACL, my friend and family had me on suicide watch (almost no joke).
Surprisingly enough we decided that it is the time away from the sport that allows us to step back and take a different perspective of who we are and where we are going. It gives us a chance to put our athleticism into perspective. Both of us have aspirations to be professionals in our disciplines, but you must be ready for the worst. That means living life today in a way that you would be proud if there was not a tomorrow. This balancing act is tough but being injured/not able to do what it is we love gives us perspective and makes it easier to balance ourselves out. On one hand we want to be the best athletes we can, but we also must enjoy ourselves while we are doing so. Keeping this "see-saw" balanced is no easy task, especially because there is constantly new things being thrown on either side. However, we are people, I am NOT just a triathlete, Jon is NOT just a runner, and it is important for us to remember this. We as athletes must be careful to avoid this trap. We should be encouraging of other to try out sport and getting them into it and realize that after all, it is about enjoying yourself. If you see someone who needs a new tube on the side of the road please do not ride past them. Lets be accommodating to the rest of the world too, we are all homo-sapiens, dependent on air, food, and water, lets not forget that! I hope this does not come out as preachy, as i write this as a PERSONAL revelation NOT to be a dick.
A special thanks goes out to my buddy Jon who has helped me to understand this. Best wishes to him for his pre-consult next week and surgery Nov 1st!
