Different Strokes

Nope this isn't a post about swimming!

As revealed the other day I have been thinking a lot! And my prep post is just the first in a series of posts about some conclusions I have been coming to.

I have been reading a ton of blogs and over the past few years I have trained and become friends with a large variety of people. One of the things I love about running and triathlon is that I can run with someone on any given Sunday that I would otherwise never have cause to appreciate. Be it that they have different politics than me, they have different spiritual views, or they are in a different place in life. We can come together and enjoy each others company because of our love of the sport.

Why do we love the sport? Who cares! No two answers are the same! But we do and we are both driven to get out there and sweat and work towards our individual goals.

In my previous post I stated that:

"I have not finished these races yet. Signing my name on the dotted line means absolutely nothing."

I, like bagel shop friend, am not impressed by empty promises. Give me results! I want to go to places where other people are to scared to go, to hurt in ways you never thought were possible, all for the sake of pushing myself. As Scott quoted "to run where the brave dare not go."

This does not mean I am not impressed by people who set out to go out and do something big. If you don't set goals you certainly won't achieve them.

"Just showing up and finishing is a feat but for me it isn't anything worth congratulation."

For me I cannot just "show up" anymore. I am in too good of shape and I am too driven. I don't want something handed to me, I want to work for it. So yes I could go to JFK in the hopes of just finishing. But I want to strive for a bit more.

There are all types of people in this sport. There are number crunchers, weekend warriors, dreamers. I am a planner. I make a plan, I follow it through, and come race day I try to achieve certain goals. I am super competitive, I realize this is a flaw so I try to apply it in an area of life where it is okay to be competitive, it is even expected, and that is during races.

Because of past experience I usually set realistic but hardy goals. This year that includes the half-IM and an ultra. Next year who knows. Probably some century rides and a few more kick ass marathons. And in a few more years the really big show: Ironman. Because of my running base I personally want to wait on that one. I want to become a better cyclist before tackling IM. And I don't think I will be ready to become a better cyclist until I have exhausted my marathon PRs. Once I plateau a bit then I will move onto bigger and different things.

I could have signed up for JFK last year on a whim after Columbus, I may have even entertained the thought, I thought about signing up for Ironman Florida too. But my brain doesn't let me work that way. For me I want to really be able to do something my way when I do it. And for me I have to "know" that I have taken the previous steps to get somewhere.

Now of course everyone doesn't feel this way. And everyone doesn't have the same background as me. I was blessed with a bit of natural talent and some severe stubbornness that allows me to go out and do what I do usually when I want to do it. Others have it A LOT harder. And let me tell you that I am way more impressed by those TNT athletes that walk a marathon than an elite athlete running sub 2:30s any day. But that is because what they are doing is hard! They had to work their butts off to walk that marathon! (And to tell you the truth I think walking a marathon would be harder than running it.) For some people just finishing is impressive and is a worthy goal.

We all train for different reasons. Some of us train for the "high." Some to lose weight. Some to impress friends. Some to chase down a dream. Some of us don't even know why we train.

Sometimes it is very easy to think that your reasons for doing something are the only valid reasons. Whether you feel that way out of spite, jealousy, concern. Regardless of your reasons you have to let other people do what they are going to do. You just have to sit back and let them achieve or fail in their own goals. You can't hold them back or push them along. It is their own choice.

Regardless of why we all tow the line and sign up for endurance events we are all valid. We all will have triumphs and we all will have failures. What drives me doesn't have to drive you and we don't have to understand why we each do what we do.

On this blog I want to be completely honest about why I behave the way I do and what drives me to get out there. Over time I am sure I will change and I will have different opinions and different reasons for getting out the door. This is my little space where I can look back and see what I have done to get where I am. I hope that if you visit here you can enjoy the ride with me, regardless of what "stroke" you choose.