Week 6: Patience

I'll be the first to admit that patience has never been a strength for me.  I want what I want and I want it now.  So perhaps it's a good thing that Triathlon came into my life.  To force me to slow down.

Wait, you are thinking, that doesn't make any sense.  Aren't tris all about being fast?  Well yes and no.  And after spending the past 6 months or so pushing as hard as I could and training like crazy, it's very hard for me to accept the off-season.  Forced on me because your body needs rest after training so much but also because of injuries.

I never dreamed that the hardest part of the triathlon game was going to be mental for me.  Never thought of that at all when I got into this sport.  The worst part lately has been me questioning whether or not my body will ever heal.  What if I'm told to never run again?  What if I don't build the legs necessary to be able to fly on the bike?  Quite simply: what if I don't reach the goals I have set for myself?

So my solution to that shows up in two places.  One being the experience of my fellow athletes who give me advice and comfort.  The ones who have suffered stress fractures, broken collar bones, and hamstring tears who say "yes, you will recover and you will come back stronger than ever and you will succeed".  I don't know if they have any idea how helpful their words are...the impact is incredible and powerful and fills me with hope.

The other being finding ways to fill the time.  Swimming, lifting weights, and finishing all those projects around the house.  And realizing that 2011 may be the year where I won't be fast.  I won't podium.  I won't break any records.  But I'll become strong.  And more importantly, maybe it's the year that I finally learn to to be patient.