Last week I signed up for a 15k run. It’s an easy distance compared to a full Ironman. But since gaining a few pounds, enjoying an unstructured schedule, and feeling mentally weak – I’m feeling apprehensive, tired. My lack of motivation stirred up feeling of failure, sadness, frustration.
Then today an associate, an entrepreneurial guru, shared his business highs and lows. Then a mother talked about parenting challenges. And runner reminded me of training’s highs and lows.
I saw the pattern and felt grateful. They touched upon our mindset’s biggest challenge – managing life’s highs and lows, no matter the career project, race, or relationship.
Racing Ironman taught me to be aware of that challenge, to equally manage those emotions, and to appreciate the good with the bad. Clearly I forgot its lessons.
Those reminders stirred up a deep sense of appreciation. Appreciation helps me stay balanced and not get lost, swept away with infatuation – just like some people do in the early stages of a relationship, for having a high or low infatuation can be overwhelming.
Why am I sharing this … because this great lesson needs to be shared. Ironman, like all proactive experiences, creates a microcosm of feelings – hope, devastation, exhilaration; understanding, confusion, focused intentions; uncertainty, ambiguity, and victory.
The point is, if your mindset is feeling low (as mine can do), stare down fear, shame, guilt or other unhealthy thoughts. Then enjoy the process of conquering it, embracing it, and tossing it aside.
Truth be told, I do not want to train for a 15k run, but that is the point. I’ll do it later today because whatever thought is trying to keep me from success will be washed away with the sweat it takes to cross the finish line.
Always tri, never stop.
Annemarie
(Featured image: Cedar Point – Wicked Twister)