I just spent the last hour and 10 minutes watching a bunch of people cross the finish line of the Chattanooga Ironman race and it was so exciting! Earlier today I watched the Colts lose (not so exciting...) and earlier this week I watched the Packers lose (not a great ending to that game either). I personally knew one person and was connected via a fabulous group of fellow triathletes to 3 other women who were racing in TN. Maybe that's why it was so exciting - that I actually knew someone. But I found myself tearing up over people I'd never heard of before they crossed the finish line.
--> Why?
It's a 16.5 hour race covering 2.5 miles swimming, 116 miles cycling, and 23 miles running. These distances are incredibly longer than I've ever done. They are intimidating distances, especially on the bike! I know I could swim that far, for sure if the current is with me, as it was with today's athletes. I'm sure I could run/walk a marathon. But could I actually cycle for 116 miles??? I struggle to get through my long cycle training days when I'm doing 18-20 miles and there's nothing else happening on those days! These men and women are inspiring, motivating, and beautiful.
Tonight I sat on my couch and cheered for my new friend Joyce. She finished with plenty of time to spare and smiled and waved as she crossed the finish line. How amazing!!!!!!!
Then I saw a few different couples finish together - holding hands as they crossed the finish line. That's a lot of togetherness so they must really enjoy each other's company (and also, must not have kids!) I teared up as a son ran out to meet his mom. The son had been an athlete until an injury sidelined him and his mom said she'd take over the role. And just like that she completed an Ironman race! Wow!!! And then there was the last of the 4 Atomic Betties to finish. I've never met Nicole but I was clenching my fists and biting my nails waiting for her to cross the finish line. 6 minutes left, the announcer said. Is Nicole going to make it?! 4 minutes to go...I don't know how fast she usually runs but she has got to pick up the pace and get there! 1 minute, 15 seconds left...OMG Nicole, get here!!! With just under a minute to go the announcer calls out, Nicole Beck from IN and I just start to cheer and wipe tears away b/c I know she has given this her all. She has been swimming, cycling, and running ALL DAY and at that moment there is nothing more important or awe-inspiring than to finish and be called an IRONMAN. These people are amazing. I can't find the correct words to use!
There's a level of crazy found in all triathletes, I think. Why do we enjoy spending hours training? Why do we enjoy pushing ourselves to our personal limits? What is our motivation? I think these are questions we can try to answer but at the end of the day, we just enjoy the challenge and the accomplishment. I don't actually enjoy all the training but I do love the feeling at the end of a good day. I push b/c I am always amazed at my limits. My motivation is always something different, depending on the day or the race. I find something to keep myself going and just remind myself of that each day. Sometimes it's to push faster and beat yesterday's time. Sometimes it's just to get some miles done. Sometimes it's just a reminder that if I stick w/ my training plan I won't die during the race! We all have our motivational factors and we use those to keep going. And we are a bit crazy, I think. There's no real reason to decide to spend hours racing in 3 different disciplines throughout one race. There are no instinctual reasons (no need to outrun lions in our lives; no need to out-swim dolphins or sharks) and there's no functional reason to train for these (no need take a bike instead of a car or bus in today's society).
--- So I believe we do it for the challenge.
--- I'm convinced we do it for the adrenaline.
--- And we do it for the crazy.
*** WAY TO GO CHATTANOOGA IRONMANS!!!!! ***
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