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| Summer Love |
While our Canadian summer arrived late this year, it was one of my most fulfilling summers in some time. From a training, racing, professional and personal level, I found new heights of engagement, challenge and adventure. Was it the weather? Was it my aging wisdom? Was it a few good results? Perhaps a mixture of everything but likely it was the result of timing, perspective and letting it happen.
The experience of racing is something I have always loved. Building up to race day is a process. It begins with a block of training that is intense and purposeful followed by a taper that calms the body and mind down in preparation for race day. Race day (and the days leading up to it) are filled with emotions and only the grounded few are able to cope with the highs and lows of the stress and excitement surrounding race day. Exhilaration is intensely mixed with uncertainty and confidence. In reality, racing is simply a journey to challenge our fitness. It strengthens our character and provides resilience. There is unsurpassed effort, pacing, fueling, focus, integrity, respect, hopes and pitfalls all of which come together and drive us to a finish line of that given day only to tempt us to the next challenge. A successful race day experience can also provide tremendous satisfaction and fulfillment. For most athletes, myself included, training and racing are true love affairs. The unexpected injections of emotions we didn’t even know existed culminate in so many athletic endeavors. One might say these experiences are addictive. But true love isn’t addictive; it’s authentic, genuine and embodied with integrity. Maybe I am maturing but this feels like true love.
And so, it’s been a busy summer of love since my last post. Jasper Blake (just placed 5th at Ironman Canada) kept me on the program building strength and fitness with a packed race schedule. Victoria Half Ironman (3rd place), Desert Half Ironman (1st place) and Lake Stevens Half Ironman (5th place) filled the calendar nicely. My focus is now on Muskoka Half Ironman on September 11th followed by Austin (October 23rd) and Miami (October 30th). This schedule excites my senses and blends nicely with my perspective and feelings of centeredness, not to mention the adventures of getting to each venue and exploring the area.
But I must continue to share more on the topic of integrity and the weight it should carry more of in all our lives (I am taking notes here)…
Yesterday was a pivotal day for me to have re-emphasized the importance of perspective and approach to something as precious as having the ability to train every day healthily and happily (that can be a tall order). I rode with a friend, Mike Ryan. He is a seasoned rider having been a professional mountain biker and multiple road-riding champion (national and international levels). While in his 50’s, he continues to destroy the young pups in any given field. He does it with humility and integrity…every time. Mike and I have known each other for over 10 years. We met riding and continue to share our passion for sport and adventure. His easy spin is my hard effort any day of the week. He lost his father this week. He was with his dad when he died. He is training with his team today, hard. He is racing Gran Fondo next weekend. He has a V02max of a 25 year old. He brings one water bottle for 5 hour rides. He takes pride in his sport, workmanship and space in the universe. All of this does not go unnoticed. He lives in the present. He keeps his ego in check. He isn’t the centre of attention yet he is centered from within. He has many interests and embodies an old soul. He is grateful and inclusive.
Mike shared some of his insights with me during our ride. They were timely and relevant on so many levels. The most prominent was in relation to integrity. This is how I internalized our discussion and the lessons he taught me climbing the hill out of Furry Creek Golf Club.
No matter what Mike is doing in his life – training, racing, socializing or working, Mike approaches each scenario with integrity. He is relentlessly consistent, honest, truthful and accurate in his actions. He looks after his body and mind so that when the time is right, he can deliver. He knows the difference between comfort and pain. He knows how to hurt and endure. Mike is an amazing speciment with more battle scars than most people walking the streets have combined. He uses all his experiences to live more fully and perform on demand. Whether all those riders trying to drop him on Cypress see this in him doesn’t really matter. He knows.
Mike didn’t try to drop me at any given moment (although he did unknowingly, he then waited). With all his grief from losing his father, he willingly shared little snipets of wisdom. I was listening attentively. As I sit here finishing up this post, I think about the swim I have ahead of me. How can I best approach it with integrity, purpose and love? I think I’ll nap first before contemplating my strategy.
Hope you all had a Summer of Love. Maybe we’ll meet in San Fransico next year for Wildflower “Woodstock” Triathlon and express Free Love.
Christine
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| Summer Riding |
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