Today is race day at Ironman Lake Placid.
I felt a bit melancholy following the race on-line when I would much rather be there participating....but knee surgery killed that plan. However five years ago, at the age of 53, I completed my first Ironman at Lake Placid. And while it was painful (as I heard one Ironman veteran say recently - "If it was easy everyone would be doing it") it clearly remains one of the highlights of my life. I've spent much of today reflecting on that day five years ago; how nervous and anxious I was in the days leading up to the race; the ghosts of past failures and constant self-doubts had been gnawing at me for months. "What were you thinking when you signed up for this?"; "You'll never finish, you will disappoint all those people who supported you for 10 long months of training". These thoughts and others played over and over in my mind that long day five years ago.
In many ways, an Ironman race day is like any long-term commitment you take on: you question your ability; you wonder if it will be worth the commitment and sacrifice; you try to visualize yourself reaching your goal. And yet through the process you learn so much about your capabilities and your vulnerabilities; you gain a deep understanding of the meaning of commitment, perseverance and persistence; you learn the power and humility of relying on others and accept the grace and that comes with giving everything you have to a goal.
When I crossed the finish line some 16+ hours after the race started earlier that day at 7:00 AM I knew I was hooked. That feeling of accomplishment, of pushing yourself beyond what you thought possible, of realizing a major goal. As one of my coaches said shortly after - "Give in to the addiction".
So five years - and many more Ironman races later - I often reflect back to that experience that gave me the energy, confidence and self-knowledge to set and strive for new goals, particularly when I am experiencing disappointment, setbacks and self-doubt. That race is one of the events on my "highlight reel", which helps me manage myself through the ups and downs that come with working toward any worthwhile goal - whether it's my next Ironman race or a major project.
Past performance can be an indicator of future performance!
So what's on your personal highlight reel?
