All Star

Okay, so, a bunch of workouts and things happened last week, with one really important one on Sunday, but I'll save that for another post.  Today I'm going to tell you about last Saturday.  Something really amazing happened on Saturday.  Let me preface this and say that I posted an entry on this blog about quitting a week ago.  It was about quitting the negativity and self doubt and knowing that I will finish what I've started.  Then on Wednesday I crashed my bike - AGAIN.  I got back up, but it hurt and I have a seriously ugly bruise to show for it (I'll save that for another post).  After I fell on Wednesday I posted a simple Japanese proverb on my Facebook wall "Fall down seven times, get up eight."  This is how I feel about life, and that day it held especially true.  Now, back to Saturday.

Saturday we had a bike/run ("brick") on the schedule.  I woke up early Saturday morning to the sound of fairly heavy rain.  I was super nervous about riding in the rain.  I'm not a strong cyclist, add a wet road and who knows what's bound to happen.  But, I got myself out of the house and headed to practice anyway.   We were meeting out in Westlake, about a 20-25 minute drive from my apartment.  Actually as I was leaving my place my neighbor across the hall came out and asked me if I was going to ride.  When I said yes, she said, "You tell your coach I said no, its too dangerous to ride."  Then I narrowly avoided an accident when a car spun out in front of me right after I got on the freeway.  After that all I could think was I was going to crash on my bike.  I just wanted to turn around and crawl back in bed.  But, I didn't.

I got out to Westlake, looked at the slick roads and thought, "No way. I am not riding in this, I'm going to hurt myself."  Well, as luck would have it, the coaches agreed and instead we did our long run, with the brick rescheduled for the next day.  

As we were listening to the coaches tell us what we would be doing for the day something very unexpected happened.  I was called in to the middle of the circle the group had formed and the coaches/staff gave me the "All Star Award" for the day.  I could not believe what was happening.  Then, they read part of my blog post about quitting.  I was shocked (shocked that people read this blog and even more shocked that I was hearing it read back to me). 

Even though I struggle so much with the bike (or maybe because of it and because I get up and get back on every time) they were giving me the special All Star jersey for the day.  To say I felt honored would be a giant understatement.  I am training with some of the most incredible and amazing people I have ever met, or could even dream of getting to know, and they chose me for the first All Star award of the season.  Seriously amazing.  I really can't express in words how this made me feel.  I feel blessed to just be a part of this group and train with all of these amazing women and men.  They are all so incredible.  Thinking about it now makes me feel so honored, still.

And, apparently the blog post I wrote, about quitting, convinced someone else on the team that they should recommit and keep going with the team too.  I write this blog mostly for myself.  I do it so I can remember all the work I've put in.  If others want to read it, that's great.  But, the fact that it inspired someone to keep going, that, moves me more than almost anything else.  You really never know how you affect the world around you, and as the coaches said, your presence does make a difference.  So, whoever you are, thank you for reading and sticking with the team, and with me.  Its nice to know I'm not the only one who feels nervous.

So, I got to wear this totally awesome jersey for the rest of the day.  I felt like Rainbow Brite and I loved every minute of it.  We did our long run (8 miles) and I smiled the whole time.  It was an incredible feeling.  That jersey has magical powers to make you smile, I'm convinced.  It wasn't the fastest eight miles I've ever run, but it was the most enjoyable in a long time.  Thank  you IronTEAM.  It made me feel even better about my decision to recommit and stick with this. Thinking about this, even a few days later, makes me smile.

Best jersey ever.  I wish I got to keep it!

If you want to support me on this journey please click the link and hit DONATE NOW.  I need your support to get through the training and across that finish line.

http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/vinefirn13/ewallersco

Thank you!