PERSEVERENCE!

Yes! Perseverence my friend. That's what it's all about. (That and the ability to enjoy the present, accepting what you don't have and appreciating what you do have). But Perseverence, that's the ticket, because it's hand-in-hand with patience, a virtue (I heard that once..), which we seem to be utterly lacking in these days.

I'm guilty too, so don't think I'm pointing any fingers here; it's just so dang hard to keep yourself focused on what you are trying to achieve, and believing that anything is possible, when you don't see the results instantaneously. I think that's probably a lot of people's problem.

I was listening to competitor radio today (you can subscribe to their podcasted shows on itunes), and I was listening to an interview with Chris Mccormick, the guy that placed 2nd at Kona (Ironman world championships) this last year. And he talked at length about how he and his best friend had dreamed that someday they would be racing in Kona and winning. They had a list they made together of all the different races they wanted to win, and Chris says 'it's amazing, but back then, we were down at the post everyday, bugging them, is it here yet? Is the new issue of Triathlete magazine here yet? ...And now I'm in the magazine. How amazing! Too often these days people are saying 'ahh that kids a dreamer, he needs to forget about those silly things (whatever those things may be). But I say, buggers (he's from Australia), you follow your dreams, I'm living proof that you can live out your wildest dreams if you just want them bad enough."

It went something like that anyway, but the point is this, as you probably already figured, Anything is possible! We have to stop allowing ourselves to become discouraged and overwhelmed with self-doubt. Just work hard and believe in yourself, and it will happen mate! (oh, sorry about that, but I just love the way australians talk...I think I should move there).

It can happen. Whatever it is your striving for (or thinking about striving for), just go for it and believe. Believe that you are as good as anyone else...believe that opportunity is a bi-product of effort...believe that with enough focus any height is achievable, for God sakes believe!

It's at this point that, if you were standing in the room with me I would slap my palm on your forhead and say 'you're healed!'.

But, since that's not an option, I'll just continue to peck away at the keyboard.

I recently heard (don't know where) that you write the book you need. I thought about Motivational Fuel when I heard that and thought, 'well that pegged me'. Every time I pick up my book I get drawn in, I'm a real sucker for being reminded how to think right. I lose perspective on an almost continual basis.

And patience? Forget about it, I'm like a starved chimpanzee staring through the bars at a flock of bananas (that's right...flock, I don't have a clue what you call a bunch of bananas...or is it a bunch?). In any case, I really need to work on honing my patience. For when you're doing the right things, it's just a matter of time. And I know that.

I'll close with my race recap from the Issaquah Sprint Triathlon on Saturday.

I was up a 1 a.m., pretty typical for me before a race, even a small one, I can't sleep from all the excitement in me. Audrey and Isaac came up to Issaquah with me (Jack was with his dad), and we got there in plenty of time. Well, I should say, we got real close to there in plenty of time. Then, with an hour before the gun, we got stopped in traffic a half mile from the beach where it was staged. And we stayed there.

Finally, I unloaded my things and followed the other athletes on foot to the staging area and got set up. But by this time I was in a big hurry. I barely got situated and Chris (workout buddy) was saying we needed to get down there. So we went down to the water and got in to warm up (or cool down, however you want to look at it).

The water was nice and after swimming about 50 yards I was ready, they funneled us over to the starting area (where I was awaiting some sort of talk which was not to come). I had my goggles off and was rinsing them, with my nose plug in my other hand, when a guy said 'swimmers ready' bahhhhhhhh (horn). It was like the span of 2 seconds, and so I hurriedly threw my goggles on and my nosepiece and rushed after all the other athletes in the 'elite wave', most of which were probably elite enough to expect the gun to go off when I did not.

The swim was terrible. Terrible. TERRIBLE. Not to mention the elbows, knees and feet hitting me in the head and everywhere else, I couldn't keep up. At first I was fine, I found some guys feet and starte swimming behind him, but after the first turn buoy he somehow sped up (and I didn't). I ended up getting out of the water like 2 and a half minutes behind the big group (a 2 1/2 minutes I was never to see again that race).

ON the bike, ohhh look out. Man, my new race wheels are amazing. I averaged around 24 mph for the 15 miles, and had a great time. It was really funny in fact, my buddy Chris got out of the water only about 20 seconds ahead of me (a testament to our stellar training plan I suppose), and when I passed him on the bike going 26.5 mph, I said 'hey Chris' and thought to myself, 'I won't see him again'. Well, that wasn't so much the case. We ended up passing each other about 8 times, each time giving the other person a hard time, like 'hey buddy, have you seen my friend Chris?'

It was pretty funny, we ended up getting off the bike seconds apart and heading out on the run together. But that was about it, the heading off part, because I watched him slowly dissapear in front of me as I hobbled across the horrible bumpy grass trail they had us running on, thanks Issaquah Tri planners! I can't run on anything but hard surface, pavement or whatever, so my pace was like 7;10 per mile, pretty miserable considering what I can run.

So...for the second time in a row Chris has beaten me. But no more! I have an Olympic Tri in Enumclaw on the 17th (which Chris isn't signed up for), and then Our first Half Ironman of the year one week later. That's where I want to take the race to him, we'll see.

All in all, it was a great time, and a lot of motivation to go swimming (which I've done, along with running, every day since).

That's all for now I suppose, take care and Persevere, your dreams are but the whispers of a future that is all too achievable if you will only believe in yourself and have faith.