Really - call Ironmen ( men and women ) Ordinary..... not cool. Nothing about triathlon is ordinary - it is 3 sports in one to start with. It is distances that only crazy people who have no life do and then it is done at a pace which is often as fast as possible to complete without needing to be hospitalized....Ordinary!
So what do I mean by Ordinary ? Well it's not really unique to triathletes: it is common to almost all aspects of life - but when you consider the busyness of life and the combined complication of doing 3 sports as your one - then it means more complexity. The ordinary I’m referring to is - the basics- consistency- the repeating and continued coming back to do the thing. Run- Swim- Eat - Sleep - Recover- ride- REPEAT- - get sick- get better- Race- win - lose- get injured- get moody and miserable - get back - recover - train - start again - build - LIFE - more recovery - try again - get a PB- then good time - etc, you get the point. None of this necessarily stands out- none of the sessions are particularly special- they are just another track session - or just another long ride.
The Ordinary - is that stuff- that seems normal - natural for an athlete to do this- but unless you are a pro- this ordinariness - is extraordinary. It’s truly Unbelievable and it takes tremendous grit and resilience and patience and focus- and discipline. These are not words that express ordinary- they speak to the remarkable. The insane at times-but nothing less than awesome once all is considered. So the point is that on the road of doing the ordinary- following the program - sticking to your guns- learning what works and what does not - it’s the ongoing staying on the field in the game and picking up where you left off if you have a breakdown of muscle or inspiration - or just a lapse of commitment - but the true genius and fundamental tipping point breakthroughs are made in the daily basic grind of doing that thing and even when you miss that thing - letting go of the failure- and doing that thing again.
I have always believed in a vision- a set goal as a means to pull you forward and help you to stay sticky and committed to the program - but it can many times also be a distraction, as the sheer scale can be overwhelming. What is often most beneficial to our journey and growth and our tenacity to overcome- and surprize ourselves is to see that the monster gets dissolved in the daily discipline of doing that one thing- that run- that ride or swim - and then knowing you have build one more block into the hundreds needed. But it's one more and it's the way you build remarkable - extraordinary- amazing and awesomeness.
So for those who have Ironman approaching - and those who have what may seem like lesser goals, be encouraged that what is behind you is behind you - and what is left is not just today and tomorrow and the Ironman - but rather the incredible opportunity to be present in the doing and building of your dream in each determined day and the little layers of building brilliance that are compounding for much more than the next race. They are a set up for the celebration of realizing your highest potential and being able to say you were fully expressed and gave yourself wholeheartedly. This foundation will never fail you - it will continue like a rampant metabolism that has been finely tuned and developed to propel you to achieving your passion and purpose.
Be Ordinary and See Extraordinary as the Fruit of your Labor.
