Watching my kids, it is sometimes amazing the similarities I see between their play and Ironman. Well, other than the ability to go NON-STOP for 17 hours.
For many Ironman competitors, the swim is something to be endured. After the initial excitement of the start, things settle into the almost monontonous flow of stroke, stroke, breathe. Stroke, stroke, breathe. The only break in that pattern is sighting and the occassional bouy or a collision with another swimmer. As the swim progresses, many find themselves wanting one thing. To get out of the water and onto a bike.
Stop by my house some afternoon when I get home from work and you'll witness nearly the same thing. Nearly every day I have two kids standing in the doorway begging to "get out" so they can ride their bikes. It's a frantic "transition" as I try to drop off my gear/lunch bag/stuff and get changed into proper attire. Once out the door, I play referee, making sure helmets are on AND fastened before any bike is mounted.
As time winds on during an Ironman, an interesting shift occurs. The people who were so anxious to get out of the water and onto a bike find themselves wondering why they were so excited about the bike. Now, many hours and 112 miles later, they find themselves willing to run a marathon if it just means they can get off their bike. And for this Ironman, things were no different. The trepidation of the swim turned to excitement about the bike. Hours on the bike led to a shift in attitude. A marathon is a small price to pay to leave the bike course behind.
Like many an Ironman, they love and energy my kids had for their bikes has a limited lifetime. Soon enough, they have made several passes up and down the sidewalk and it's time to move on to other things. That "thing" is usually a mad dash up and down the same course. They will run from one corner to another, back and forth past our house. And like any good Ironman competitor, they love to have people cheering for them as they run.
For my kids and millions like them, their love of motion has little to do with competition or winning. They run because they can and it makes them laugh. They do it out of sheer joy. Whether it's my son tearing up and down at full speed or my daughter continuing to figure out her "running legs," there is always a smile on the face.
If you think about your experiences with endurance athletes, consider the ones who have the greatest impact. It's the ones who seem to truly LOVE what they are doing. A marathon or Ironman isn't a "chore" or a "challenge." It's something the do with a smile on their face (or at least in their eyes).
The triathlete who has probably impressed me most is Natasha Badmann. Whether crushing a world record or coming in well behind her goals, she has a HUGE smile on her face. It's tough to match that grin, but we should all have that as a goal. Outsiders who see childlike joy and excitement in the eyes of endurance athletes just might decide to share in the fun.
After all, who can watch a child at play and not yearn for at least some of what that child still has?
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