A day after this photo was taken. I did not finish my race. Everyday we have an opportunity to experience failure. Failures happen, they come in different shapes and sizes.
A project you worked on at work wasn’t a hit and didn’t land the promotion you wanted, maybe your company folded, a friend ditched you for an early workout, or your birthday trip was sabotaged byothers with a fear of missing out and altered your plans.
That doesn’t mean give up. If you are are ready to give up then you may need to go back and reevaluate your goal.
We can learn alot from from children. When a baby is learning to walk they fall down, they pop right back up. They fall down and get back up because they have a goal. They want to get into whatever they are focused on that they can’t reach on their hands and knees. We need to get up when we fall down. When a Cheetah chases after a prey and misses out on that meal, it doesn’t starve and die. It goes back hides in the trenches getting prepared for the next prey to feast on. As a mobility impaired marathoner I had to learn quick get comfortable being uncomfortable. You too need to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Failing doesn’t feel good and neither does preparation. Giving your all and falling on your face. Life is a marathon, not a sprint and we encounter failures like I did on June 25, 2017, but that is all apart of the journey.
Here is something I wrote that back on June 2017. Today, 2 years later I created the accroym that I live by. FAILURES.
My first triathlon DNF! Am I hurt? Nope. Am I upset? Nope. Am I disappointed? A tiny wee bit especially since I know I could have placed! I am happy for my Dare2Tri and Catapult teammates. I really love my paratriathlon family. No need to feel sorry or say sorry that I didn’t finish. I am not sorry. It happens, much like race cancellations. Would I do anything different? Yep, definately need to learn more about my bike. This will probably not be my last DNF equipment malfunctions and other things happen out on the course. As an athlete you take the good with the bad.
Besides I think it was divine intervention. I wasn’t supposed to be competing with the injury, yet I completed 4 halfs in 4 days and was prepared to complete this race. I wasn’t planning to race it, but once I passed my friend on the bike I started to go for it. I had flipped to competition mode (not my plan). I am grateful I had a bike malfunction and got lost on the course. I had a great pre transition I ran into transition barefoot; A first! With footdrop you are asking for a face plant. Lol, but it was
So Awesome! My transition time was 2:32 I was so proud. My 2nd transition…well we will never know. I think I would have hurt myself out on the course had I not gotten lost cause I was still rolling strong with the crank and gear issues. It finally dawned on me once I got lost that I should listen to the signs that were right in front of me.
This was not my A race although it was National Paratriathlon Championships. I will race this race one day maybe next year or the year after. I enjoyed watching the parathletes running and rolling into the finish.
I learned a great deal about myself, the competition, about Paratriathlon classification and National Championships this weekend. The only thing that sucked was that the weather was cold and my hand contracted and wouldn’t open in the cold. I contract for a number of reasons and I should learn that my body not working the way it used to is beyond my control.
The coolest thing about this race were seeing the elites and olympians rolling by me and cheering me on. By the time they saw me I was chillin and riding like Debo from Friday, without the squeaking noises. Hahaha!
Once I got back into transition I desperately looked for an official to give my chip to. It took me a while, but I got great photos of my teammates and still had a great time. I met some great folks, made a few friends and took pictures with some World and National Champions. I must say hanging out with Caitlin has truly made this the best triathlon trip EVER! Who knew someone old enough to be my child would make a great ‘Road Dawg’! Ebony and Ivory will ride again!
When you fail at something you must remain faithful, I don’t go out and curse God because I failed. I don’t blame Him for my misfortunes. After I pray, I Focus on things I can control that can help me to conquer my goal. Anticipate the obstacles in my way. Identify the areas that I need to improve on. List my goal and write an action plan and give it a deadline. Use challenges as opportunities to learn the lesson failure has taught me and grow. Reflect on my failure, refocus on the steps to needed to reach my goal and/or request help if needed. Embrace useful negative feedback and exercise faith. See effort as a path to mastery. This morning I found this picture in Black Girls Run Post in the Oyster Creek Park Group and it drives my point home Never Give UP!
IRACE 