Journey to Kona Day 116: Patience

Got on my flight back to Colorado the morning, we taxied to the runway, and then, stopped.  Turns out there’s a sensor that’s not working.  So, we sat on the tarmac for nearly an hour while waiting for a spot to open up at the gate, where we deplaned.  The only thing that really matters to me today is picking up my bike at the bike shop.  Which is a little funny, because, I do have a charity event to go to tonight, which should matter the most (it’s close), but I need to pick up my bike so I can get out and ride the course again tomorrow.  Hey, ironman training is my number one priority!  I was going to write today’s blog while flying, but instead I’ll write it while sitting in the terminal.  And, I now have today’s topic.  Patience.  It’s really an important topic for me anyway.  We can’t change what we can’t change.  It’s easy to get impatient, or to get upset by such a delay.  What’s the point?  So, I get to practice patience.  Could be an opportunity to do a patience meditation, or to just practice the art of being patient.

As always, ironman is about patience and being in the moment.  It’s a long day, and if you don’t start your day feeling patient, you’ll waste energy.  Surviving an ironman, and having as much in the tank at the end of the day is about not wasting energy.  This starts in the days before the race (and spending a little time as possible on ones feet the day before), but is paramount on race day.  

Not wasting excess energy through worry or anxiety, or other factors, is critical on race morning.  In fact, one of the key elements on race morning is to stay warm.  You certainly don’t want to get too cold so that you shiver.  I’ve seen the excess energy usage from a cold swim or cold weather, you don’t need to start your day using up necessary energy.  The concept of “burning matches” is well understood when it comes to pushing too hard during the swim and bike.  You can burn matches before the race even starts.  

Having patience is about avoiding “burning matches” in life.  There’s a limited amount of energy that we all have, and worrying not only does us no good, but impacts so many other things in our lives.  The lessons continue.