Flashback
During my 2018 quest to conquer Ironman Maryland I encountered many hurdles along the way but none bigger than the one I encountered while running a 1/2 Ironman two months prior to the big race.
I followed my training program to a T and in late July it required me to do a 1/2 Ironman. I had done several 1/2 Ironman’s in the past so I had very little fear in taking this on. During this particular 1/2 Ironman, I had a really solid swim (1.2 miles) and an even better bike (56 miles).
The run was a different story.
About six miles into it I started to bonk and get light-headed. The temperature was rising and I was rapidly becoming dehydrated. At the eight-mile point in the run, I had to quit…and I felt horrible.
The thought of me having no chance of ever completing a full Ironman after this experience was a thought I immediately snuffed out with thoughts of why I bonked.
It didn’t take me long to figure out that I had not consumed enough fluids on my bike and although I had a great bike ride, my body had become dehydrated and I had nothing left in the tank for the run.
Over the next few days, I spent much time researching the topic of fluid consumption during an Ironman and found the perfect plan for me and it obviously worked at Ironman Maryland…yes, the human gut can take on twelve, twenty-four-ounce bottles of Gatorade in a seven-hour period. 🙂
Moral of this story
Life always presents us with hurdles, or sometimes as has been the case for 2020 a continuous run of steeplechase hurdles.
Hurdles give us great opportunities for growth.
If you aren’t a better person now than you were at the beginning of 2020–shame on you! You’ve missed out on the greatest growth opportunity of your lifetime.
P.E.A.C.E.
Jay@EagleLaunch.com
James 1:2-4, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
