Goals

More of the great outdoors today! I just about froze, but it was really nice to be out in the sunshine and (mostly) clean air while riding bikes with my cousin for the beginning stages of our triathlon training. We both agreed that we will need to get a base and then work on hills, and despite a bit of soreness in the derriere, it was a blast!

As far as the triathlon itself, we have until August, as we are doing the Ramblin' Rose Women's Only Super Sprint Triathlon. We have several advantages in attempting this race. For one, it is a women's only race and, during my experience volunteering one year, I noticed that, although it was competitive, there was such an energy amongst the competitors! Secondly, as we keep reminding ourselves, "We have until August!". So when we feel that we haven't performed well, that reminder helps us keep things in perspective. Finally, the distances are not horribly long...a 250 yard swim, 8-9 mile bike ride, and a 2 mile run. Additionally, we will have the summer to train, hopefully with lots of excellent weather! I'm super-jazzed about this new goal and hope to make the most of it!

Setting goals has always helped me get places and I have always needed a goal, whether it be completing my first 5K or making it to my next belt level in karate. Some days, I don't know how I would function without a goal. For some, however, I am keenly aware that taking care of oneself is not the first priority, not for lack of desire, but life's struggles and issues tend to take precedence. It's really difficult to focus on a goal of doing body weight pullups when one's electricity bill needs to be paid.

Sometimes, though, being able to set a goal and accomplish it can be energizing and instructive. While training for my black belt in tae kwon do, I managed to lose my focus because my aunt (who took me into her home when I was a stupid teenager) was lying in the hospital battling a rare form of leukemia. I did not pass my test the first time I tried and I was devastated. I was less devastated about not passing, I realize now, than I was about her death, but I totally lost perspective. I finally vowed that I would pass the next time and that I would remember her fight with a vicious cancer that she never really gave up on. If she could fight that hard for her life (and she always fought hard for everything she did), surely I could fight to get past my own weaknesses to gain a simple rank in a sport. I did pass eventually, but I always felt that I learned more about myself and whether I had the will to do something I really wanted. Later on, her inspiration helped my cousin and me set a goal of completing a marathon (walking!) to raise money for leukemia research. We finished that goal too and several others afterward in her memory. I miss her greatly, but I like to think that maybe she knows that I would not be half the person I am if it were not for the example she set.