The Man on The Bike

A few weeks ago, I did my second Olympic triathlon, also my last… or at least that is what I keep telling myself. I really enjoy sprint triathlons; give me a few years, and I will probably be ready to try another Olympic. Anyway, on the bike this year, a man about my parents’ age was biking with me and talking. This man could easily pass me; he is an Ironman, but he stayed with me and chatted for a bit. One thing he chatted about was his gratitude that he is able to do these. He remembered going to his Ironman and wondering if he was crazy because he was one of the oldest people there. He talked with some of the other older gentlemen about his imposter syndrome. One of them looked at him and said, “Just be grateful you can. Not many people our age are capable of doing this.” From that moment, this Ironman took on an attitude of gratitude, and he has been striving to have one ever since. Talking to this man was just what I needed.

At the end of the bike and the run, I started getting charley horses in my knees. If you have never experienced that, it is very painful! it is also possible to get rid of it with a little stretching. As this was happening, I felt myself getting frustrated with my body. Then I started thinking of how grateful I was that I was able to keep moving and do this at all. I also realized that I had not trained for this race at all, so of course, I was in pain! There for the pain was the consequence of my actions, but I was still able to have gratitude! Gratitude is a beautiful gift from God.