Inspiration and motivation

Be inspired...Inspire others...

Not sure who said it but I like it! It's a quote that one of my coaches told me when I was talking with him about all the inspiration I'd encountered over the weekend.

A lot of my inspiration was a result of my participation in Tallahassee's annual Ride for Hope which raises money for the local cancer center. As someone who has experienced a significant amount of loss from the wretched disease, it is one thing I do each year to honor those who have lost their battle to the disease, the tremendous warriors who continue to fight and defeat it and raise money so that not only can we find a cure, but that we ensure that there are advancements in treatment and comfort for those fighting the disease!

Actually when I think about it, sitting in a grueling spin class in DC with my ruthless instructor James (those of you who live in DC and endured one of his classes know exactly what I'm talking about!) was the first time I fathomed doing an endurance event. I remember thinking if I can get through James' class why couldn't I do an endurance event like the upcoming riding from North Carolina to Washington to raise money and awareness for HIV/AIDS. I never ended up signing up for the ride in all my years living there, always saying "next year," but it was sitting sweating it out on that bike, gasping for air but having the ability to endure, that made me first start thinking about challenging myself and pushing my "healthy" body to the limit.

I thought about this a lot on Saturday during a grueling ride that was supposed to be a metric century (100 kilometers or 62 miles) but due to a counting error or inability to make the course work from start to finish without adding extra miles, was 69.7 miles!

There was the Florida heat and humidity to endure, the huge horseflies making lunch out of the legs of a sweaty bike riders who slathered on sunscreen prior to the start of the ride, bugs that hit your face at 20 mph and made a splat noise like you were a windshield, so-called dead zones with no tree coverage, blazing sun, semi-trucks blowing past you and barely moving over, and then there was pelting rain the last few miles, which helped cool you off but limited visibility. And yet through all of this -- around mile 66, at which point my ass had completely become one with the bike seat, I thought I can do this. I am physically able to do this and how amazing is that!?

I thought about my Dad, struggling as cancer took over a once athletic and fit 49 year-old body. Nothing he could do, no energy reserves to draw from, just helplessness as that disease ravaged his body, breaking bones and growing tumors everywhere. I thought about the other people who couldn't physically be out there and how lucky I am to have a healthy body that I can push and train and tell to do things that if I put my mind to it and give my muscles the training and recovery they need, will do it! How could I have wasted any time not using this body that I've been blessed with? A body that at some point may not be capable of doing these things, activities that many others who are sick or physically challenged may only wish and dream they were able to do.

Now, I'm not saying everyone has to pick up and start training for an Ironman, but I do think we've got to respect what physical abilities we've been given and the fact that life is short!

It has been 16 years since I lost my father. He was the most amazing man I have ever known and I cherish the 18 years I was blessed with having him here in my life but as time passes although the pain of losing a parent never goes away, it dissipates and life's distractions certainly take away from the constant reminders.

However, there is one place I have found myself always reconnecting with my father despite the passage of time and that's when I'm training. When I first took up running to lose weight more than ten years ago, it was his hand I imagined on my back, pushing me to keep going. When I'm riding and a bright red cardinal flies across my path I think of him. When I want to quit, I think of how proud he would be if he was there. As I endure I hear the words of encouragement that he shouted as I raced across the length of the pool or the encouragement he would give from behind home plate at every softball game.

Perhaps it is a result of the fact that I'm pretty sure I get my competitive nature from him, but so often I still feel his presence behind me today much like I did all those years ago as a teenager swinging a bat. Whether out on a long bike ride, or during a triathlon or even just running on the trails. He is and always will be my inspiration and the driving force pushing me to just keep going further, faster and harder.

So whether it is a Ride for Hope, or just daily training, a walk in the park, or even playing with your kids, don't forget to respect and treasure the physical abilities you do have and keep your eyes and heart open -- you never know what might inspire you or who you might inspire along the way!