Don't be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so.............
The word for Nicole and I this week is REALITY!!! And boy was this a perfect word for me!!! And my shot today works for my "extreme crop" prompt for my Picture Inspiration 52 week project over at Big Picture too!!! BONUS!!!! :)
Today I became a triathlete...... wow.... that is tough to say.... because I really don't feel any different!!! I am still the same ol me.... Nope.... I didn't morph into a super human when I crossed the finish line.... when people see me they don't know that I am a triathlete.... and I'm really not the kind of person to share that about myself with total strangers.... sooooo..... here I sit.... not sure what to feel or think about my accomplishment!!! Here I sit.... thinking about the reality of this day.... so here it goes....
It was never really "on my list" to complete a triathlon.... but I watched my husband and son complete several.... and while watching them... I also watched everyone else in each race compete.... I watched them all cross that finish line.... and I thought to myself... HEY... if they can do it.... so can I!!??? Maybe!!??? So in May of this year I began to train.... the run.... hey... I had that in the bag.... I've been running for several years now and I LOVE to run... it is my BEST thing!!! the bike.... bought a great bike last year (I was kinda thinking about Tri's back then) and while Tri biking is quite technical with all the fancy shoe clips and aero bars... riding a bike is well.... just like riding a bike.... it all comes back to ya!!!! and then there's the swim.... and this is where REALITY slapped me in the face.... I really don't swim!!! not even a little!!! I have never learned proper strokes and breathing.... so this was gonna be tough!! So... in May I started swimming at the local Y.... I SUCKED!!! and I kept sucking for a REALLY long time!!! My poor husband would instruct me.... and I watched TONS of "how to swim" videos on YouTube!!! heeheehee yep.... good ol YouTube!!! And I eventually began to get better and better.... in the POOL!!! And then REALITY struck AGAIN!!!! The triathlon swim was NOT in a pool.... nope.... it was an open water swim.... in a LAKE!!! Where the fish and snakes live.... and where I can't see... even with my goggles on and my eyes wide open!!! So.... bless my sweet husbands heart.... off to the lake we went.... for me to practice NOT DROWNING!!!! With each passing week my training log grew and grew..... I logged hundreds of swim, bike, run miles over the last four months.... all leading up to today!!!! Yep.... today was the day!!! And when I woke up this morning.... I was scared to death!!!! When we arrived at the race site.... I was scared to death!!!! I couldn't even look at the water..... because I was scared to death!!! But the time came and I walked to the end of the pier..... and I jumped in!!!! Now I must confess that my swim was a WRECK.... I was a total mess in that water.... my heart was racing, my breathing was too fast, I got kicked in the face!!! (WHAT!!!??? I didn't train for THAT!!!) and I choked on and swallowed half of the lake.... but the REALITY is that I DID IT!!! The bike and the run followed and while difficult I managed them pretty well.... and I CROSSED THAT FINISH LINE!!!! And much to my disbelief.... I finished second in my age group!!!! (that would be the REALLY OLD age group!!!) HAAHAHAHA I couldn't believe it when they called MY name!!!! :) And after I finished..... someone very special to me put it all into perspective.... they said... "doing it was the easy part.... it was the worrying about it that was the hard part"!!!! And they were right!!!! It was the space between my dream and reality that I was soooo afraid of!!! And today I learned that the REALITY is I can do anything I put my mind to.... it might not be so cute while I'm doing it... but hey.... who's dream is it anyway??!!! :) Be sure to head over and check out Nicole's shot for this week too!!!!
Today I became a triathlete...... wow.... that is tough to say.... because I really don't feel any different!!! I am still the same ol me.... Nope.... I didn't morph into a super human when I crossed the finish line.... when people see me they don't know that I am a triathlete.... and I'm really not the kind of person to share that about myself with total strangers.... sooooo..... here I sit.... not sure what to feel or think about my accomplishment!!! Here I sit.... thinking about the reality of this day.... so here it goes....
It was never really "on my list" to complete a triathlon.... but I watched my husband and son complete several.... and while watching them... I also watched everyone else in each race compete.... I watched them all cross that finish line.... and I thought to myself... HEY... if they can do it.... so can I!!??? Maybe!!??? So in May of this year I began to train.... the run.... hey... I had that in the bag.... I've been running for several years now and I LOVE to run... it is my BEST thing!!! the bike.... bought a great bike last year (I was kinda thinking about Tri's back then) and while Tri biking is quite technical with all the fancy shoe clips and aero bars... riding a bike is well.... just like riding a bike.... it all comes back to ya!!!! and then there's the swim.... and this is where REALITY slapped me in the face.... I really don't swim!!! not even a little!!! I have never learned proper strokes and breathing.... so this was gonna be tough!! So... in May I started swimming at the local Y.... I SUCKED!!! and I kept sucking for a REALLY long time!!! My poor husband would instruct me.... and I watched TONS of "how to swim" videos on YouTube!!! heeheehee yep.... good ol YouTube!!! And I eventually began to get better and better.... in the POOL!!! And then REALITY struck AGAIN!!!! The triathlon swim was NOT in a pool.... nope.... it was an open water swim.... in a LAKE!!! Where the fish and snakes live.... and where I can't see... even with my goggles on and my eyes wide open!!! So.... bless my sweet husbands heart.... off to the lake we went.... for me to practice NOT DROWNING!!!! With each passing week my training log grew and grew..... I logged hundreds of swim, bike, run miles over the last four months.... all leading up to today!!!! Yep.... today was the day!!! And when I woke up this morning.... I was scared to death!!!! When we arrived at the race site.... I was scared to death!!!! I couldn't even look at the water..... because I was scared to death!!! But the time came and I walked to the end of the pier..... and I jumped in!!!! Now I must confess that my swim was a WRECK.... I was a total mess in that water.... my heart was racing, my breathing was too fast, I got kicked in the face!!! (WHAT!!!??? I didn't train for THAT!!!) and I choked on and swallowed half of the lake.... but the REALITY is that I DID IT!!! The bike and the run followed and while difficult I managed them pretty well.... and I CROSSED THAT FINISH LINE!!!! And much to my disbelief.... I finished second in my age group!!!! (that would be the REALLY OLD age group!!!) HAAHAHAHA I couldn't believe it when they called MY name!!!! :) And after I finished..... someone very special to me put it all into perspective.... they said... "doing it was the easy part.... it was the worrying about it that was the hard part"!!!! And they were right!!!! It was the space between my dream and reality that I was soooo afraid of!!! And today I learned that the REALITY is I can do anything I put my mind to.... it might not be so cute while I'm doing it... but hey.... who's dream is it anyway??!!! :) Be sure to head over and check out Nicole's shot for this week too!!!!
Michelle,
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful!! What an awesome dream you've had that came true!! Good for you!!
Michelle, you are so inspiring! I just loved reading this! Thank you for sharing your story on Picture Inspiration. WAY TO GO!!!!
ReplyDeleteBarbara C at PI