07-04-2024
Back from spring break, still clean, gifts of the spirit
When I first started doing triathlons, the idea of swimming 800m, biking 12 miles, and running 3 miles all in a row seemed massive. It got the respect of everyone around me, and the respect of the participants as well. Then the sport started to boom, and the internet became more prevalent. All of a sudden a "sprint" triathlon was no big deal compared to an olympic distance, or a half-iron, or a full Ironman. Before long both my dad and I felt like finishing a sprint wasn't something to be very proud of, even though we didn't actually know anyone in our own social circle who could even finish the sprints that we were doing, let alone race them to try and get a good placement in our age category. The same thing happened this past year to my aunt in Vermont who got into hiking. She had 0 experience so she started with group hikes at local places, fairly flat. Then transitioned to group hikes of small peaks. Then a few solo hikes, and group/solo hikes of larger peaks. Her self-confidence was soaring, she was doing things she never thought she could do. Then when she became entrenched in the "community" she started meeting people and seeing folks on forums who were hiking out of state, who were solo-backpacking, who could do huge miles in a single day. All of a sudden she stopped being proud of herself, even though the people in her social circle weren't doing the kinds of things she was doing. Don't let social media and the internet disillusion you. If you are running a few miles every day, or lifting weights every other day, or meditating 10 minutes a day, ask yourself "Who do I know at the place where I work that is also doing these things?" I bet you can count them on one hand. Respect the work you're putting in, 98% of those around us are not doing what we're doing. Don't let the outliers on social media or the internet forums dictate how you judge yourself. Remember to find satisfaction in the struggle, and peace in the moment.
