It’s late September and most of my racing is done for the year. I’ll be running in the Malibu Half Marathon, but otherwise my big events have been successfully completed. I’m very happy about that, it’s been an amazing year of fitness and two of my greatest accomplishments to date: climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and completing my first Ironman. What’s next, you ask? That’s exactly the reason I share this story with you. After a month or two of modest workouts and serious recovery, I am thinking about what is next for me?
Normally, I wait until December to think about what races I may do the following year, but this year is different. I already printed out my calendar through the end of 2019 and started filling in all the races I know I may even have a chance of doing. Why? I’m glad you asked.
Racing has become a way of life for me. I love the ritual of finding a race, thinking about training for the race, putting in the grueling hours of tough preparation, and then finally getting to race day. I love getting to the start line, enjoying the energy of the crowd, the racers, and the camaraderie of healthy competition and suffering! I know, it sounds crazy, but thanks to Athlinks, I was able to see all my races for the last 10 years and I realized how much I’ve changed, but also, how much I’ve stayed the same.
Racing has become such an important part of my life that I’ll build vacations around a big race. Not only does racing provide a level of fitness for me that I never dreamed possible, my racing inspires others, and has introduced me to amazing people who love to stay fit and enjoying the journey along the way.
Racing gives you accountability. It’s one thing to do an in-home workout or even go for a neighborhood run, but it’s a whole different experience when you’re out and about with hundreds of others pushing your physical limits together.
It also gives you a sense of belonging. We need to feel connected to others, to be a part of a community. Many people find that at their church. I find it in a few places, but the racing community is one of my tribes. I see people I know, year after year, pushing themselves, staying fit and having fun.
It doesn’t matter whether you finish in the front of the pack or the back. What matters is that you show up and you give it your best effort. The sense of achievement and fulfillment after your event are also incredibly gratifying. So much so that you might even inspire others to get off the couch and take part in their lives as well. And we all know how much our world needs to get in shape.
So I ask you, are you pushing yourself just to train harder or are you signing up for that race? I highly recommend taking part in life, in racing, and in truly finding out what you’re capable of. I bet you’ll be surprised. I’m always here to help you along the way. Just send me a message @teddymcdonald. Good luck and may the wind be at your back!
Originally published on the authors website.