June 17, 2013

Training for Someday…what happens when you finish training and there’s no race to run? You’ve put in the miles, sacrificed the time (and the extra cookie), maybe dealt with some injuries…and you made it. Finishing the training gets you to the starting line. It prepares you for the race and gives you a sense of peace because of the work you did, mixed with a sense of worry and dread because of everything you didn’t do. Standing at the starting line, some people are quiet, perhaps envisioning the race ahead, perhaps just listening to The Black Eyed Peas sing “Let’s Get It Started” to get in the groove. Others are bouncing, pushing to the front, or engaging in elaborate pre-race stretching rituals. The energy is like a wall of water that, when released, results in a wave you can ride for the first several miles of the race. In the end, it seems like the race itself determines how proud you are of the training you put in…so what happens if there is no race? You could just give up, put your name on a waiting list for other races while trying to maintain your fitness level, or set a new “someday” goal with a new training plan.

As uncomfortable as that position is, especially the first time you’re in it, it’s easier to deal with those options than to consider the training you just finished. It’s as though all of the pride, and even the gratitude to those who helped along the way, is put on hold until race day. Now, sitting at a starting line and hoping that my race will start soon, I realize how unfair that is. Goals are important, because they teach us perseverance and develop our passions. Today, however, is the most important day you have, not Someday, because it’s the only thing you are guaranteed. So don’t wait to be proud, or happy, or grateful…Training for Someday doesn’t have to mean “Waiting to Be.”