The Finish Line

It's way to early to be awake but not only are we awake, we're on our way to the start line of a duathalon we entered on a whim, "JUST FOR FUN". Some days I really do think my clients are right when they say my husband and I have a messed up version of "FUN". Yes, we're probably crazy.

It's freezing cold for early September and my stomachs in knots. I'm nervous and excited and ready to get this over with. As I shiver and yawn, I ask myself WHY am I doing this?! I really don't have an answer but here I am nonetheless.

We line up with our ages on our calves and numbers on our arms, and we wait in the crowd of eager athletes. Waiting is the worst part. This is when you try your best not to compare yourself to the others. The girl in front of me is in my age category, she looks like she's in amazing shape. So does the girl beside her. My husband sees me losing focus and tells me to stop. So I take a deep breath and remember that I am doing this against myself and no one else.

Finally, the horn goes off and so do we. A shot of adrenaline makes me breathless and my muscles tighten up as I start to accelerate. Soon I'm exhausted and the mental battle begins. Why am I putting myself through this misery? I'd much rather be in my warm bed right now. Why do I do this to myself? This is crazy.

Then I remember what I heard on Dr.Phil the other day (YES I watch Dr. Phil!) He said, "WINNERS DO WHAT LOSERS DON'T WANT TO DO." So there I was, repeating this line over and over in my head hoping it would give me some kind of focus. Still, I didn't have an answer for why I was doing this, but I certainly knew I was doing what losers wouldn't want to do.

After the run, I got on my bike and endured 20 kilometres of burning legs, all the while telling myself I may never do this again. I felt strong on the bike despite the mental battle and severe muscle burn. Even though I was tired, I was feeling confident and starting to enjoy the race.

Then came the 2.5 kilometre run. This is by far the hardest part of a duathalon. The legs have already worked so hard and now that they feel like noodles, they have to run. It takes a few minutes for my legs to relax and get into the groove of running but when they do I start to feel good. Knowing the race is soon over is enough to keep me going.

Then I see the finish line just up ahead. I can hear the crowd cheering and I can see that this is almost over. I start to speed up to finish the race as strong as I can and I fly across the finish line with a smile on my face. The answer to why I put myself through this rushes over me like a wave. I do it for the finish line.

Nothing compares to the feeling of accomplishment that comes with finishing what you started. Nothing feels better than crossing that finish line. I can't put it into words but somehow it's worth all of the training, it's worth the early morning, it's worth the muscle burning, the nervous stomach, the exhaustion and wobbly legs. Somehow that finish line makes me want to do it all over again.

They say racing is much like child birth. Once you forget the pain, you'll want to do it again. Today the muscles are recovered and I'm itching for the next race. It may be crazy but at least I know why I'm doing it. For me, finishing is winning. So on that note, I'll let you know how the next one goes!