Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Trigger for Motivation

Last Sunday was the NYC Marathon and I watched most of it on television.While I've signed up a few times, I never raced a marathon (I don't count the walk that I did at the end of my ironman two years ago as a marathon). Based on last year's marathon being cancelled due to Sandy and my having been registered for it, I do have the option to get in to the 2014 version.

On Monday I flew to Dallas for business. The plane was full of marathoners heading home. Many were wearing finishers clothing with more than a few wearing their medals. The restaurants at the Newark Airport were even offering 25% off for marathoners with their medal. I saw people limping, challenged by getting out of chairs, looking at stairs as an impossible challenge, and sharing their stories. Mostly, I saw they were proud of what they did.

I was, in contrast, sad. I saw a brotherhood that I used to belong to. I was carrying an Ironman branded bag as a carry-on and felt like a poser or perhaps an intruder into their celebration. It now has been two years since I've raced a triathlon. I remembered flying back from Panama City not being able to walk, wearing my finisher jacket, constantly touching the medal around my neck, and being proud.

What does this all mean? I thought about signing up for IMFL2014 while watching the marathon but decided against it. It wasn't a priority. I do have the option for NYCM26.2 so I will need to make that decision in a few months. I want to be in a position where that will be a priority when that decision needs to be made.

Now that I haven't done any real racing in a while what I did do in the past has become more important to me. Does that make any sense? It wouldn't have to me a while ago but it does now. I need to get from the reverence stage to the hungry for more stage. I think that is mostly mental.

Hoping this plane ride and the feeling I had will lead me to the right motivation.


4 comments:

TriMOEngr said...

Sounds like it would have been very motivating. Have you read the book "A Race Like No Other" about the NYCM. I really don't think I'd like such a big race, but the book totally made me think about how awesome the course truly is. I know motivation waxes and wanes. Always a challenge to figure out what will help it increase. Best wishes as you seek your mojo.

Teamarcia said...

Wow 2 years have flown! I imagine that plane ride gave you lots of food for thought. It's been a year since my last marathon (MCM) and I'm in for NYCM 2014 so I am already getting my head and body wrapped around that one.

Jford said...

Use It as fuel for next year, now is a great time to plan races for 2014! But I believe that once an Ironman, always an Ironman, so no need to ever feel like a poser, you earned that title!

MILF Runner said...

Not a poser. You did the deed. You earned your gear. Now if you'd picked it up at the Goodwill and were trying to pass yourself off as someone who had but never had...THAT would be posing.

The weight of your accomplishments do not diminish with the passage of time.