Posts Tagged Biggest Loser
Being Thankful; Second Chances…
Posted by Matt Hoover in General on November 24th, 2010
My wife just left to do some more Thanksgiving shopping and she took the boys with her so I have a minute. As they were leaving I couldn’t help but think about how amazing my life has become and how much joy those three individuals bring to it.
Many of you who have followed my story may know parts of it, but probably don’t know a lot of it. My life hasn’t always been the way it is today. The crazy thing is that I value my “old” life as much as the new. Without it, I wouldn’t have ended up where I am now.
It is coming up on five years since I won NBC’s The Biggest Loser. Prior to going onto the show I was a mess. Yes, I had great friends and people that supported me, but inside I was a flat out wreck. I drank too much, ate too much, and spent too much money that I didn’t have. Although I appeared to be a carefree and cheerful guy, I was falling apart. I hated being alone because all I did was think about what failure I had become. I hated being sober because my head was clear enough to see the damage I was creating around myself.
When I left for the show I had $-100.00 in my bank account. I figured I may as well go on the show because I was already broke and not paying my bills. What would the bill collectors do to me? I already wasn’t paying them! I knew I needed a change.
People ask me all the time if I would have made the changes I have if I hadn’t gone on the show. My answer: NO. I know I wouldn’t have. The thing is, is that I knew I could, I just didn’t want to make the effort to do it. I had gotten comfortable being uncomfortable. To change my life was going to take a commitment that I was just not willing to make.
I was like any other kid when I entered college. I had big dreams and goals. My extracurricular activities were taking me further and further away from reaching those goals. I watched my goals and dreams slip away and eventually gave up on them completely. I quit wrestling, quit school, and then quit on myself.
I looked for happiness everywhere but inside of myself. I looked for it in bottles of rum, I looked for it in a girl that I thought should marry, I looked for it in pets, I looked for it in adventure. The shocker of it is, is that I was looking to find love for myself in other places and things and then was dismayed when I never found it.
Quitting became easy for me. School wasn’t working out, I quit. My first marriage wasn’t working, I quit. Job wasn’t fun, I quit. Quitting was my normal.
I believed that my life was turning out just how I deserved. I screwed up and this is what I got. I settled. In my mind I believed that I was going to struggle the rest of my life because I had screwed up my first chance.
I didn’t believe in second chances. I thought that if you messed up the first time you would probably mess up the second time so it was better to just accept it and live with it. I was wrong. One of the best things and worst things about being on The Biggest Loser was the fact that I was completely alone. Yes there were people all around, but they were strangers and I was alone without alcohol and my friends to make me feel better. I had to face myself.
Being on the show allowed me the opportunity to search deep within and see what I believed about myself. When I got on the ranch my goal was to win the money and prove to people that I wasn’t a failure. That was part of my problem, I was trying to prove to others that I wasn’t a failure rather than myself.
Along the way it stopped being about trying to prove myself to others and it became about proving things to myself. I was finally being given a second chance. I took it and I ran with it.
I wasted a lot of years believing that I wasn’t worth having a good life. Those years spent floundering make these days even sweeter. When I start doubting myself, I think back to the “good old days” and see how far I have come. I look at my wife and kids and see how good I have it. I look at my job as a speaker and author and see that I have the freedom to do the job I love.
I have been given a second chance. In fact, I’ve actually been given third and fourth and countless other chances. It wasn’t until I was ready to capitalize on that “second chance” that I found the life that I was destined to live.
For that, I am thankful.
Week of Thanks…
Posted by Matt Hoover in General on November 22nd, 2010
For the next few days I am going to write about things I am thankful for. Some may be short and others long, but during this holiday season I feel this is an important exercise in gratitude.
Tonight I am going to start with my recent Ironman finish. Doing an Ironman requires a ton of sacrafice not only on the athlete’s part but their support system as well.
For starters, I want to thank my wife. Missing the cut-off last year was as tough on her as it was on me. I went through a pretty major depression when the race was over last year and we both thought it would be better if I put on trying to become an Ironman for a while (years). When the idea started circling around in my brain that I would give it another shot this year Suzy was a little hesitant.
We talked it over and she gave me her support. We missed out on a lot of weekends together as my training increased but though it all she remained steadfast in her support. Her support, along with my boys, was a driving force between my will to finish this year.
My coach this year was a good friend of mine named Joe Lotus. Joe and I have been friends since our freshman year at Iowa. He has watched me go through my ups and downs in life and his friendship has been unwavering. This whole Ironman journey was pretty much his idea and I am thankful that he pushed me. Joe helped me come up with a great training plan and race day strategy that was definitely right for me. Although I know at times he may have thought I might have been in over my head, he never let on. He helped me to stay positive and believe that I could reach my goal of becoming an Ironman.
My triathlon team Raise the Bar is filled with great people and great coaches. Patty Swedberg helped me learn how to swim and gave me great advice throughout the past two years. Most importantly, her and the Raise the Bar family were shining examples of what it means to be a triathlete.
About a month before my race in Florida my bicycle broke. I had serious problems trying to get it replaced and with less than a couple weeks before I was suppose to leave for Florida I was still without a bike capable of making the 112 mile trek. That’s when one of the most amazing things happened. I have developed a great relationship with my local bike shop Speedy Reedy. They are great people who have the best customer service in the world. There are shops much closer to me than they are but I will always drive further for great service and Speedy Reedy is worth the drive. Just when I was about to pull the plug on my Ironman dreams, I mentioned the problem I was having getting my frame replaced. Brooke, one of the owners offered to let me use one of their brand new bikes. I came in, got fit and had a reliable, not to mention good looking, bike to ride in Florida. I definitely could not have done this race if it hadn’t been for the generosity of Brooke, Reed, and the rest of the staff at Speedy Reedy in Seattle.
I have had some amazing support from my local gym Vision Quest Sport and Fitness. From the owners Brad Swartz and Chip Schwerzel to my trainer Ali Crosbie, I couldn’t have asked for a better place to help me get ready to become an Ironman. Again, their encouragement was invaluable.
The Biggest Loser was a huge part of me being able to do this race. They helped me beyond what words can describe. I am amazed on daily basis by how much my life has changed as a direct result of being on the show.
This year I was lucky enough to be sponsored by three great companies. Xterra wetsuits provided me with a state of the art wetsuit that helped me conquer the swim, even in the most unenjoyable weather. Great company with a great product.
K-Swiss has been with us from the beginning. I love their apparell, but their shoes were perfect for a bigger triathlete like myself. They have been a huge blessing with all of the gear and support they offered.
My nutrition last year was a huge reason why I missed the cut-off in Kona. I just didn’t have anything left. This year, I was lucky to meet Scott at Dotfit Supplements. I felt so prepared going into the race and had a great day thanks to my Dotfit nutrition. Last year I vomited over 20 times and struggled through multiple bouts of cramps. This year I didn’t get sick and didn’t have any cramps. I had sustained energy throughout the day and it was because of the program that Dotfit helped me design. Check them out at Dotfit.com.
If this sounds like a giant advertisement, that’s fine with me. I literally could not have done Ironman Florida without all of the help from the people above and more that I have probably forgotten. But to everyone, I just want to say thank you.
I also want to thank all of my Internet friends. Your words of encouragement leading up to the race and the letters of congratulations were so appreciated. Although I may not always respond, your kind words mean a lot to me. Thank you to you all as well.
I am so thankful for all of you and it is because of you that I am able to call myself an IRONMAN!
Ironman Florida part 3…
Posted by Matt Hoover in General on November 17th, 2010
This is the last part of my wrap up about my Ironman experience this year. Tomorrow I will share some lessons and thoughts about this event.
With about 5 miles to go on the bike I started making some strategy decisions. Last year I spent a lot of time in transition. Cutting that amount of time could have helped me get to the finish line in Kona in time. I debated on what to do. Last year I changed all of my clothes and put on different clothes for the run. It was again time to make a decision.
I had a complete change of clothes but decided to just put on a new base layer on top. It had been cold all day and temperatures were expected to drop into the 30’s by the time I would be finishing up the run. As I was running by the table I saw some cream that you can put on to avoid friction and the inevitable chaffing that comes with doing a marathon. I grabbed some and put it on my skin down my shorts thinking that it would be a good idea.
BAD! I had already gotten some chaffing going on and slapping that creme on felt like pouring salt in an open wound. I just thought to myself “This is going to be a long night!” As I left the shoot I heard nothing but encouragement and kind words. Even with the Achilles problem I felt pretty good.
After a few minutes the burning from the creme had subsided and got into a good running rythm. During the bike ride my watch had stopped working so I was doing this run with no way to tell how I was doing time-wise. I actually think it helped me because I was listening to my body and not worrying about the time. I made the first 6 miles in pretty good time. I really couldn’t believe how good I was feeling.
The first 13.1 miles were pretty anticlimactic and I began to think about what it was going to be like to become an Ironman. I was excited and still moving pretty good. Then it happened. At about mile 15 the old wheels came off. I was exhausted.
Just a few minutes ago I couldn’t believe how good I was feeling and now I could barely move. During the first lap I had met up with a woman who had done several Ironmans and kept pace with her because she knew she was going to finish with plenty of time. Now, I was all alone.
Within a few steps I started to realize that I had developed some blisters. One in particular was pretty painful. I had gotten a blister across the entire front pad of my foot. Right at the bottom of toes on the bottom of my foot I could feel the uncomfortable pillow of a huge blister. It hadn’t affected me much during the first 13 miles but now it was all I could think about.
There were little speed humps through the residential area of the run. Just going up those felt like someone was sticking nails in my foot. I was now at a slow walk. It was about that time that a camera crew came up to film me. They asked me how I was doing and I said “Not so good.” I also told them I had no idea how I was doing for time since I didn’t have a watch. One of them graciously offered me a watch.
When I looked at the clock I saw that I had to make 15 minute miles to get to the end in time to be an official finisher. I picked up the pace. After leaving the park which meant I had less than 6 miles to go, there were a ton of signs for other runners from friends and families. I saw one of a little boy about my sons age and lost it. It was the first really emotional time of the race. I imagined the “runs” that my sons and I had done on some of our “boys day outs”. When we do those runs my sons run along beside me and just look at me and smile. It is an amazing feeling to see their little smiles and the joy that they get from being active. It was even more amazing to visualize them running there beside me that cold dark night out on that course.
I got it back together and stopped crying. I was back to walking again. Any deviation in cadence made my foot feel like the bottom was going to rip off. Each speed hump that I crossed felt like I was walking up a mountain. Every now and then I would step on a rock that would shoot a piercing pain all the way through my body. I hurt.
With about two miles to go I could hear the announcer yelling “Congratulations, you are an Ironman!” It brought back a flood of emotions. I remembered being able to hear those same words last year and Kona but didn’t get to hear them myself. I thought about all the training and the time I had spent away from my family while training this year and last. Most importantly I thought about what it was going to be like to cross that finish line.
I had one hour to go 2 miles and I was going to need it all. As I got closer people were yelling conratulations and words of encouragement. Many were simply saying “You’re gonna make it!”
When I came around the last turn into the finish shoot I thought of how I was going to cross the line. Was I going to skip, do a cartwheel, or do a somersault? As I got closer I realized it would be none of the above. I simply walked jogged toward the line taking it all in, high-fiving strangers listening to the cheers and appreciating what I had just accomplished.
About two steps from the line I began bawling like a baby. As I crossed under the finish line I threw my hands in the air and gave thanks to God for giving me the strength and opportunity to do what I had just done. A medal was placed around my neck and I was an official Ironman.
The excitement quickly turned to relief and then pure exhaustion. One of the show producers handed me a phone and I called my wife. We cried together for a moment and she told me she was proud of me.
I have one state and national titles in wrestling and been the winner of The Biggest Loser. This moment topped them all. I was an Ironman!
See you tomorrow!
Ironman Florida…. Part 2 (The Bike)
Posted by Matt Hoover in General on November 16th, 2010
Here is the second part of my Ironman experience this year. If you missed yesterday you might want to go back and read it because I am simply picking up where I left off. Now it’s time for the bike ride.
As I exited the water, I quickly forgot about how tired I was when I felt the icy cold of the sand. The transition was a pretty good distance away so after a short run up the beach I ran between two buildings and into a parking lot. The parking lot was filled with numbered bags in long lines. Inside those bags was the bike ride gear. After finding my bag I was off to change. Again, it was a nice little jaunt to the changing building.
After changing I headed out for a “few” miles on the bike. Heading out of town I felt pretty good. Most of the ride through town was between large buildings that protected me from the wind. I must say that I was getting pretty excited at how I was cruising along.
When I got away from the buildings and made the turn out of town, my excitement turned to fear. The wind was blowing hard. In the first 12 miles I saw more than a few people get blown right off the road. In fact, I passed a pretty good wreck where the lady was being loaded into an ambulance.
The great thing about being a bigger triathlete is that although it is a struggle riding into the wind, when you finally get to go with the wind, you flat out fly. I made it to mile 56 feeling pretty good and in pretty good time. At the turn around is when I got to go back into the wind for about 40 miles.
As I rode into the wind, my mind started to get the best of me. I don’t remember if I have mentioned it or not, but you are not allowed to use headphones or ipods during an Ironman. It is 140.6 miles with only your thoughts to entertain you.
About mile 60 I began to think about how much fun I was no longer having. The more I dwelled on the negatives, the more negative I became. (Imagine that!) I fought through those emotions and just put my head down and began to pedal. I was already half-way done and each pedal stroke was taking me closer to home.
At mile 70 I had one of the sharpest pains I have ever felt in my life shoot through my Achilles tendon, up my leg and into my hip. I drove right off the road. As I stood there trying to figure out what had just happened to me I decided to call it quits. The pain went from a shooting sensation to just a solid burn. I wasn’t able to put full pressure into my pedal strokes without pain and it literally felt like my hip was on fire.
I got back on my bike and decided to tough it out and get home. I was also telling myself that I would call it a day once I got back. I could say that I was injured, call for a medic and let them pull me off the course. My mind was made up. I was just going to pedal back and end this misery.
It was tough going. The wind was howling straight into my face and my feet were now numb from the cold, not to mention my new injury. I was definitely feeling sorry for myself. I fought through the wind and finally saw the glorious flashing lights of the sheriff cars that marked the turn onto the road back into town.
Two thoughts crossed my mind. You are on the home stretch; this will be all over soon when the medics pull you, and you get the wind to push you now that it is at your back.
At mile 90, the fight in my mind was taking to a new level. I really wasn’t feeling that bad and I knew it. Sure, my leg hurt and my hip was burning, but deep down I knew that I could keep going. The thing was is that I had already made up my mind to quit. I had a perfect excuse, medical forfeit. It was at that time that I remembered how I felt at Kona last year and how tough it was to deal with not finishing in time. There was no way that I could just give up and not even try.
Although people probably would have said: “Good job, you did the swim and the bike, that is more than most people can do.” I would have known the truth…. I QUIT! I began to talk to myself. Yes, really talk to myself and out loud at that. I can only imagine what the riders I was passing must of been thinking as I rode by having a full on conversation with myself.
I began to tell my body how good it was feeling. I began to praise it rather than curse it. I told myself about all the training I had done and how quitting was something that “Old Matt” would have done. I began to think about all of the people that had helped me to get to this Ironman. I thought of my wife and sons wearing their IronMatt t-shirts back at home and how they believed I could do it. I thought about a saying that I took from my dear friends the Watson’s: He thought he could so he did! Most importantly, I prayed. I handed the whole thing over to God and asked for strength. He delivered.
I came into the transition and rather than calling for a medic and calling it quits, I ran to my gear bag for the run and went into get changed.
After all, after a 2.4 mile swim and a 112 mile bike ride, all I had left to do was a marathon!
See you tomorrow!
What Do You Believe About Yourself?
Posted by Matt Hoover in General on October 13th, 2010
Have you ever wondered why similar things seem to happen over and over in your life? Let’s take weight loss for example. Why do so many of us do really well on our program only to fall off track at the slightest set-back and sometimes even success?
The answer is relatively simple. We draw on past experiences and beliefs. If in our past we have comforted ourselves with food, naturally we will want to continue to do so unless we change our beliefs. Our beliefs dictate our results. When we walk around telling ourselves that we will never be fit, or never be able to get control of our lives, we will take actions that back up that belief.
Although we may not realize it, many of our patterns stem directly from the way we see ourselves and what we believe about ourselves. If we constantly wait to fail at our endeavors, we will most definitely fail at some point. The great thing is that with practice we can change our beliefs.
In order to begin to change our beliefs we need to think about who we want to become and then begin to act like that person. If we want to be successful we need to act like a success. The old saying “Fake it until you make it” actually is quite powerful when it comes to changing our beliefs.
To become happy, we need to act happy. To become more fit we need to act like a fit person. The more we practice, that more it becomes habit. Another powerful tool is using positive self talk. Rather than telling ourselves how miserable we are doing and how “This is how it always goes for me.” we need to commit to being positive. We need to learn how to accept praise from ourselves. We need to let ourselves appreciate small victories.
As we learn to appreciate the small victories, we will begin to see the big picture. You will never appreciate losing 100 pounds if you can’t appreciate losing the first ten. Although it may be overwhelming, we must always look for the positives in a situation.
The only way that we can become the success that we want to become is to change our beliefs in our selves. Start small by telling yourself how good your are doing. Begin to act like the person you want to become and don’t look back. We have all experienced failures in life. The important thing is not to dwell on our failures but our successes.
If you want to change your life, change your beliefs about your self!
An Inspirational Piece… Just For Today
Posted by Matt Hoover in General on October 5th, 2010
I came across this as I was doing some studying. I would like to share it with you today. I have been reading it every morning and it has had an immediate impact on me. Enjoy!
JUST FOR TODAY
Just for today I will be happy. This assumes that what Abraham Lincoln said is true, “most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Happiness is from within; it is not a matter of externals.
Just for today I will try to adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my family, my business, and my luck as they come and fit myself to them.
Just for today I will take care of my body. I will exercise it, care for it, nourish it, not abuse or neglect it, so that it will be a perfect machine for my bidding.
Just for today I will try to strengthen my mind. I will learn something useful. I will not be a mental loafer. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.
Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways; I will do somebody a good turn and not get found out. I will do at least two things I don’t want to do, as William James suggests, just for exercise.
Just for today I will be agreeable. I will look as well as I can, dress as becomingly as possible, talk low, act courteously, be liberal with praise, criticize not at all, nor find fault with anything and not try to regulate nor improve anyone.
Just for today I will try to live through this day only, not to tackle my whole life problem at once. I can do things for twelve hours that would appall me if I had to do them up for a lifetime.
Just for today I will have a program. I will write down what I expect to do every hour. I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it. It will eliminate two pests, hurrying and indecision.
Just for today I will have a quiet half-hour all by myself and relax. In this half-hour sometimes I will think of my God, so as to get a little perspective into my life.
Just for today I wil be unafraid, especially I will not be afraid to be happy, to enjoy what is beautiful, to love, and to believe that those I love, love me.
-Sibyl F. Partridge
Deja Vu’
Posted by Matt Hoover in General on September 21st, 2010
I don’t know about you, but sometimes when things hit a rough patch, the first things that I start to put off are the very things I need to make a priority. This blog for example, I use this blog to share my knowledge and sometimes analyze how I am feeling.
When I take a couple days off(or week) I think about it daily. I then find myself saying I will do it tomorrow. The longer I let it go the easier it is to let it go. I will say “OK, seriously tomorrow get back at it.” Tomorrow comes and I again say tomorrow. If I had the answer to why we put the things off that we know we need to do, I’d have my own television show.
What I do know is this. Sometimes a rough day can lead into a serious funk, the type of funk that keeps you worrying about things rather than acting upon them. Whether we feel like it or not the only way to get over setbacks is to get moving again.
This past week I managed to injure myself while training and get sick as well. I took a few days off and started to feel better. Rather than jump back into my routine I let fear take hold. The thought’s that have stifled me in the past came racing back to the front of my mind. “Every time you get in a groove this happens.” “Be careful, you might hurt yourself more.” “You fell off track again.” These thoughts paralyzed me for a while. Although they may have a grain of truth, they do not have to dictate how I react to them.
I found myself not sleeping, not eating, and then overeating. It is almost as if I was trying to reinforce my negative thoughts with negative behaviors. The more we reinforce negative thoughts with negative behaviors, the more negative we become.
Here is the million dollar question: How do you pull yourself out of it? I’ll give you my fifty cent answer. Just get over it. The blessing that we have in life is that each day presents itself for a new start. If you have been in a funk you can put a stop to it when you want to. On the other hand you can prolong it for as long as you want as well.
For me, it is a matter of knowing what to do and then acting. These past couple of weeks have been rough but I choose not to continue. I am going to do the things I know I need to do in order to feel well and live well.
How about you?
Do Over…
Posted by Matt Hoover in General on September 7th, 2010
Have you ever watched a young child play a game? If things aren’t going quite right, what do they do? In case your not sure, I will remind you with a quick illustration. Child is playing a game, child is not doing well at game, child innocently says: “Wait, wait, let me start over!” Child starts over.
Children seem to have this ability to recognize when things are not going as they wish. They also have the ability to start over without mulling over and over what they should have done different. Children have a short memory.
Somewhere along the way, we as adults, have decided that a “do over” is a sign of weakness and that if we start over we have somehow failed. Of course we can’t just throw in the towel the instant we don’t like what is going on, as a child does, but we may be well served in having the short memory of a child when things don’t work.
The minute a child says “do over” it is like the previous mistake or situation never occurred. The child begins to work on a new plan to achieve their intended objective. They somehow remember what wasn’t working and go about their new business with little or no fear.
I think that as adults we would be well served by learning the art of the “do over” as it has been perfected by millions of children all over the world. There is nothing wrong with giving ourselves a clean slate.
Here is what I propose for the adult do-over. Identify what isn’t working, acknowledge it, adapt to it, and start again. We don’t need to dwell on what didn’t work but we must recognize and remember in order not to keep doing it over and over.
That is where the kids have gotten it right. They will try and try until they get the desired result without dwelling on how many “do overs” they have had. When whatever IT is that they want comes to them, they feel like they arrived there with no effort at all. Because after all, they have an unlimited number of “do overs” just like us adults!
Finding Inspiration In Finishing Last…
Posted by Matt Hoover in General on August 30th, 2010
It seems more and more that winning is based solely on the position you finish. Anything less than first is considered sub-par. That is great for those who have the ability to achieve that high of a standard; but what about those people who no matter how hard they try, will never finish first?
Last weekend Suzy and I hosted a super sprint triathlon. It was fun and intended to introduce the sport of triathlon to those who may have never considered giving triathlon a try. The distance was relatively short, 400 yard swim, 8 mile bike ride, and a 2 mile run.
The race is over, but the memories I gained that weekend will forever be present in my mind.
My job at the triathlon was to be an encourager. It was also to come in dead last. We promised every person that entered our wave that they would absolutely not be the last person to finish the race. True to the promise, they weren’t. I was.
Nearly the instant the race started a noticed a woman struggling. I swam over to her and could hear her repeating over and over “I can’t do this, I can’t do this.” I assured her she would be fine and asked if she would like some help getting to shore. She said no and I treaded water with her for a while wondering what was going to happen. She regained her composure and began swimming again. A few strokes later she stopped and started telling me again that she couldn’t go on. She said she couldn’t breathe.
I know that feeling. When I first started doing triathlons, I experienced the same fear. Calmly I gave her advice that my coach last year, Jim Vance, gave me. “If you ever feel like you can’t breathe, lift your head out of the water and breathe. All the air you need is above that water.”
Again she got it together. Sure enough after a few more strokes she started telling me how she couldn’t go on. At this point I told her that we were half way done and it would take just as long to turn around and go back to shore than it would to finish the course. She kept going.
For the first 300 yards of the 400 yard swim, this lady was convinced that “she couldn’t do this”. When we rounded the last bouy she relaxed and began to enjoy herself. She swam the last 100 yards easily. She did it! We were the last out of the water but she finished. She just needed to relax and change the way she was talking to herself.
As I left the transition dead last, I thought about her swim and how awesome it was to watch someone do something they were assuring themselves that they couldn’t. I also figured that that moment was going to be my inspiration for the day. It wasn’t.
I started out on the bike figuring I would have a nice little ride. I turned around at the half way point and headed back to transition. On my way back I saw a teammate of mine named Sheryl. When I met her I turned around to ride with her. Sheryl holds a special place in my heart. On one of our first team rides of the year she caught my eye. She was riding a recumbant bike and didn’t look like a typical triathlete. That day I learned that she had lost a significant amount of weight and still had a couple hundred more pounds to go.
It had taken her hours that day to go 8 miles but she stuck with it. It was great catching up with her on our ride together at the triathlon. This lady, who could barely ride her bike, let alone walk, when I first met her had accomplished alot this summer. She had gotten up to riding 20 miles non-stop, ridden the Seattle to Portland bike ride, and was now doing a triathlon!
We rode the last half of the bike leg together. I watched her struggle up the hills and then bullet down the other side. At one time when I looked down at my speedometer, we were riding over 30 miles an hour down one long hill. As we were flying down that hill she let out a squeal like a school girl on a playground. I almost started crying. It was a moment of pure joy for her, and I must admit for myself as well.
Near the end of the ride I let her ride ahead of me and again I came in dead last. On the run I was all alone. I had time to think about that morning and what it had taught me. I caught up to my wife and together we finished in completely last place.
Being dead last that day was one of the best things I have ever done. It made me understand how hard some people work to achieve the same things that I often do with little effort. I learned that it isn’t always about finishing first, that it’s about finishing. Perhaps the most important thing I learned is that we should never take for granted our abilities.
Every now and then things may seem impossibly difficult to finish. Just remember that there is someone out there who is having an even harder time finishing the same thing you are doing. It isn’t about finishing first, it’s about finishing what you start!
See you tomorrow!
