Endurance : trifuel.com

Endurance

Source: Tracy Korn

1. The act, quality, or power of withstanding hardship or stress.
2. The state or fact of persevering.
3. Continuing existence; duration.

I thought that I thought it was, but now that I think about it more...is endurance sport just a hobby? Just something to do to stay in shape? Hmmm�well, I suppose I could take walks with the little purple wrist and ankle weights. I could do aerobics videos in the mornings� one of them, Kathy Ireland, Denise somebody or other (�what�s her name again?). Yeah, maybe even take a nice 7:00 p.m. Monday/Wednesday class at the YMCA with the PTA moms in my neighborhood. It would certainly make fitting in much easier. Not to mention, I wouldn�t get those odd stares on Sunday afternoons heading down my driveway all geared to the nines in bike technicals. Hell, I might even start getting invited to the Tupperware parties.

I could do all of these widely accepted and perfectly fine things in order to stay in shape - if that�s indeed all I were interested in dong. But it�s not.

There�s a little something different about endurance sport. It�s not just a hobby, but very much a way of life. At least for me. And in my humble opinion, probably should be for anyone who�s ever had a hell of a time with anything for more than four quarters. I guess the way I see it is almost anyone can be strong enough for a little while, but it takes something else to be strong enough over time. Over a lifetime. Over my lifetime.

Ever been camping? Hiking? Plain old cut off from the road you needed to take because of construction?

Ever been lost or otherwise unable to even find the road you�re supposed to follow?

Ever have it occur to you that as long as you�re heading the same way on a parallel road, you�ll eventually get where you�re supposed to be going just the same?

Yeah, me too. A whole lot, actually. And this is why I think endurance sport is more than just a hobby. For example, if something is hard to swallow in my �secret identity� life, you want to know how much less of a pain it is to swallow after being blown into a ditch by headwinds after riding for 20 miles? After having to rechain with frozen and then bleeding hands still several miles from home? After having to swim out of a riptide about 2,000 yards off course?

Complaining becomes obsolete. Anything that will not help me get home becomes obsolete, so I�ve learned to spit it out and leave it where I stand. I�ve learned that damn near everything is easier to do after having learned to count on me and only me to get myself home in one piece.

Ride On this road I�ve learned to trust myself. To make decisions, and to believe in the decisions I�ve made because sometimes that�s all I�ve had out there. After a while, by coming to my own rescue again and again, I�ve learned that the second guessing goes away, that the doubt fades, the insecurity dies, and that I don�t need to prove anything to anyone because I�ve already convinced myself.

I�ve learned who I am. To accept who I am for what I am. To believe in what I do and to sacrifice for it. To appreciate simple things. To respect myself. I�ve learned to realize just how small and how big I really am, and really can be. I�ve learned to risk. To not go backwards. Ever. To temper and wait. To pace myself. To simplify. To swallow my pride. To let go. To heal.

To assess. To adapt. To overcome. To press on. To survive.

To finish what the hell I start. Always.

To find a way. To be true to myself.

To endure. To flourish.

No matter what kind of $hit they bury me in.