Racing with Gratitude
The day before a race is always a special one, and in particular, the day before this race. From the moment I land on this beautiful island, I always feel as though I’m part of something bigger. Whether that’s due to the welcoming energy of the Hawaiian culture or the raw, savage feel this place can have, I don’t know, but it always sets the stage for just the right mindset to take with me into the event. It doesn’t matter how many times I have had the chance to be a part of this race; it’s never easy, it’s never boring and it’s never anything less than an honor to be here. It’s humbling, actually; as if there were ever a doubt that all of us humans are mere bits of energy, all interconnected… the winds that Madame Pele may bring forth, the scorching temps that we could possibly encounter- none of it is anything any of us can do, and the one thing I’ve learned from my various experiences here is to simply do my best to be present each and every second and roll with every possible event that might occur within the race. Today will be spent relaxing (at least in body!), meditating, stretching and visualizing and reflecting on what this is all about and how much it means to me to be here. I feel nothing but gratitude for the fact that I have a healthy body which allows me to participate. I’m grateful for my incredible husband, the love of my life, without whose support, I can’t even imagine what my life would look like, friends I can rely on to be there for me in good times and tough times alike and a career I love more than words can say. It’s so wonderful to be able to go into this race with a feeling of life / work / sport balance; as I reflect back I can see how much in years past, I invested far too much in outcome of sport, rather than really being present in the journey of it all. Thank you for reading this, for being a part of each and every blog post I write and I welcome you to join me live tomorrow to follow the day as it unfolds!
7:15 AM Hawaii time
Bib # 1554
If there’s one thing I believe in, it’s that we’re all connected, that we share our energy so let’s connect and do this together! Aloha!
