Life… you never know what its going to throw at you. But one thing is for certain. You can be sure its going to be loaded with obstacles. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Seriously, how many people would really chose an existence with no challenge, no work required. It sounds great at first, but then you start to think about it. Suddenly there is nothing to motivate, nothing to inspire, nothing to compel you. Sure, relaxing on a Caribbean beach, without a care in the world is great: For vacation. But then throw me back fire. I love challenge. Because it requires greatness to overcome. It pushes us forward, as individuals and as a society. We become stronger, faster, smarter, more resilient because of it. As tough, as painful as the hurdles we must clear can be… we know the reward waiting for us, both physically and mentally is worth it
Ask any marathoner. Running 26.2 miles is no joke. Thats why it’s called the marathon. The first guy that ran it, died right after he finished. So we willingly take up that challenge (theoretically with a bit more preparation than Pheidippides had) and suffer through 26.2 miles. But when we finish… wow when we finish! We are on top of the world. We’ve accomplished the seemingly impossible, conquered the vast distance, and ourselves. Some are content doing it once, proving to themselves that they have what it takes. Others, immediately start thinking about the next, bigger, challenge. It’s in our DNA to strive for greatness. Overcoming obstacles is what we are here to do
This weekend, I was looking forward to competing. I was registered for Soldier Rush and later Survival Beach. Both obstacle races in the area on Saturday. This is definitely outside of my comfort zone, and quite a challenge. I can run, but was I ready for the obstacles? I was going to push myself hard and see what I was capable of with the first. Then head to the next and do it all over again. One wasn’t enough. I like the challenge, the thrill of pushing my limits. The satisfaction of knowing I did my best is my reward. I don’t care about ‘winning’ the race (although its a nice bonus). I care about achieving what I am capable of, and in doing so enhancing what I am capable of for the next go round
Instead, this weekend I found myself doing something else that is hard wired into humanity: adapting. Life threw some different obstacles at me than I had hoped. Obstacles that derailed my short term plans (and hopefully will not impact my long term ones). Obstacles that were a lot heavier and more dangerous than the ‘fun’ ones at those races, but require even more strength and resilience to surmount. Instead of racing, I adapted, and kept my focus on recovery. Because as much as I like challenges, I prefer the kind that isn’t going to kill me, and will enhance my wellness. Ironman is still at the top of my bucket list, but it would be crazy to try one today. I’m not there… yet. I know this. I am human, and as much as challenges and adaptations are part of my DNA… I’ve also got a brain, whose job it is to keep me reasonable – and alive
So yes, I’m rolling with the punches. I’m finding ways to get past whatever life throws at me. There will be plenty of other obstacle races in the future. And whatever obstacles I stumble upon, I’ll keep finding ways to get past them. Somehow