Yesterday I participated in my first triathalon, it has always been a goal of mine to do one. I have a few close friends who have done XTerra the previous years and invited me to do it with them. It seemed the most fun to me bc it consists of an open water swim, mountain bike, and trail run in the mountains. 😍 So I decided to sign myself up and train as much as I possibly could with our busy schedule. It took sacrifice, and it took committment and hard work. When race day was approaching I received some good advise from a triathlete that said "this is your race, don't worry about those around you, just remember it's your race."
When we reached the starting line, put our wet suits, swim caps, and swim goggles on I felt pure joy and was surprisingly not nervous but so excited and ready to go! They blew the horn and I waited a little bit for a bulk of swimmers to go so I didn't get kicked and then headed into the water! Here we goo! The swim was super fun, I probably wasn't the prettiest swimmer and definely did the back stroke a good part of the second half but my goal was to enjoy it so it went by quickly and I didn't feel too tired. Then we ran up to our mountain bikes, changed our wet suits, grabbed some fuel and put our shoes and helmets on! The ride started out great and it honestly felt like I was just playing in the mountains. I literally kept thinking to myself, this is one of the best days of my life! This is so dang fun. We climbed and climbed and climbed on our bikes from pineview reservior to snowbasin on the trails, I ended up biking behind a petite women who I thought was around my age from the back but then on her leg it said 50 (they put your age group on your leg) and I was shocked! Dang this lady is kicking butt! So we ended up talking and she told me that her brother used to always love this race, but passed away a few years back in a ski accident. Their family has continued to ride the race for him since. It was neat hearing her story and made me want to be that active when I'm in my 50's . My legs started to feel fatigued come mile 9 and my little Trek bike is about ten years old with not the greatest suspension but she was holding her own! Lol so we continued to snowbasin and we're getting closer to the next transition. I felt so ready to get off my bike and start the run. Little did I know what was coming with my run......
It made me think about each stage in life. How sometimes we are so ready for a new stage in life, when really where we are at is an amazing stage to be in. It made me want to soak up each stage of life a little more and not be wishing for the next stage...
Back to the race.. Snowbasin is in sight and then I see Alex and my kids cheering me on and also my friend Jess! I was so happy to see their cute faces! I get off my bike and head toward my running shoes, hat, and belt, then wave at my kids and head for the run! Straight up the hill we run on gravel and I no longer feel like I'm just playing in the mountains, 😖 this is HaRD my body is fatigued, my legs are toast, and I still need to run the 5k.. so up we go half running half walking. All I can think about it getting back to my family at the finish line and I know I can't quit now so I pick up the pace a little. At this point it's mental and I am feeling it, not knowing when this climb is going to end! Then we finally make it to the peak where they have a fueling station and I drink some Gatorade, a fellow runner looks at me and says "I just want to lay down right now" 😂 then heads down the trails! It was all down hill from there I got a terrible side ache from drinking the Gatorade and am just trying to breath deep in my nose and out my mouth! It finally subsides a little! I hear the announcers and know I'm closer to the finish so I pick up my pace a little. Finally we come around the last bend and there are people cheering, some friends from my husband's work are calling my name and then I see Alex and my kids!! Max runs with me to the finish line! The announcer says "Here comes Anna Miller from just over the hill in Ogden!" It felt so good to be done! We walked over to a fueling station, talked to some friends.. I did not feel hungry at all, but my kids were and all the racers got free food so I went and got food for my family in Earl's lodge.
We sat there, they ate, and I felt so so sick and nauseous from some watermelon I ate at the fueling station at the finish line!! I just laid there for awhile in a sweat and then all I could think about was getting home in my bed! So we grabbed my bags from the pick up station, grabbed my bike, I puked on the grass...and we headed home....
Motherhood..
My oldest wakes me up. "Mom we slept in! We need to get ready for school!" I roll out of bed, my hair in a rat I hurry and grab my other son's clothes and get him up. I throw some toast in the toaster and rushingly sign their school papers and help them comb their hair and brush their teeth. "I can't believe I did it again," I say to myself. I've desperately tried to be a morning person 😅 because I know my sweet kids need a strong mommy, who can be ready for what's coming that day. How I strive to be as my own mother was. Always dressed and ready, and cooking breakfast for us in the morning. She had 7 children, I have three.. why do I struggle so bad with this mom life thing? I love my kids so much, and yet It's definitely the hardest thing I've ever done, harder then any triathalon, harder then any puking on the grass. Yes thriathletes are heroes to me. But the real heroes, are Mothers! I watch them. I admire them. I want to high five them all because this is no one day race...or 26 mile run... This is an eternity of responsibility for making good decisions and teaching these little people healthy habits and nurturing their gifts and talents and spirituality.
This is a 24 hour 7 day a week job that can make you feel as if you are running a never ending marathon. Although it's hard. It is so rewarding. What would life be like without these little eyes staring at me each day, wanting my attention, wanting to play, wanting to show me their new art project or share some fact in the book they are reading. I don't want to know what it would be like. Although it's hard, there is so much joy, there is so much love, there is so much of everything.. everything I ever dreamed life could be. Harder then I ever dreamed things could be, better then anything I ever imagined. I'm not really a triathlete.. I am a Mother💪 It takes sacrifice, it takes committment, it takes strength, & it takes a whole lot of faith that God will strengthen you along the way and guide you to know what to do. ❤️
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