Lessons Learned

Okay, this is the last of the Galveston posts,,

Gladly, each race and training session is a learning experience. At the Galveston race I learned a lot:

• Never under-estimate the power of visualization. Meditating and going through every aspect of the day had great value out on the course. It especially came in handy when the more adverse elements came into play.
  
• Always keep a sense of humor. During the run, we looped around a lot and we had plenty of chances to see other runners. Whenever possible I would acknowledge / encourage my fellow T3 athletes. On one loop, I moved across to give a high-five to Jane Kang. It was hard to not see her since she runs with a blue feathered boa. I inadvertently got too close to another runner and he yells at me to "Watch your line!" Luckily, a couple of my friends, Brittany and Travis were nearby and caught the incident. They both reassured me that "watch you line guy" was the real jerk and not to worry about it. Later, as I was running, Travis came up from behind and yelled, "Hey watch your line, asshole!" Hard to believe but in the midst of a 70.3 mile race, we were laughing. I still laugh when I think about that. Thanks Travis.
  
• There is a zone that you can get into during a race. The zone is a focus or a trance. Outside factors do not exist. It is living in the moment. I think every sport / activity has a zone. I know that meditation is like that. It is hard to get in and stay in the zone. It does not happen every time but when you do make it into that place, it is awesome. Everything clicks but is all dependent on training, nutrition and attitude plus probably a hundred other things.
  
• Don't forget to care. During the run, a lot of people were hurting. Many were walking; some were sitting down and resting. No matter what, you would always hear someone ask, "You all right?" , "You need anything?" I have been a walker and occasionally a sitter so it was always reassuring to know that someone cared, even if they could do nothing for you. I was especially touched when one of my teammates stopped to help a woman who was visibly cramping. You could see her legs locking up, every muscle tightening. I did not know if Chris knew this woman or not but he stopped his race, took the time to help her out, give her some electrolyte pills and water. The age group athletes are the heart and soul of this sport because of this caring attitude.
  
• After many races, some good and some bad, I have not been able to learn how to express my appreciation to family, friends and my T3 teammates for all their support and encouragement. How do you do that? A simple "thanks" is all I can come up with and it seems to fall so shy of how appreciative I really am. So, if this blog serves any purpose what so ever, please know that I am truly thankful for the spirit that you provide me.
  
• Never, ever throw out a nutrition bottle. If I do, I will try to land it on its side, not the top.
  
• Although it has nothing to do with the race, Galveston is getting back on its feet. You could still see a lot of damage from the hurricane but you also could see that an amazing amount of progress has been made. (Prepare yourself for the selfish segue) There is good news article from a Channel 39 broadcast about the race and the economic impact to Galveston at the following link. It features my daughter, Kelly Jones and some T3 athletes. http://www.39online.com/news/local/kiah-islandcompetitions-story,0,5930952.story
  
• I need to work on my non-obvious transitional writing.