This year has been one of doldrums, as far as the topic of this blog. Finding my way has been difficult, mostly because I have been at a loss to even decide what the “way” is supposed to look like. I haven’t written much, because I haven’t known what to say.
I have felt more stirrings lately, getting the urge to reach goals again, something I haven’t been very focused on. So that’s good. I have been saying “I just need to bank a win, no matter how small.” For me, that’s finishing a race. Not placing, not PR’ing, just finishing. A benchmark event for me has been the Dewey Beach Sprint Triathlon. I’ve entered it thrice, and finished it twice. I crossed the run finish all three times, as the DQ year was a bike problem coupled with a crazy long swim time where I didn’t finish the course when the ocean current changed.
The first year I did Dewey, it was on Olivia’s birthday. It was my first season in endurance sports, and she was all about going to the beach for it, and seeing Daddy cross another finish line. She was turning 8. This year, it falls on the same day, but now Olivia is turning 13. We had originally planned a two night weekend away as a family, but the $1400 car bill in August made me cancel the reservation. I held a backup plan though, to travel down Friday and stay with family or friends not too far away, so I could finish this race. Olivia decided not to go along, not all that interested in a father daughter trip where she would have to hang out at a triathlon finish line for 2 hours. Go figure. But, I was cool with going solo. I needed to just do this thing. Just finish it.
Well, plans have changed. But unlike my other changed plans based on my total lack of preparation, this time it’s for a good reason. She wants to go to the Corning Museum of Glass as a family for her birthday. A teenager wants to spend time with her family. I won’t cross a finish line with a timing chip strapped to my ankle this Saturday. But I am definitely banking this one as a win.
