Shame over my body started when I was a child. I thought that because I liked boys that I should have been born a girl. But a speedo in my 30's allowed me to recognize the man I was and the body I now loved and cherished.
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My psychological make up has made me particularly sensitive to the horrible things I have learned to call myself. May these thoughts arise from others, social-stigma's or diagnosis, they don't have to have power over me any more. But sometimes they do and when they do, I get to grow.
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A year and a half of training and two weeks out from the big race and the training plan says to stop, rest, recover. At the end of the long hard road everyone is saying hold back, taper, be wise. In this article, I discuss the feelings during this challenging time and how it is a test on the road of faith, between action based on fear vs trust.
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Similar to how just not drinking didn’t help me become sober, straight up exercise never worked for me. Time and time again I have wound up relapsing back onto the couch with potato chips, pizza and Netflix. This article discussing the three things triathlon helps bring to my life to keep me focused on healthy living.
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Putting down the drugs and alcohol helped me to finally experience life and in this article I talk about the ways it helps propel me towards being the athlete I dream of being.
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Is triathlon necessary? Not for everyone. In fact, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. It is a personal destiny decision that I was put on to learn some valuable things about life, that otherwise, I just wasn’t learning. So if you are having trouble learning these 7 valuable lessons, then triathlon may be just the thing to smack you upside the head and force you to grow up too.
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Boulder 70.3 Ironman has been long anticipated for myself. I couldn’t wait to get out on the bike course and preview the experience touted by Ironman to offer “peerless views.” This report shows they didn’t lie, but there are definitely some difficulties obstructing the views. Hills, gophers, and direct sunshine are going to be obstacles, but with a good hydration and power strategy this course is manageable and can be enjoyed!
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Gratitude & Acceptance. A topic we hear about far too often in recovery, but not much in athletic journals. In this article I present how the lack of these virtues crippled me and the acknowledgement has helped me to excel in endurance training.
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Trials to triathlon is a story about my relapses during recovery and each relapse relates to three separate fears: self, intimacy, failure. Without dealing with these fears I would never have recovered from this seemingly hopeless disease of addiction. Triathlon was is vehicle that brought these fears to my consciousness and helped me to better myself.
Read MoreThe past year has been marked with many accomplishments, much struggle, and incredible growth. The new year used to arise feelings of shame and guilt. I would be bogged down, restless and worn out as we approached a new calendar year, but this year is different. In this article I explain a few elements that have become habits which I contribute to my growth in the face of adversity and struggle.
Read MoreThe past two months have seen a lot of changes. In this post I draw on nightmarish memories from my past and show how today when the same events came up I dealt with them by looking at things through a new lens. This change of focus has brought miracles to my life in the form of relationship, family, jobs and activities that I never would have dreamed of while in the mire of addiction.
Read MoreBy the time the hurricane came to the Wilmington North Carolina coast I had lost sight that my decision to do the Ironman was to help others. When I began to experience anger towards the possibility of a cancelled race I knew something was wrong. Compassion not anger should fill the hearts of men during times of disaster. It was time to reassess my place.
Read MoreI have been a perfectionist who wants results quickly. This worked in a few areas of my life- like strength training. However, the stress this requires does not work for long distance triathlon. The stress this requires does not work for recovery. I had to learn to take it easy on myself in recovery and now I have to learn to do this in training. The results are longevity- and these are the results I need in both training and recovery.
Read MoreFreedom Using love, Not Others: Love is about giving and love can set you free. Sharing to you is how I express my love, it frees me from trauma.
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