Aug 4th Persistance through Adversity

Persistence through Adversity

Written by Richard Dance Aug 4, 2013

Sponsored Triathlete of the Year

by the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce

A great man once said “that which we persist in doing becomes easier not that the nature of the task has changed but our ability to do so has increased.” Using this philosophy he later went on to become notable and the leader of a world-wide movement. That is exactly how I’d describe my journey this year to prepare for the Coeur d’Alene triathlon –  persistence.

But there has been more than that – Adversity. Life goes on while you are training and preparing.  I had a bad fall while snow skiing just before the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce decided to sponsor me and my official training began.  That set me behind weeks if not months in January and February. 

Then there was the passing away of my Mother in May. That was the first death in our family for many decades.  Then one my son’s moved to CDA and that took two days of helping him move just prior to my running an experimental triathlon in June.  In July we had a financial setback.  Yesterday my Dad passed away suddenly while I was riding the Centennial Trail from Plummer to Wallace. Today I have a toothache and tomorrow we will be moving to another home in Hayden, Idaho.  So all of these events of life and more have occurred while training.  Has this defeated me?  No way.

One of my trainers first told me not to judge my results on a podium finish, but to have target goals and judge my results against that.

Almost anyone in the age 60-64 could beat me at the beginning in all aspects of the triathlon. I’ve looked at their split times and race results and understand now how much persistence it took to achieve them. Instead of viewing them as competitors, I look up to them as examples I can learn from.  Take Frank Garcia for example.  He is the father of Derek, our popular CDA professional triathlete.  Frank is at the top of his game. He just did a 1:23:29 in the Hayden Sprint and placed 6th in the highly competitive 55-59 age group.  He started 4 years ago in a modified sprint and persisted until he did an Ironman in 2011 and a half-Ironman in 2013.  Although not a podium finish he has gold, silver, and bronze time goals for himself that spur him on.  

But a triathlon is more than the sum of 5 split times. The pursuit is just as important.  Look at all the friends that I have met everywhere along the way, and the intrinsic merits of having a healthier and more fit body so I can participate in things of life with my kids and not have a sedentary lifestyle as I age.  I have already succeeded in many of those respects:

• ·         I have biked around Hayden Lake and up highway 95 with my son Tom.
• ·         I have run the Jumpin Beans Extreme relay marathon competing as a three-generation  family with Julienne, Tom, Dave, Jeff, Jacob, and Johnny and with some of my daughter’s-in-law Channing and Kari, and with some of my grandkids Cameron, Braden,  Dallin, and Ann Marie.
• ·         I have swum off my son David’s dock with my kids and grandchildren.
• ·         I have cheered on my daughter, Maria, in the CDA Ironman this year.
• ·         I just biked 65 miles on the Centennial Trail with my wife Julienne and 7 friends.
• ·         In short I have been an active participant in life

And I discovered an extra blessing today.  At 157.5 pounds I can fit into most all of my Dad’s clothes.  I wore one of my Dad’s favorite suits (including his size 32 slacks) to church today to honor his death. That could not have happened without preparing for the CDA triathlon. 

I had always envisioned running the Olympic Distance. That is all the CDA tri has stood for all 30 years, and I am so close to being there. I first broke the barrier for the bike in late June. On July 27th when I last rode the tri bike course I felt I was attacking and enjoying the hills not just enduring them.  My second barrier was running.  On July 13^th I still couldn’t run 5K continuously. I had to stop about every mile.  My first continuous run was July 19^th for about 4.5 miles. My second was July 24^th for 4 miles. Now I can do it on a consistent basis and have stretched it to 6.  I have yet to break the barrier in swimming.   In my last swimming lesson, Derek Garcia said I would know if I was ready for the Olympic Distance by Wed Aug 7^th based upon if I could swim 250 yards rest, and then swim another 250 in the crawl stroke and rest again.  I only had to repeat that 6x for the race. He said I was totally fit for the biking and running parts, but just beginning to get the hang of swimming.  I have progressed so far in swimming since the Hayden experimental tri.  I am so close but won’t make it this time.

Has adversity taken it’s toll? Yes, but not in the important things of life. Moving, hosting guests, and preparing for my father’s funeral will be the priority this week and this will make the Scenic Sprint the race I run on Saturday. 

In fact when I heard of my Father’s death yesterday, I mentally prepared to forgo the race entirely and just speak at his funeral. I thought of what I was going to put in this letter to you as I wouldn’t be there to cheer you on.  But my siblings chose Aug 17^th as the funeral date and I will get to see you on Saturday. 

If you reach the finish line before I do, cheer me on. I will be wearing #105 in the Scenic Sprint age 60-64 group. After my finish I will be there to cheer you on. Together we can do it. Will I graduate and ever be able to do the CDA Olympic distance Tri?  Yes, persistence will eventually overcome adversity. So I will see you in future years too.