“During a coffee date with Michelle, she asked me if I would like to write an article for this newsletter. At first, I thought, ‘What am I supposed to write about? I have not done a triathlon in 7 years!’

Sept. 2014 changed my life. I was on a training ride, 3 weeks from competing in the Ironman World Championship race, when I was struck from behind resulting in a spinal cord injury. I wasn’t expected to live or walk again. The doctors were wrong! As a result, my current knowledge & focus is on learning to walk again & my garage looks like a wrecking yard with various adaptive devices!

However, after thinking it over, I realized that my current focus is like training for an Ironman…hours & hours of consistent work for small gains. Almost losing my life & losing the life that was familiar to me has taught me so much. Reflecting back, I wish I would have known the things I know now. My experience as an athlete would have been so much more enjoyable, meaningful & successful. So, here are 10 things I wish I would have known:

1. Gratitude. If I was having a bad workout, I focused on that, rather than being grateful for my ability to run or bike. I didn’t appreciate how amazing my body was & all that it could endure! I wished I would have cherished more how alive & free it felt to be swimming, biking or running!
2. Focus on what you can control rather than outcomes.  Instead of having specific time goals, have goals focused on completing certain steps…which may in fact lead to faster times. 
3. Don’t sacrifice your long-term health for short-term goals. 
4. You are not a pro. Don’t turn down happy hour, birthday parties, or other adventures that don’t readily fit into your training plan. When your overall life is enriched & balanced you will get more from your workouts. 
5. Don’t underestimate the power of not giving a fu**! Upon reflection, my best races were when I didn’t care about the outcome. I just showed up, (sometimes undertrained), with no expectations. 
6. Don’t feel you have to “earn” rest. If I went on vacation or had a rest day planned, I believed I had to earn it by destroying myself in workouts. If you feel you need a break or extra rest, take it & don’t feel guilty! Cherish your body! 
7. Similarly, don’t feel like you have to earn a treat. If you want a cookie, eat it! Enjoy it! Life is too short to scrutinize every calorie.
8. The races you will have fond memories of won’t necessarily be the ones where you PR’d or placed well. You will smile & laugh about the races with multiple catastrophes simply because you survived! 
9. Train intuitively. Just because your training schedule says you’re supposed to do a lactate threshold workout doesn’t mean your body is ready to accept & benefit from that type of workout. Maybe your legs are telling you to do a tempo ride or run instead.  Listen to them!
10. Celebrate small victories. Don’t be so focused on the overall outcome that you forget to appreciate the process. 

My last point deserves its own paragraph. The triathlete community is amazing. I never fully appreciated the friends I made along the way until my accident. I am still friends with many of my training buddies & they have literally helped me every step of the way. The level of support I have received has kept my spirits high which has been critical to my recovery. Friends are what make the sport rewarding! You will remember your time with your training buddies, not your best 10K time!”