Motivation Tuesday: Greatness Close Up

Since yesterday was a holiday and a day off, we’re rockin’ motivation Tuesday over here, folks!

We all have those who excel in one of our passions, and who we look up to.  Chrissie Wellington.  Shalane Flannigan.  There are many endurance athletes that are inspiring to me.  Most of them, I have only seen in magazines or on TV.

However, this weekend, someone I actually know – someone who I ran with once (I knew she was fast but I didn’t know HOW fast at the time :D), someone who I actually was there to cheer on and give her some aide and a gel at mile 18, won the Austin Marathon.  Not just her age group, but the whole darn thing.  And this is not some dinky local race, there are about 5 billion people (that is the actual number) that run this race each year.

Source

Besides just being way proud of her, it reminded me – winning and podiums and being fast is not just for people on the TV box.  Someone has to be winning these things, and it’s not always those semi-household names.  There has to be a first, second, and third in the race, and each age group each race.

Maybe someday, if I work hard enough, that will be me.  Maybe someday I’ll be the one who someone knows who qualified for Kona or wins a triathlon or qualifies for Boston or wins my age group at the TX Tri Series.

There is a long, long road to get there, as I am decidedly middle of the pack at best right now, and maybe I don’t have those speeds in me, or maybe it’s impossible for me get to that level of body composition needed to be competitive, or maybe my legs and arms just aren’t meant to move that fast.

However, I won’t know until I try.  And seeing greatness close up makes me want to try even more.

Also, thank goodness Mariko is a runner, and not a triathlete, as she IS in my age group. 🙂

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