Spence Smith

I’ve learned a lot over the past few years training for triathlons. Possibly the greatest lesson I’ve learned is life is like an endurance sport. The process of everyday life and endurance training are like twin sons of different mothers. They may look different but who they are on the inside is completely the same.

Endurance is about getting to the finish line no matter what. However, endurance is not about getting to the finish line in the best shape of your life in the fastest time possible.

With Endurance Sports…

• The finish line is the celebration of getting to the starting line.
• I get on a weekly training routine. I set goals and train on certain days in specific ways.
• I’m focused on the training plan.
• I prepare today for tomorrow’s training.
• I train in community so that others will push me.
• I know there are going to be days I don’t want to train. So sometimes I rest or modify the training.
• Some days I’m going to be sluggish and tired. I train anyway even, if I know it’s going to hurt. I’ll be glad I did when it’s over.
• I might even get injured, so I have to take a time out and heal so I can come back stronger and more focused.
• Sometimes I have to train while nursing an injury because the race is still on so I need to be able to battle the tough spots.
• There are going to be days when I feel the best I’ve ever felt. When all the training seems to be paying off.
• I will train at my peak performance.
• I will feel like I’m in the best shape of my life.
• However, I’m never in the shape I want to be in. There’s always another mile to conquer.
• I will emotionally go through highs and lows.
• I will train beyond what my mind thinks is possible.
• My attitude changes, my body changes… my character changes.
• I am determined, not driven.
• If I can do it, you can do it… I will never be the fastest, but I’ll have fun in the process.
• The huge win isn’t the race, the win is getting to the race to celebrate all of the time, energy, discipline, great days and bad days of training by crossing the finish line.

With Life…

• Finishing well is the celebration of living life fully alive.
• I get on a weekly routine. I set goals, appointments and time with friends on certain days for specific reasons.
• I’m intentional about being present with whoever is in the room.
• I prepare my mind today for what tomorrow might give me.
• I live within a community of friends I can learn from and who will keep my accountable.
• I know there are going to be days I don’t want to get out of bed. So sometimes I modify my day so that I don’t give up.
• Some days I’m going to be sluggish and tired but I get through my day anyway. It might not be pretty, but I’ll be glad when it’s over.
• I might even get hurt by someone or by my own actions, so I have to take a time out and heal so I can come back stronger and more focused and having learned a lesson or two.
• Sometimes I have to push through life while nursing a broken heart or getting over a loss because life is still happening, so I need to be able to battle the tough spots.
• There are going to be days when I feel the best I’ve ever felt. When all is right in my world.
• I will live every day I can at my fullest.
• I will feel like I’m in the best place of my life.
• However, I’m never in the settled place I really want to be in. There’s always more improvement on me to do.
• I will emotionally go through highs and lows.
• I will dream the impossible, then do the impossible.
• My attitude changes, my body changes… my character changes.
• I am determined, not driven.
• If can do it, you can do it… I am far from perfect, but I’ll give life my best shot.
• The huge win isn’t all about just finishing life, the win is all about enjoying life well, in such a way to celebrate the finer things in life, the good times and the bad, the family time and friend time, a great meal, a beautiful sunset and the perfectly aged wine. It’s about bruises and scars that each have a story of physical accident and recovery or broken heart and healing. It’s about influencing others for good… the good of others and for themselves. It’s about living life, FULLY ALIVE, so that when I get to the end of my life, I will have no regrets and my family and friends will say… He lived life… every ounce of it. He gave it all he had and finished… well.

This is all why life is like an endurance sport. It’s not always easy… and it’s not always hard, but I can wake up knowing what it takes to go the distance… and finish well.

Thoughts?
With Life I…

When I started training for Ironman Louisville in early 2009, many people asked me why I was going to try such a seemingly impossible race. The answer… I’m just determined to finish.

Sure, I love the sport of triathlon and I love the community that surrounds the sport. My friends I train with are all one of a kind and a blast to be with. But most of all… It was my next big challenge in life. Something I never though I would do in a million years. But determination set in…

Over the course of 9 months of training I logged in over 2,000 miles on my bike, a few hundred miles of running, and some where in the ball park of 200 miles of swimming. It was a daunting task to say the least but I was determined to do it.

My challenges? Staying injury free for one, staying focused on relationships and work, but the biggest challenge? My travel schedule. From January to June I went overseas for work 7 times for at least 5 days at a time. That takes a bite out of the training schedule, but I was determined to do it.

There was even more travel domestically, but I was determined to do it.

Add in the normal challenges in personal and professional life and you find yourself in a very tight spot on free time and energy to function as a normal human being. In bed by 10pm and up early in the morning to ride, run and swim then work a full day or travel all day… but I was determined to do it.

The weekends… even earlier and longer days training, sometimes up to 8 hours of training in one day… but I was determined to do it.

Then it hit me.(I kept seeing this word determined pop up in my thoughts and conversations with people.) I had never once considered this to be something that driven people do. In fact, I would dare say that most driven people would not be able to finish such a challenge.

Why?

Driven people seem to plow right on ahead no matter the cost to themselves or those around them. One definition I found says this about the word Driven ~ having a compulsive or urgent quality.

Let me tell you… there’s no room for urgency in training for a triathlon. If you rush it, you’ll get hurt.

Life is much the same way.

Most fiercely driven people I know urgently race through their careers and sometimes their relationships leaving damage in their wake while burning out before they finish meeting their goals. If you rush through life and aren’t aware of what’s happening around you then most likely you will fly right by the sweetest parts in life or hurt someone in the process.

The determined ones finish what they start but they might be nursing an injury along the way, a set back in their plans, or they have to start all over just to get a fresh-start.

In the end I learned this about myself, determination comes with some sweat. Not just physically, but mentally as well. It comes with knowing the cost of the road ahead and knowing when to change course in order finish well.

This might be you. You might be struggling to get to your finish line or to reach your goal, but just because it’s challenging doesn’t mean you won’t get there. It just means you have to keep going even if you fall on your face a few times getting there.

Don’t worry, it’s ok. Your friends will still love you and support you.

I have the greatest friends and family and I have an amazing coach. I have surrounded myself with several close friends who will pick me up when I fall and push me back out there when I need encouragement or a kick in the pants.

I can’t stress enough how hard this training was and what a hard day Ironman Louisville really was, but I was determined to do it.

I had to change my strategy all through out the day…

But I did it.

It wasn’t pretty.

But I did it.

The support from family and friends to get through it was amazing and at times was the only thing that got me through.

But I did it… and you can too.

All it takes… is a little Determination.

Well… Getting to this day has been a year long process. I first came here a year ago with my tri friends to cheer on other tri friends as they raced away in Ironman Louisville. The next day 15 of us signed up together.

Little did I realize what the following year of life and training would become.

Little did I even realize how much I would change in a years time. The up’s and down’s in life both personally and professionally all the while I had Ironman as my goal.

So as you read this I’m well into the race and I’m really thankful for all your well wishes and prayers.

Thank you Randy and Chris Elrod for walking with me through this entire process. Randy… our runs together mean more to me than any other time we have to hang and talk….Well besides all the wine, food and good porch time:)

Dan Perkins, who is racing as well in Ironman Louisville, thanks for all the advice and encouragement. This is Dan’s 10th Ironman!

Thanks to my co-workers for putting up with me, especially my boss, Steve- not only is he a great boss but his friendship never fails and his guidance is always solid.

My family… I know you think I’m nuts but thanks for always looking after me.

Thanks to the Franklin and Frisco Campus… You all are amazing and I’m going appoint Mary Graham and Sheila Walsh as chief prayer warriors.

And last… those friends of mine I’m talking to everyday in some form or another. I could go on for days about how thankful I am for you.

So here’s the deal… Today is A Grand New Day for me (post on Women of Faith-A Grand New Day coming soon).

It’s like this. Today starts a new chapter of dreaming the impossible dream and walking it out. It’s about learning what Determination really means. What it means to push to the limit and keep going. It’s about redeeming today for a life that has been changed and giving a new meaning to this day August 30.

Today… is about me… and I’m getting through it because of you.

SO…You can follow along at Ironman.com and track my progress through out the day. My bib number is 1564. By the end of the day I will have traveled 140.6 miles swimming, biking and running.

Have a great day!

Mine is going to be really really long:)