Talked today to my mountain climbing friend. He told me the story of his trip up Mt.Rainier.
I sat there for most of the time with my mouth open.
When I could muster up some vocabulary, all I could utter, repeatedly, was, "You are insane."
If you've never heard or read about what a climb is like, I strongly encourage you to find something on the web (I'm sure there's a mountain of climber blogs ... get it, mountain. Heh.) and take a look.
But there are two things he said that I really want to share with you. They boggle my mind.
1. I asked if he could compare the climb to the full-length Ironman he completed years earlier (read, younger). He said, "I would do two back-to-back Ironman races and it would be easier than getting to the first of the four breaks in the climb to the summit." An Ironman is swimming 2.4 miles, biking 120 miles and running a full marathon, just for reference.
2. Then he said something like this: "The climb really changed me. I have never been so physically, emotionally, mentally spent. I have never had to much fear and anxiety. I have never concentrated so much for so long. And I never before reached a place where my mind took over and I knew I had to continue at all costs and that I would finish. It scared me a little because I wasn't sure if my mind would keep me from danger. My mind was so determined to get to the top and back down again that I'm not sure I was making rational decisions."
And I think that there are days I can't convince myself to get out of my bed, pop down the stairs and walk for four miles?
You, humans, WE are capable of truly AMAZING things. Believe that. Believe in you.
1 comment:
If there was ever a day that I needed to read this it is today. Tomorrow when I am thinking I can't possibly make it through my training group I will remember this.
THANK YOU.
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