Rise Again…
Some of you may or may not have been aware or remember (and let’s be honest, why would you lol) that I have spent the last two years training and preparing for Ultraman Arizona (UMAZ) this March.
I had made the decision to compete in Ultraman in 2020 after The World Marathon Challenge. The original race date was set for March 2021 but Covid had other plans. Now Covid strikes again.
I have recently made the difficult decision to defer this year‘s race until 2023. I have been sick the last two weeks with Covid and it has really kicked my butt and taken a toll on my body.
Covid: 2 Keri: 0
With only 8 weeks to go it was determined (by myself, coach, and doctors) that I wouldn’t be able to complete the training at the level needed in order to race. I don’t want to jeopardize my health with the stress of having to train. While I’m building some strength back a little each day, it has been exhausting. I want to go out there and dominate this event and that isn’t going to happen this year.
While I’m feeling a little down, flat, dejected and disappointed, I know that in the long run it’ll be in my best interest and well-being to wait another year.
I was talking to my friend Kelly at the Yoga Studio about my decision and she reminded me how to look at this experience as mental training. Being unable to workout how I want is frustrating and challenging. I need to have patience with myself and know I’ll get back to where I was soon enough. And while it’s disappointing and frustrating… we are endurance athletes after all. It’s in our nature to do things that suck and endure the pain of it. So this is me working through my shit, enduring the suck of it and getting more mentally fit to race another day.
So anyway… why am I telling you all this? Well, sometimes life’s a bitch. Shit happens. We get knocked down, but it’s how we respond in these moments that matter. Will we stay down or will we get our asses back up. I plan to lay down for a bit and maybe sleep lol, but I will most definitely rise again!!
Each of us will stumble in our life. Things won’t go according to plan and will leave us wondering what the hell to do next and how the hell we’re going to start again. In these moments, you might feel like throwing in the towel. Or that it’s just not worth the heartache to start over or go after your dreams.
These feelings of pain and doubt are normal and they shouldn’t stop you. In fact, when you realize you’ve hit bottom, there’s only one way to go, and that’s up. The process may be a difficult one and may even take away all your energy, but with desire and a plan, it can surely be done. Remember you’re not really starting over, you’re starting from experience.
So I will heal, grieve this loss, accept what I can’t change, and when ready, I will take what I’ve learned the last two years and make a plan with my coach so I can apply it and dominate UMAZ in 2023.
Here’s to rising up stronger and smarter than before!!