Directional change straight to Utah

sometimes when i watch them cross the finish line i have their stories told in my head but i never had these stories told.  i never had the stories told of those i looked up to.  humility is a trait possessed by so few and difficult to master in those that attempt it.  most of the time greed and selfishnesses take over and ultimately win.  not with them.  never with them.

i'm still not sure how i managed to travel to an unknown city for four days of training for an Ironman with people i'd never met when sometimes its challenging to go to a new restaurant with new friends. but then again this is how i found out about faith.

the first "story" i heard was from a girl i'd already passed judgement on.  she is now one of my best friends.  the second story came a year later from a friend who decided to just give her kidney away as a means of giving back.  humble?  yes, this was the pure raw definition of humility. turns out there was a lot more to HER story.  there were a few in between stories that i was more surprised at one by one, surprised not because of the intensity but in awe that here i was feeling sorry for myself, yelling for someone to hear and take notice and all the while God planted it right there in front of me.  they were brought to me all at one time but their impact i would realize along the way, years later.   there was death, there was almost death, there was addiction, there was hate, disappointment,  embarrassment and anger, there was a lot of anger.  but that anger is now redistributed.   it has three contenders.... swim. bike. run.

people challenge themselves in life for many reasons and the challenges, they may vary.  i challenged myself to live life, to put the past in the past and to allow myself to be sad sometimes, to still be angry, and that its always okay to cry.  the tears the year after i met my new friends were tears of joy. tears when i alone achieved crossing the finish line of an all day race, twice.  God doesn't grant me always sunny days and sometimes he gives me a new story about an old friend to remind me why i started triathlons in the first place.

now excuse me, i have to go run.