Half-Ironman Done. Here’s What I Learned
I’m writing to you this week from a local cafe in Amsterdam, on the corner of Johannes Verhulststraat. It’s the Monday morning after the Almere-Amsterdam Half-Ironman.
How did the race go for me? I’m very pleased. In long-distance triathlon, it’s rare that everything comes together on the day. But this time it did. And it is so special to be able to do it with Majd, my Mum, Dad, and sisters - all here together.
As I pause to reflect, I want to invite you in to share a couple of those post-race reflections with you.
Reflection: worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow
On Friday, the day before the race, I read a quote that landed into my lap at exactly the right time:
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”
Corrie Ten Boom.
Ahead of a race, it’s so easy to get caught up in thoughts of what could go wrong. A half Ironman is long. So much could happen: a stray arm or leg in the swim, a puncture on the bike, a cramp on the run.
But worrying in my mind about these things doesn’t reduce the chances of them happening. I made sure I was prepared, yes. I had my tube change kit and my sodium capsules. But beyond that, worrying would only sap me of my mental energy and strength.
As in triathlon, so too in life. So much could happen tomorrow, this week, this year - there is so much that could go “wrong.” A project might fall behind schedule, a client presentation might not land, a team conflict could spiral.
Yes, do what you can within your control to prepare and to prevent these things from happening. But once you’ve done that, worrying today won’t change what happens tomorrow.
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We understand that our physical energy is finite and yet we often forget that our mental energy is too. The more we waste it on things outside of our control, the less we have to focus on the important things which we can influence and which are in our control.
Reflection: peace is found on the edge
As I write to you now, I feel a deep sense of satisfaction and inner peace. That quiet, powerful feeling that comes after achieving something we weren’t sure we could.
I believe that it is one of life’s greatest gifts. Perhaps you’ve felt it too? That feeling after delivering and winning a client pitch you weren’t sure you could pull off, or solving a problem your team had been stuck on for weeks, or perhaps even crossing the finish line of a race yourself - the quiet pride of realizing that you’re more capable than you thought.
I’ve learned in my life and see in the lives of the amazing people I work with, that this feeling doesn’t come from staying inside our comfort zones, in ticking off tasks we already knew that we can do. It comes when we truly stretch ourselves, when we go, as Michal Easter says, to “our edges.”
Our edges are unique. For some, it might be a half ironman. For others, a 5k, sticking consistently to your workouts or stepping up to lead a challenging new project at work.
The beauty is, as we explore these edges, we expand them. After a 5k, we go and run a 10k. After presenting to 10 people, we present to 50. The comfort zone - and with it, the growth zone - widens.
Now, you can have a good life cruising along in your comfort zone. Many around you are, many before you have, and many after you will.
But do you want a good life, or a great one?
Do you want to sit in your armchair in your final years, looking back on your life and reflecting on what could have been, wishing you’d given just a little more to this one shot at life we each have?
Well, the ball is in your hands now. Right now. In this moment. Today. The shot is open and it is yours. Will you take it?