What a Week!
This has been a rollercoaster week for me. Lots of ups and downs. I'm doing good now, but it took me some time to get back on level ground. I'll list a few so you can see what I'm talking about.
High: Tuesday I got the email from women's bobsled head coach Todd Hays inviting me back for team trials Oct 10-30. SO AWESOME!!! Super excited. Grabbed my phone and ran downstairs at work to call my family. Again with the jumping around and talking excitedly with people probably thinking the crazy girl is back at it. He also let me know that I won't have to pay to stay in Lake Placid at the OTC this season even though I didn't score the 600 points. He thinks that the next time I take the combine (this time next year) I'll pass with flying colors, so I'm good to go. Even said they need people on the team like me. Yeah!
High/Low: I emailed one of the drivers about what life is like after October 30th. (I have to give a big shout out to Megan Hill! She's been showing me the ropes and answering my endless questions. Thanks Meg!) She told me the coaches name the World Cup team, then the Americas Cup team, then the rest of the athletes go to ORDA brakeman school. She emailed me her schedule for the upcoming Americas Cup season. To sum it all up, she is either competing or training from October 10th to March 31st. Phew! That's a long term commitment. It would be so awesome to travel and compete, but then reality set in. My thought process was something like this, "That's six months! How's this going to work? What am I going to tell my boss? How am I going to pay for this? How can I leave my life for 6 months at a time?" All those thoughts happened in about 10 seconds, and I started to panic. I immediately thought of this scene from Monsters Inc.
High: Wednesday I talked to Greg, my boss, about all these new developments. I had definitely prayed about it before going in to break the news, and it went really well. He was on the same emotional rollercoaster I was. He was happy for me, but not so happy that I was leaving for at least three weeks. He is willing to let me work part time from wherever I am. That was a relief. At least I'll have some income while I'm gone. They're going to treat this as a leave of absence and let me keep my health insurance. My job will still be waiting for me upon my return, which was another big relief. Most of the rookies I've been talking with are having to quit their jobs to pursue this, so having a little job security is a relief. Mel (this is essentially my supervisor who I work with all the time) is very excited for me. He told me if I quit now, he's going to be mad. It's great to have his support.
Low: Sitting in an office all day gives you way too much time to think. All I could see were all the impossibilities of this venture. It was very overwhelming. I had to get up and go for a walk to clear my head. But let me tell you, it's not easy to stop thinking about those life altering decisions! All I could see was the dollar signs adding up and no way to keep up. I think I looked fairly calm on the outside, but it was not pretty on the inside! I had to give all this back to God and let Him take care of it. I wanted my peace back. This was my verse for the night. I definitely needed some unexplainable peace.
Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
High: Yesterday I was talking to Mel about my freakouts and not knowing how this was all going to work. I definitely won't be able to do it all on my own (have to have God's help!). He started listing a bunch of companies we work with all the time who would sponsor me. He even said he'd start talking to them about it. And later I was talking to my trainer about all this uncertainty. John said he'd look into putting something up on their website and talking to the national headquarters about sponsorship. God came through again. He showed me yet again that with God nothing is impossible. I couldn't have said it any better than Britt,
Lots of highs and low, but I ended on top. I had the 2009 Kona Ironman on while writing this. Every person who makes it to the Ironman is an inspiration to me, and there's always at least one that makes me cry with a big smile on my face. Elizabeth Thompson had a stroke in 2007 and was told she'd never walk again. She determined that prognosis wasn't going to define her life. Just two years later, she finished the Ironman. As in swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles, and ran 26.2 miles! Everyday and every thing she does is a victory, and finishing was accomplishing the impossible. Definitely crying with a big smile on my face. Here's an article you really should read to understand her story: Ironman Kona Bound Elizabeth Thompson.
All the top competitors are impressive, but I love watching all the people who finish later in the day. Watching them cross that finish line reminded me it's not where you finish, it's how you run the race. It's about the determination to never give up. It's about knowing that nothing can defeat you. It's about living the lifestyle that prepares you to accomplish your dreams. It's believing that you can. It's about knowing that it was all worth it in the end. The founder of the race said, "You can quit, and they don't care. But you will always know." All those finishers will always know what they accomplished. I found this quote on a Ironman video that I really like,
I also found this video about Scott Goodfellow who finished after being unconscious. Talk about doing the impossible!
I KNOW I CAN. I'm again feeling inspired and ready to accomplish anything. Writing these posts always helps me. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who reads this blog, especially my family and close friends. Thank you for taking time out of your life to keep up with mine. Thank you for all your encouraging comments and positive feedback. It means a lot to me. Thank you to Aunt Karen, Grandma, Julie Wittich and Ms. Sarah Beers especially for all telling me how much you enjoy reading the blog last week. I needed to hear it.
So, to wrap up this marathon post, here are a few videos of me at the combine last week. I still can't believe this was only a week ago. Jenna Bree was kind enough to record all of us and post it. Thanks JB!
Sprinting in the rain. This was my personal best, and next year I'll be even faster!
Standing long jump in the rain, and another personal best at 8'-2". Scott, the guy in the red shirt with the rake, was the one who gave me a ride back to Albany. Standing out in the rain for a few hours definitely proved to me he's dedicated to making this team better. Thanks Scott!
Jenna Bree put up tons of video from the push track sessions after I left. Here's what I'm going to look like someday.
And last but not least, I hope I don't look like this someday. Alexis is a fellow rookie I had the privileged of meeting last week. Nice work Smally Smalls! Megan (the driver) didn't realize she'd fallen down and was dragging her along. I also love Ida's face (the girl at the 34 second mark).
That's it for this week. You've made it through. Congratulations! I'll post again soon as soon as I know something else.
High: Tuesday I got the email from women's bobsled head coach Todd Hays inviting me back for team trials Oct 10-30. SO AWESOME!!! Super excited. Grabbed my phone and ran downstairs at work to call my family. Again with the jumping around and talking excitedly with people probably thinking the crazy girl is back at it. He also let me know that I won't have to pay to stay in Lake Placid at the OTC this season even though I didn't score the 600 points. He thinks that the next time I take the combine (this time next year) I'll pass with flying colors, so I'm good to go. Even said they need people on the team like me. Yeah!
High/Low: I emailed one of the drivers about what life is like after October 30th. (I have to give a big shout out to Megan Hill! She's been showing me the ropes and answering my endless questions. Thanks Meg!) She told me the coaches name the World Cup team, then the Americas Cup team, then the rest of the athletes go to ORDA brakeman school. She emailed me her schedule for the upcoming Americas Cup season. To sum it all up, she is either competing or training from October 10th to March 31st. Phew! That's a long term commitment. It would be so awesome to travel and compete, but then reality set in. My thought process was something like this, "That's six months! How's this going to work? What am I going to tell my boss? How am I going to pay for this? How can I leave my life for 6 months at a time?" All those thoughts happened in about 10 seconds, and I started to panic. I immediately thought of this scene from Monsters Inc.
Low: Sitting in an office all day gives you way too much time to think. All I could see were all the impossibilities of this venture. It was very overwhelming. I had to get up and go for a walk to clear my head. But let me tell you, it's not easy to stop thinking about those life altering decisions! All I could see was the dollar signs adding up and no way to keep up. I think I looked fairly calm on the outside, but it was not pretty on the inside! I had to give all this back to God and let Him take care of it. I wanted my peace back. This was my verse for the night. I definitely needed some unexplainable peace.
Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
"It seems like every positive life changing endeavor I have experienced has been the direct result of a huge and risky leap of faith. The kind where an outcome is only possible if God shows up and shows out. And He always does."I also have to say a gargantuan THANK YOU to you both mom and dad for continuing to support me and talk me around. Your phone calls mean more than you know. Thank for your reassurances that people I love are behind me all the way. It really does help me to keep dreaming big!
Lots of highs and low, but I ended on top. I had the 2009 Kona Ironman on while writing this. Every person who makes it to the Ironman is an inspiration to me, and there's always at least one that makes me cry with a big smile on my face. Elizabeth Thompson had a stroke in 2007 and was told she'd never walk again. She determined that prognosis wasn't going to define her life. Just two years later, she finished the Ironman. As in swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles, and ran 26.2 miles! Everyday and every thing she does is a victory, and finishing was accomplishing the impossible. Definitely crying with a big smile on my face. Here's an article you really should read to understand her story: Ironman Kona Bound Elizabeth Thompson.All the top competitors are impressive, but I love watching all the people who finish later in the day. Watching them cross that finish line reminded me it's not where you finish, it's how you run the race. It's about the determination to never give up. It's about knowing that nothing can defeat you. It's about living the lifestyle that prepares you to accomplish your dreams. It's believing that you can. It's about knowing that it was all worth it in the end. The founder of the race said, "You can quit, and they don't care. But you will always know." All those finishers will always know what they accomplished. I found this quote on a Ironman video that I really like,
Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.
I also found this video about Scott Goodfellow who finished after being unconscious. Talk about doing the impossible!
I KNOW I CAN. I'm again feeling inspired and ready to accomplish anything. Writing these posts always helps me. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who reads this blog, especially my family and close friends. Thank you for taking time out of your life to keep up with mine. Thank you for all your encouraging comments and positive feedback. It means a lot to me. Thank you to Aunt Karen, Grandma, Julie Wittich and Ms. Sarah Beers especially for all telling me how much you enjoy reading the blog last week. I needed to hear it.
So, to wrap up this marathon post, here are a few videos of me at the combine last week. I still can't believe this was only a week ago. Jenna Bree was kind enough to record all of us and post it. Thanks JB!
Sprinting in the rain. This was my personal best, and next year I'll be even faster!
Standing long jump in the rain, and another personal best at 8'-2". Scott, the guy in the red shirt with the rake, was the one who gave me a ride back to Albany. Standing out in the rain for a few hours definitely proved to me he's dedicated to making this team better. Thanks Scott!
Jenna Bree put up tons of video from the push track sessions after I left. Here's what I'm going to look like someday.
And last but not least, I hope I don't look like this someday. Alexis is a fellow rookie I had the privileged of meeting last week. Nice work Smally Smalls! Megan (the driver) didn't realize she'd fallen down and was dragging her along. I also love Ida's face (the girl at the 34 second mark).
That's it for this week. You've made it through. Congratulations! I'll post again soon as soon as I know something else.