It may not be in endurance sport - It may be in school, in time, in work, or in life.
For the fortunate, these shortcomings are not depressin
They mark an end, as well as a beginning
Within races I've been in this small, finite place of confidence. The burn through the finish like chute, to be beaten by a nano-second by the man or woman whom I thought was comfortably behind me.
The time trial where 20 seconds from the finish, you determine you are really 22 seconds from the finish.
Big Lake Half Marathon I missed my time. Bridges for Friendship 10k in 2004, I missed it.
But missing these goals isn't practically missing, its gaining.
When we miss a goal, we tend to be angry at first, and then slowly begin to reason why, and make the necessary ameliorations. It is our very nature. The human condition is defined by such protocol.
This is me at the Big Lake Half in 2004. This is what primal exertion looks like under the worst of conditions.
This is Melanie McQuaid, Xterra World Chamption Triathlete, after giving everything in her mind, body and soul, and coming up "35 seconds short"
Our lives are woven from these seconds. Our ideas are scorched within our own aspirations. And our preconceptions are often proved wrong, when we are "certain" they are right.
