The Rear-View Mirror.

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The Rear-View Mirror
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I am sure that you are wondering why I am posting about a rear-view mirror.

It is an oddly simple thing. A small thing in all reality. But one which people tend to look through way too often.

I am not talking about putting on makeup, fixing hair, staring down the tailgater behind you, or even looking to see what is fast approaching.

In fact, I am not even speaking of the rear-view mirror in a car. I am speaking of the rear-view mirror in a life.

Imagine how hard your journey to work would be every morning if you drove it looking through the rear-view mirror. Assuming that you are driving in a forward gear and not reverse, this task would be impossible.

If you wouldn't navigate your day doing this, then why navigate your life doing this?

Isn't it just as dangerous?

Why yes, we should honor the past for what it is, take the lesson to be learned and move on.

But you cannot try to live through the rear facing view.


I am learning this lesson this year and in fact have taken this to heart. I threw out my rear-view mirror. And it feels wonderful.

So what if I have missed a month of training? Honestly, so what? Does that mean that I cannot progress forward and navigate my way through the rest of training to complete my race happy come the day? No. It does not mean this at all.

I started to let each missed workout prevent me from completing the next workout, compounding the fear into something that made me wonder if I would ever get back on track.

Well I did.

I got back on track.

I revamped my plan, got back into the groove and was reborn a runner with a triathlon addiction.

I, for the first time in my life, love running.

Once I started to look ahead of me: the training days, the better weather, my dedication, and the calming down of my work travels until races end, I was fully able to resume.

So one 14 mile bike ride lead to two 5 mile runs, which lead to a 31 mile bike ride and then a 10 mile run.

I was so geeked to get back out the door and workout that I don't even consider myself training anymore. I am enjoying this whole process.

I no longer dread putting in the time on my legs and in the water, because I truly enjoy that time.

By removing the rear-view mirror, I was able to look solely ahead of me. And man, for as far as I have come in life I have that much farther to go.

And it excites me.

So this week, try this little experiment. Throw away the fear and regret and just

Let.

It.

Go.


Trust me. You will be better off without the past lingering around.

With this new found lightness, focus on what you do have... what you have ahead of you.

What type of person would we all be if we stopped thinking about the have nots, and focused on the haves?

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THE WEEK AHEAD:
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Monday - Swim (DNS... time constraints)
Tuesday - TRT with Jo. 6 miles
Wednesday - Swim at lunch, Ride on hines after work.
Thursday - ILRA 2 loops , short brick
Friday - Swim at lunch, rest evening
Saturday - Willow Duathlon - 5k, 20k, 5k
Sunday - MGST 62 miler easy with Mike, Carol, and everyone who gambles on the weather!




Oh, and I am planning on toeing the line at a pretty big race this year! More on that.... later!

Peace, love, and RUNNING!
Runnergirl, RedZone, Jenniferlyn