Ok, so I told you we were starting a new series today…
photo credit: www.linkedin.com
Would you mind if I share one more thought before we get down to the details? On Friday, I wrote about passion. I even went so far as the show you my passion in play. I love the sport of triathlon and feel the need to share with you the greater story that is working behind my love for swimming, biking and running. The reason I feel this need is because I care. I care and so I naturally want to share. What you will see in this next series of posts is specific sports related advice that I have gathered over the last 10 years. Some of the information might be a bit too deep but if you are as committed to your passion as I, you will understand my need to “geek out” on the details!
triathlon clinic at Endurance House
Sharing is caring and caring is sharing. I have learned so much about the sport of triathlon since my first race way back in September of 2006. Learning to breathe both to my left and my right has allowed me to swim more efficiently in open water. Having my bike shoes already clipped in to my pedals before actually mounting it has saved me more time than I could have ever imagined. Running without socks has proven to be extremely beneficial and has led to another time-savings bonus. You see, I did not know these tricks before I started. This information was not intuitive and I certainly was not born with it. No, all of this was shared with me by triathletes ahead of me. I was (and still to this day) the beneficiary of the collection of past experiences from those who raced before me.
group run at Nashville Running Company
My passion was fueled in the early stages of my racing career by those around me. Community (as we discussed in a prior post) is so critical to personal development. I enjoyed my initial experience so much that I sought out the advice of others in my local triathlon community. Eventually, I figured out how to incorporate the advice I received into my own racing and I got faster! This was a direct benefit to me and those that counseled me early on, did so from the goodness of their own hearts.
Now, fast forward 10 years and I am now a nationally sponsored triathlete. I have competed in 7 full distance Ironman races, over 50 half Ironman events including 4 world championships. I share this not to highlight my talent, but to emphasize the importance of all the “sharing” that occurred from countless triathletes during my development. My passion grows with each and every swim, bike and run I complete. My passion has given me a genuine desire to share everything that has been shared with me. I regularly engage with brand new triathletes to meet them wherever they are within their current level of interest. I give clinics to beginners and do my best to interact with my local running and triathlon and cycling retailers. You see, I care so much about my passion that I want to share.
instruction at Ironman Chattanooga expo
In closing, I would ask you to consider your passion. I want to challenge you on one specific notion; that being your purpose. If your passion is self-serving, chances are it will eventually grow stale. If, on the other hand, your passion is built on service and an awareness of its impact on those whom you spend the most time with; you can rest assured that it will grow to a level that you never thought was possible.
Your care will most clearly be seen by your willingness to share….