A Beautiful Friday!

Okay I'm going to honest in saying, yesterday was a really tough day for me. Troy and I woke up at 5:00 a.m. and went for our morning swim. It was then that I knew I'd be struggling. Not struggling physically with the workout, but struggling mentally and emotionally with everything that's going on in my personal little, overly selfish, world. When I got to the pool, I made a conscious effort not to show that I was already  having a tough day. It didn't work. With Troy being so close to me and knowing me better than anyone else, he could sense something. He just knew. And in fine Troy fashion with Godly wisdom, he got me through one of my toughest days internally.

I say all of that to say this. Our training for triathlon is not about getting our bodies into shape (although that's a nice by product). It's not about trying to train to win something at the end. It's not even ultimately about the long term health. To me, this is about relationships. Relationships with God and man. It's about getting to know who you truly are when no one is around. It's about understanding that your mind can control your physical. It's about learning to endure the suffering that goes with the exertion. And it's about being real with yourself and the other person you're with. It's about being strong for them when they're weak. Not only in the physical aspect, but the mental and emotional aspect as well. This training is, in many ways, a mirror of life and how we should live it to the fullest.

Yesterday was exactly what this "physical" training was all about for me. It goes so much deeper than the outward shell. It's truly spiritual in connecting with self and, more importantly, with God. I've learned that He can get really close when you make a conscious effort to pursue him. . . and it certainly helps to have His personal spokesperson in my "big" brother.