Two paths, which to follow? Hmmmm. . . . I have two topics to throw out for conversation tonight, not sure which one gets top billing tonight. Since yesterday was about all the people that have come into my life and the impact friends and family have had on me during my two year transformation, I will select to go with the topic of TEAM!
As many of you know, my husband travels for work and is only home for the weekends most weeks of the month. Our Saturday morning ritual is to go for a run together. We are training for a fall half marathon and have plenty of time to build our miles, so we are kinda in maintenance miles with a slow build schedule. If I am doing some strength work that requires some assistance, I will usually save it for when he is home. He is not fond of the gym and does not enjoy weight lifting like I do. We head to the gym before our run since the university gym closes at 10:00 a.m. on Saturdays. Two things I'm working on I need him to spot me with. One is heavy squats with the barbell (this gym does not have a Smith Machine, just a squat rack). The other is hip thrusters. With hip thrusters I have two weight benches parallel to each other about three feet apart. My shoulders are on one bench, my feet on the other. The movement is bend at the hip (dip down) and then straighten driving my hips up toward the ceiling (like a bridge up). The position makes it complicated to then add a weight bar without assistance. I get in position and ask DH to start out with the 50# bar for a warm up set. Then we move up to 70# set and last I do a 90# set. On the last couple reps of the 90# set I could feel the hip muscles fatiguing in the low range of the position. I finish the set and he says "You owe me one more." No, no I don't, that was 10. Take it. "No, you need one more" I can't. I've now been holding the bar and hovering the muscles are fatigued. "I'm not taking it until you try one more" We are both laughing at this point because I am helplessly stuck! Without his help I cannot get out of this position without getting hurt. But, my muscles are totally fatigued and I cannot push even one more time. He is not sadistic, he saw I was serious about not being able to push another rep, so he removed the bar. I thanked him for being part of my team. He joked that he would drive the short bus for me anytime.
Our conversation during my workout had been about team members and how each has a role. Some are point shooters, some are guards, some are coaches, some are the water boys and some drive the bus. Who is the most important member? Who is the least important member. If me performing well depends on him performing well is it not in my best interest that he perform well? What if my bus driver gets upset because he doesn't get the attention that my point guard does and so he doesn't show up? It doesn't matter how good my point guard is if we can't get to the arena.
In this game of life we all have the opportunity to 'go for the gold'. I grew up on that dream of going to the Olympics! I love everything about the Olympics (except the doping)! I jumped up proudly onto the hassock (vinyl footstool of the 70's) and accepted my Gold Medal for the USA as the crowd went wild!!!! Thank You! Thank You!!!! I beamed with pride *representing my country*, honoring the coaches, parents and supporting staff that were necessary to make this dream possible. In the Olympics the whole team goes, it is an honor to go. But only one will get the gold. Maybe this year you came up short of the gold, maybe you got the silver or the bronze. Or MAYBE, you just got one step closer to the podium. This may be your year to be proud that you wore the team jacket and rode on the bus. This may be the time that the teammate who got the gold needs a friend like you in a supporting role. I don't know, maybe this is your year as a spectator who emails the gold medal winner (or the one who did not place) and say "Thank you for your courage to go for the gold! Your story inspired me, touched me, moved me, etc."
This I do know. I cannot be me and do the things that I believe I am purposed to do without a large supporting cast. I need the assistance of others. I desire to share this journey with friends and family. I want the gold and will continue to train for it, but I cannot drive that bus, support that dream, and be a one woman show. It takes a village and I am blessed to have amazing people around me. Thank you for being a part of that community.
I hope I represent well those who have supported, encouraged, motivated, inspired, lead, coached and yes drove the short bus.
****My husbanded added that he is proud to be the guy who carries my cooler and gym bag! You would have to see the size of my cooler and gym bag to appreciate this statement****
Love this !
ReplyDelete