Dirty Inspirations by Terri Schneider

Author:Terri Schneider [Schneider, Terri]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-57826-603-6
Publisher: Hatherleigh Press
Published: 2016-02-08T16:00:00+00:00

WHAT A LIBERATION TO REALIZE THAT THE

‘VOICE IN MY HEAD’ IS NOT WHO I AM.

‘WHO AM I, THEN?’ THE ONE WHO SEES THAT.

—ECKHART TOLLE

8

A LESSON REDESIGN

NEW ZEALAND, 2001

IN THE PICTURESQUE mountains on the friendly South Island of New Zealand, I experienced the most demoralizing, demeaning, and disappointing event in my long life of endurance racing. In a mere seven days, I had actualized an ugly new reality within the concept of “pushing the limits,” and for the majority of this expedition adventure race, I wasn’t sure whether I could turn the pedals one more time, walk another step, or paddle another stroke. For the first time in a race of any type, and for reasons then unknown, I questioned the merit of such torment.

Athletes often speak of pushing themselves to the limit—for a moment, an hour, or even days. As a veteran endurance athlete I enjoy playing on that edge of the possible, and happily contemplate it pre-event, or as a satisfying postscript. To compete in this manner is to embrace the moments of “too much,” knowing that they will come, and then pass. I know that if I cope well, there will be warm satisfaction in remembering such moments and awe in what the human body is capable of, all while wondering after-the-fact how I managed to pull it off after all.

The ebbs and flows of pain, focus, and pleasure during any physical endeavor are dynamic and impossible to predict, so adapting to any hurdles that come your way is a staple in choreographing the dance of your race. In an event, as in life, you may have a day of clarity and progress, only to be shrouded the next day by murky fog. Even a moment that seems like a “limit” at the time will evolve, if you play intelligently. The goal is to savor the moments of ease, and when they end, accept, shift, and adapt to the new reality. If this process of flux eludes you, you must either continue to seek within an unknown continuum—which I call “Plan Z”—or else risk the possibility of failure.

Here’s what I mean: Each day in an adventure race (or in life), a competitor and her team will choose an initial plan of attack—Plan A. When Plan A fails or needs adjusting, which it often does soon after the gun goes off, we review our options based on what we know, then adapt to a new Plan—B, C, etc.—until we land on a strategy that works for that moment, after which time our plan may fail again, because no conditions or feelings about those conditions are permanent. In particularly taxing circumstances we may be required to make choices across a continuum of A to Z and back again in order to fine-tune our adaption to what the race throws our way. Adventure racing is, at a minimum, a test of one’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Adept adapters not only thrive in this type of test, but top adventure racers are excited to refine their skills in this arena.

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