6 years ago I trained and did an Ironman triathlon.  Actually, I did not finish the triathlon as I failed to make one of their cut-offs. So I trained for another year, another Ironman triathlon and this one I finished. Training for an Ironman, or any long endurance race teaches you many life lessons that you can carry forth in your life. Some of these lessons I am holding onto today as we shelter in place and do our part to move through this pandemic.

 

The first lesson  I learned fairly quickly was, you can get used to anything. Something that seemed awful, one day, after a couple of weeks, became tolerable and eventually just something you did out of habit.  For me, that was getting into the pool or the bay at the crack of dawn. I am not a morning person and I hate the cold. Jumping into the outdoor pool at 6 AM and doing endless laps was not what I consider fun. It was a means to an end. Even worse was swimming in the bay. Despite wearing a wetsuit, my body would go numb from the cold, starting with my head. As soon as you start swimming, you get a severe ice-cream headache on your forehead. That too eventually goes numb. After months of this, I never enjoyed it, but I learned to tolerate it and do it. You can get used to anything.

 

Today, we are cooped up in our house, going a bit stir crazy, trying to pass the time, days blurring into each other. We are used to going out, seeing people, hugging people, and so much more. Those behaviors have been replaced with washing hands, not touching our face, staring out the window at the empty street, sitting, reading, working, on repeat all day long, day after day. Although I don’t love it, I am completely used to it. People can get used to anything.

 

Another lesson learned which is somewhat related to the first lesson is you are so much stronger than you think. People used to be amazed that I actually did an Ironman. I would answer back, “anyone can do one. It is just discipline.” People would just shake their heads in disbelief and say that was simply not true. But I can tell you, it is. I am no stronger than most, I was just relentlessly disciplined about doing the work, the training. Whatever was on the workout log, I did. Day after day, month after month till I arrived at the start line. I was ready. Over time, I was amazed at what I could do, my body and mind getting stronger each day. 100-mile bike ride, no problem. 20 mile run the next day. I got this. We are so much stronger than we think.

 

I am re-learning this lesson about discipline these last couple of weeks. I am trying to make schedules, routines and to-do lists that take away the thinking and just leave the doing. Get up to the alarm, morning walk, work, exercise, and so on. When I stick to the schedule, I feel better. When I don’t, it all starts to fall apart. My back aches, my eyes wander over updated and depressing news, I shove cookie after cookie in my mouth. As the new week starts, I recommit myself to a disciplined schedule. I am stronger than I think.

The next lesson was harder to learn, but one I eventually learned. Expect the unexpected. During that first Ironman, it snowed. I was not prepared for snow. It never occurred to me that it might snow. On the bike, I got a flat tire. I knew how to change a flat tire, but not in the below-freezing temperature. My plastic tire irons snapped in half, making it impossible to change my flat tire. I eventually recovered, but lost too much time and so, was pulled from the bike course after 8 hours of effort. For the next attempt, I doubled down and trained even harder. I did weekly tire changes and timed myself until I could change a tire in less than 5 minutes. I bought metal tire irons.

Come race day, it did not snow. It rained. I had swum in the rain, biked in the rain and run in the rain, so I was not thrown. But 3/4 of the way through the swim it, the lightning bolts emerged. I put my head down further, kicked and propelled my arms faster.  A kayak eventually pulled up alongside me. I ignored it, terrified they were going to tell me the race was over and I would have to stop. Two years of training. I was not ready for this to be the end of the story. I swam even faster. Eventually, he tapped me on the head with his paddle. He told me the lightening was getting worse and I needed to get out of the water. My heart sunk. He told me to hold onto the end of his kayak and he pulled me to the nearest dock. From there a boat picked all abandoned swimmers from various docks and took us to the swim finish. I was shocked and relieved when they told up we could continue on the bike, in the rain, in a lightning storm. Was my bike carbon fiber or aluminum. I could not remember. I wondered if my bike would act as a lightning rod. I rode and counted the space between the lightening and the thunder, hoping it would get no closer. It was a pretty terrifying ride and the clouds eventually cleared after a couple of hours. I had learned over time, to expect the unexpected and just adjust, quickly and with grace and grit.

 

Today, I think that lesson is probably even more important. What was first a two-week school closure, became a shelter in place. I will not be thrown if it becomes a lockdown. I have thought through what we will do if my husband or son gets sick. We have thought through the next steps, should my husband lose his job. I have learned to expect the unexpected and not let it throw you. Adjust quickly with grace and grit.