Everything Can Look Like Failure in the Middle

"Good morning athletes.....welcome to the start of a very long day. Recognize that you WILL have low points throughout this race, it may be at mile 85 of the bike or mile 21 on the run. But know this - you WILL get through those times, you WILL persevere, and we WILL see you back here crossing the finish line to welcome you all in as an IRONMAN"


So went the pre-race welcome as we awaited the start of 2010 Ironman Wisconsin in Madison. Treading the waters of Lake Monona for a good 15 minutes prior to the 2.4 mile swim, everyone has doubts. There isn't anyone 100% sure that the day will unfold they way they have planned, and that is part of the beauty of training for and competing in a long distance endurance event. At first I wondered why the announcer felt the need to remind all 3200 of us that we'd have some rough times along the way - after all, it seemed obvious and the way I saw it, we didn't need any additional reminders that what was about to unfold was no picnic. But the more I thought about it the more brilliant the comments seemed.


Preparing ourselves for difficult times or even failure, along the road to success, is a good thing. At the start of anything worthwhile or worth achieving, there is hope and optimism. You make a commitment by signing up for a race, you're fired up about the possibilities ahead, you begin to create this vision of achievement and success, of crossing the finish line - Mission Accomplished. The second phase is characterized by confidence - a "can-do" spirit fueled perhaps by past experience or the support of friends and family.

And then reality sets in. Invariably, somewhere along the way but typically in the middle, there will be emotional lows - negative thoughts and experiences that will cause us to question the endeavor and the decision to pursue the goal. It's not a matter of "if", but when. Whether it's week 12 of a 16 week Ironman training period or mile 85 of the 112 mile bike leg of the Ironman event itself, there WILL be those moments of angst and doubt, emotional and physical lows which one must push through. Knowing in advance that they WILL happen is a good thing. Creating this expectation of struggle and perhaps failure along the way is what authors Chip and Dan Heath call "The Growth Mindset". Although it seems to draw attention to failure, it reminds us of the road ahead...."We will struggle, we will fail, we will be knocked down - but throughout, we'll get better, and we WILL succeed in the end" (Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard).

So I have learned to embrace - going in - the fact that difficult times are bound to occur. I actually plan for them now - mentally and physically. No illusions. So that when they hit, I'm ready for them and am better able and more capable of dealing with what is to come...and pass. Paul's prayers to God on behalf of the Colossians asked simply for two things: Strength and Endurance. He knew tough times were ahead, and he prepared the Colossians for what was to come:

"May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from His glorious power,
and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father.” (Colossians 1:11).

It's all about managing and changing our expectations - knowing going in that it won't be easy, the early euphoria will fade, the day will become long and the struggle hard. Expect the lows. Expect the roadblocks. Expect the rough patches. But EXPECT to come through it all, with the strength and endurance our Lord has ensured we can carry when we go it with Him. BELIEVE.