Time to Face it

Fear that is. 

Only I've already faced my biggest fear.  The way I fear nuclear radiation you would think I grew up in the Duck & Cover days rather than during the cold war.

The scariest movie I've ever seen?  K-19 the widow maker.  Scary to no normal humans in the world.  It gave me nightmares for weeks after watching these movie characters die a slow and painful death because of radiation exposure.

Clearly I have issues.

But did I let that stop me, when the only half marathon I could find last fall was ran right next to the very sight that the "Little Boy" atomic bomb was created?  No ma'am I sure didn't.

I signed up, trained, then showed up on Department of Energy property to run my first half ever - the Oak Ridge Half Marathon.  The train cars labeled "hydrochloric acid" didn't even stop me (if anything they made me speed up).

How do you top that on the fear scale?

Christie says I have to at least try...

If you fear something, do it.



If you want to try something, try it.


If you want to push yourself further than ever before, do it.
 


That's this weeks Monday project.
 
I know you think she must have inspired me to go ahead and officially register for the Sprint Triathlon I'm training for right?
 
Right?
 
Wrong.  Still holding on to the "its an expensive entry fee, what if I get injured between now and then" excuse.
 
What I did do that pushed me far out of my comfort zone was a little more personal than that.
 
I trained with Jay.
 
Twice.
 
Seriously I do not like working out with him.  On hikes he runs off and leaves me because I'm too slow to suit him.  On runs he walks the same speed I'm jogging.  Its just annoying that he's naturally more gifted than me.  He'll always be more athletic than me no matter how hard I work at it and now matter how long he's sedentary.
 
More than I want my pride, I want him to be healthy.  So twice this week I sucked it up and allowed him to join me.  The first time I asked him to join me.  We did a trail run with my training buddy/friend/coworker.  It was a lot of fun and something I'd be wanting to try for a while. 
 
I made it clear to both of them that would need to jog more slowly than they are accustom to so that I could keep up.  My buddy did a better job than Jay, but I managed to make it through the 40 minute run only getting slightly annoyed with him.
 
Then came my brick last night.  Jay asked me to wait 15 minutes for him before I started.  After all he couldn't be expected to exercise before he had his afternoon taste of smokeless tobacco.  I told him I'd be out for an hour (30 minutes of biking and 30 minutes of running) couldn't he join me after the dip?
 
Nope.
 
He wanted to run while I biked so that he could challenge himself.
 
Like a dummy I waited.
 
All the while thinking that either he seriously overestimates himself or underestimates me.  Or else he's just ignorant about typical bike speeds vs running speeds.
 
After waiting 15 minute on him to join me, I put on my bike helmet and took to the road. 
 
He dropped out around the half mile mark.  Passing him on lap 2 he looked at me and said "now I know how you feel."
 
Um, no dude you don't.  Cause if I couldn't outrun you on a bike I'd be pathetic.  Nice try though.
 
So that's my something uncomfortable/something new/something I fear - if you will.  I fear killing him ever time we set out to be active together.
 
Not only did I overcome this fear - I didn't even kill him.
 
I maintain, however, that even if I had've there wouldn't be a judge in the country that would make the conviction stick.
 
 
 
What fear did you stare straight in the eyes this week?