Only four months left til' the gun goes off...
Last month I sent you a piece titled My Drive For 5 - What Drives You? For a refresher, you can read it here: http://www.frank-mckinney.com/blog.asp?article=175.
In it I shared how I was recently accepted to compete in the Badwater 135-mile Ultramarathon in Death Valley for teh 5th time this coming July.
If you are unaware, Badwater is the toughest race in the world according to National Geographic. It's an invitation only (17 countries/90 entrants) 135-mile non-stop footrace that starts in the Death Valley desert where air temperatures exceed 130 degrees, and ground temps are 200+ degrees. It traverses 135 miles through the Mojave, over three mountain ranges and is run on blacktop pavement.
The race is run in the most brutal conditions imaginable.
When I first heard of this race back in 2004 I thought to myself "impossible" - that someone could endure such harsh conditions. Further, I thought to have such circumstances be self-imposed must make for a very driven individual.
I had never finished a marathon, let alone run over five of them consecutively in temperatures so hot that a regular peanut butter and jelly sandwich turns into the toasted version within seconds.
So, I am off once again to pursue my life's Badwater, each time learning some remarkable and valuable life lessons.
In this first month of training I had to set aside thoughts of "I have to do this again" as I rose at 3:30am to get a 30-mile run in before work. I am doing what it takes, and applying what I learned from previous race experiences to improve my time and training. I am even sleeping in an altitude tent in order to allow my body to manufacture more red blood cells to aid in recovery.
Last month I asked you to identify just one of your life's Badwaters, then set out to pursue it with me over the next five months as I progress toward the start line on July 12.
To qualify as one of your life's Badwaters the endeavor must seem insurmountable and invoke a certain level of fear in you, yet be very important to you, as the results will likely leave you a far more enlightened person. The undertaking can be personal, professional or spiritual in nature.
To get there, this is the mantra I suggest you apply - "Relentless Forward Motion."
This approach has served me as well in the desert as it has in my office, especially during trying times. Above I mention - a what? An altitude tent? Sure, there are many sacrifices we must be willing to make, and pain (emotional and physical) we must be willing to endure in pursuit of our life's Badwaters. It goes with the commitment.
But I must tell you, sometimes we feel most alive when being so close to defeat, then resisting that loss with all our might and prevailing.
Last year my sister asked me to remember how I was feeling at mile 120 so she could ask me after the race why I put myself through all of this. When she asked, I told her that we should not be governed by our short term memories of fear, status quo, or heartbreak. I enjoy the challenge of being a part of something that takes me places and teaches me more about myself than the average life presents.
And who wants an average life anyway? We must use relentless forward motion to exchange the debilitating and low moments for the extreme experience associated with life's meaningful pursuits.
To help you identify your life's Badwater, and then to pursue it, take a look at my Life Lessons Learned DVD: http://frank-mckinney.com/lifelessons/.
I am excited to hear about your life's Badwater you have chosen to pursue. Please share it with me via email; frank@frank-mckinney.com , or post it at http://www.frank-mckinney.com/blog/your_tap_moments.aspx so others can see your commitment.
I look forward to sharing more next month.
Frank
