things to think about..

So I realize that I have been ultra-depressing lately and although I am still feeling gloomy and burnt out, I am not going to talk about it anymore! (After this paragraph). I cannot believe that I am the only Lake Placid participant that feels this way (I am sure that I am not) however I do believe that I am THE MOST vocal person on Train-This and that is why my situation is being used as an example by Mary (which is totally fine, btw). I bitch and moan about how I feel like crap all over my blog and facebook and of course, everyone reads it. So yes, I am a whiny little baby but I am going to shut up now.

I am attempting to think of more positive things. Such as next year. One of my main goals for next year is to volunteer at more races. So far I have volunteered at about 1 race per year. That's better than nothing but it's pretty lame. Although volunteering at Musselman may have been the longest day of my life.. I will probably not do that again!

There are several reasons that I want to help out more at local races.

The main reason is that triathlon makes me incredibly happy and I want to give back to something that has had such a positive impact on my life.

Also, I have gotten some feedback recently from volunteers about how I come across as an athlete. I had no idea that me being grateful towards the volunteers had so much impact on them. I cannot imagine being anything OTHER than nice towards a volunteer who is out there busting their ass to make my race better for me, without getting ANYTHING in return other than free coffee and a t-shirt. So when I say "thank you" to someone handing me a cup of Gatorade or someone stopping traffic, I mean it! My coach actually got an email from a volunteer (which she forwarded to me) who was at the Cazenovia Triathlon that said that I was the most gracious athlete at the race. Both that email and Mary's added words of kindness impacted me to such a degree that I printed the email out and hung it on my refrigerator.

I was prouder of that feedback than I was of how I placed at the race. You don't earn respect just by being the fastest athlete out there (which I obviously am NOT). Chrissie Wellington wouldn't be so universally loved if she didn't stand at the finish line of every race that she does and hand out medals to the finishers.

In the end, you are remembered by how you treat others and not just by your accomplishments. This is what is important and what I need to keep in mind. Yeah I may be having a crappy week, but I can still contribute to the triathlon community by doing something other than whining about my failing recovery.