The journey continues

Yesterday I printed John Wooden's Pyramid of Success from the Internet (http://www.erhoops.org/pdfs/John%20Woodens%20pyramid%20of%20success.pdf) and pinned it to my bulletin board at work. Wooden's famous pyramid is the product of 14 years of work towards perfecting his ideals on what "success" is and how to obtain it. His cornerstones feature "Industriousness," explaining "there is no substitute for work. Worthwhile things come from hard work and careful planning;" and "Enthusiasm," saying "Your heart must be in your work. Stimulate others."

My dad is one of the smartest and most humble people I've ever met, and for years, he has had this same Pyramid of Success hanging in his office. This shows me one key thing: the Pyramid works. If your heart is in it, you show up, you work hard, and you keep at it, you will be successful. My dad is the greatest example of this in that he makes it his business to do everything he does "the right way," and he has achieved greater success than he probably ever dreamed. I can't imagine that he has ever laid around, looking to the sky, questioning his lot and asking for favor. Instead, he has always set goals for himself--high but within reach--and worked steadily towards them with the persistence of the best endurance athletes out there.

What I am learning more and more each day is that Ironman training isn't that much different than the life training we naturally get as we walk the Earth. There are times when the course is flat and smooth, others when it's rolling, and still others that test the very extremes of what are made of. The journey is long, and often times, there is no end in sight.

The components in Wooden's Pyramid are ones that will lead to success in physical contests and also in life. My dad has shown me one life's picture of "success" and what one man can shape himself into when he only cares to do so. So much of my Ironman training is cathartic and fills an emptiness that has developed in other areas of my life. I believe that the skills, confidence, and success I have gained through my training are transferable to other parts of my life. Like the muscle memory that my body has developed over hours and hours of physical training, the awareness of strength is becoming ingrained in my mind. And my heart and soul are beginning to see what I am made of.