by Bethany Rutledge
This weekend I had the opportunity to participate in the New Orleans 70.3 Half Ironman race. The race included a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike, followed by a half marathon. The goal I set for myself was aggressive: I had time goals for each leg as well as a range in which I wanted to place overall.
The Best Laid Plans
As far as planning I had done my best in terms of preparation. Long bike rides outdoors in the 30 something degree weather. Early morning pool swims before work. Running through sleet, snow, and rain. Watching everything (okay most things) that went in my mouth even during the holidays. Throughout my preparation I quickly understood why people don’t sign up for early season races unless they live in warm weather!
Race Day
But, I thought, it would all be worth it come race day. Finally the day arrived! Or as I like to put it, God’s opportunity to show me just how fallible our most carefully laid plans really are! Lake Pontchartrain was choppy, from the winds that decided to pick up seemingly just as I began. Then I got lost on course and had to ask directions during the swim!
The bike was windy, and I was slow. As if that wasn’t enough, I then got the dreaded flat tire which essentially took me out of the race. I decided it would be a terrible example to drop out and so after thirty plus minutes in which the mechanic had to help me out I proceeded to finish albeit more than forty minutes off the time I wanted. I was disappointed.
Lesson Learned
Over the next few days, I thought about the lesson I should take from this experience. Lots of people gave me credit for continuing at all. But I am not sure that was the lesson I was supposed to take away. I think the lesson was that life is not perfect and I am not always in control. God is in control. It is unrealistic to expect things to always go your way just because you are prepared or planning for them.
This scenario is played out a thousand times a day. The traffic made you late, the kids are sick, you have more than your share of the work. You had to pull an all-nighter, you got an unexpected bill, you were passed up for a promotion. These examples, in some ways are examples of little things that are out of our control, but they are also the same ones that personally, turn me into a stressed out, cranky lady.
God Is Good
Really, if you are reading this and have a roof over your head, family or friends who care about you, and food for your next meal, you have so much more than most of the world. For me, going forward whether I am dealing with stressors big or small, my goal is to continually remind myself that “we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.”
How About You
With that said I am sometimes ‘The Worst’ at dealing with these external issues that inevitably come up. My question for you is, what do you do to keep from stressing out when life doesn’t always go as planned?
Tags: life isn't perfect, racing, stress
