L•I•V•I•N•G

Last night I went to Endurance Sports to listen to professional Xterra/Triathlon athletes talk about their sports and give some novices some insight. Before the discussion began, I was standing by myself just looking around at all the expensive gear when I was approached by one on the pro's. He introduced himself as Dan Hugo. We talked about the differences between his hometown in South Africa and America and some general triathlon stuff. But what really struck me the most was the sincerity and genuineness of his personality. He sincerely wanted to know what I did and why I liked doing triathlons. The conversation seemed to be going the opposite direction of how I anticipated one would with a person of his caliber. Usually I'd just ask questions and they'd just talk about themselves. This particular instance was surprisingly different. Once we finished out little conversation, I still didn't know exactly who he was or how famous this dude actually is. It became very apparent when he was introduced to the entire group who Dan Hugo was. I had been talking to someone who was one of the top Xterra racers in the entire world! The discussion panel of professional athletes shared a lot of useful information revolving around training techniques, nutrition, racing strategies, and life as a pro. Out of the entire discussion, one thing really connected with me on the way home. Each pro athlete was living their dream. They talked about what they did with a great deal of passion. They got to travel, race and make a living doing what the really love doing. I thought to myself, those guys are really living the life. They're livin' it! Once I said this to myself, a light bulb came on in my head. True, they're living a life most only dream about, but at one point i'm sure they didn't feel like they were living the dream. I'm talking about before they went pro. The hard work of keeping a full time job and training for races that take up the same time as full time jobs. That last sentence describes exactly how I feel and I don't feel as if i'm living the dream at all. I think the key to it is learning to "live it" in whatever situation you find yourself in. Why wait till you're a professional athlete with all the benefits that encompass this privilege to start living the dream. I need to remind myself that I am living the dream that so many would love to have. I've got a job, a roof over my head, great friends, and have been blessed with genetics that allow me to compete in endurance races. I'm already livin' it and I didn't even take the time to notice it. This was a valuable lesson learned last night and special thanks to Dan for opening that door for me.