PHF

Patience, humility, fortitude...as stated by Gordo in a recent article on xtri these are a few virtues which endurance training & racing demands. Interestingly these same virtues may be applied to life which is perhaps the greatest race of all with its many twists, turns, surprises, challenges, etc. As a professional athlete I often find myself needing a subtle reminder (aka God slapping me upside my head) of the big picture with respect to training. Over the years I have become incredibly more patient with my progressions in sport and things in life. That is not to say I am so relaxed and simply kick back and just wait for some magical gains to be made. Like most athletes, I take pride in having a focused work ethic and being consistent with day-to-day training & living. Humility is certainly something I respect in others and strive to achieve in my own life. The past several days I have been at battle with a cold & sinus congestion which has not derailed me from my training, but at times slowed me down. Athletes don't like to go slow and I have eaten some humble pie in a couple of sessions the last two days. Just yesterday Matt & Kirk toyed with me during our bike intervals. These guys are exceptional athletes and I am glad to have them as friends and training partners. Fortunately God has given me the grace to be cool with these opportunities to grow in humility :) It seems athletes, or more importantly inviduals, who walk with humility possess a hearty dose of self-confidence which in turn allows them to display fortitude. While I am not a walking dictionary or thesaurus I reckon this is simply about persevering through all sport & life has to offer in a consistent fashion. As I scribble this entry we are getting dumped on with snow. While it would appear to be a great day to watch a movie and relax, I see it as even better opportunity from God to practice PHF.

As I often like to remind myself...God's gift to us is our potential, what we decide to do with it is our gift to God.

Thanks for reading!

Keep it smooth...

Brad