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2013-10-01 11:51 PM
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Subject: RE: Things you see that help put it all in perspective
Watching a young kid that had just collapsed receive CPR during the relay race I participated in this weekend. Then, finding out he didn't make it.

He was my oldest daughter's age.

I'm really trying to have more patience with family, friends, and myself since this happened.

Edited by Blanda 2013-10-01 11:51 PM


2013-10-01 11:57 PM
in reply to: Blanda

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Subject: RE: Things you see that help put it all in perspective

Been feeling a bit down this week - nothing major just life, people being a-holes etc.  Then i came across this thread today - I cried - and gave myself a slap and a talking to.

I'm going to keep coming back to this thread whenever i'm having a bad day.  I got nothing.

2013-10-02 11:10 AM
in reply to: switch


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Subject: RE: Things you see that help put it all in perspective
Last weekend I was out on my long ride. I was solo as most my training partners had conflicts that day. There is a great route with little traffic but it's an hour drive to get there. I usually won't go unless I plan to ride 3-4 hours or more. That day was only a 2-2.5 hr ride. I drove out there anyway. About 10 miles from the end of my ride, my wife called and told me that one of my neighbors had been hit and killed riding his motor scooter the night before. Granted the accident occurred around 11PM so completely different circumstances. My wife still gets nervous when I go on solo rides. I've more or less decided that I will do anything under 2 hours indoors on the trainer and will make the hour drive for most of my outdoor rides.

Back to the original topic, my neighbor leaves behind two twin sons that are 6 or 7 years old. Very sad situation.
2013-10-02 11:20 AM
in reply to: blueyedbikergirl

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Subject: RE: Things you see that help put it all in perspective

Lots of reasons Daniels, the wounded Warriors, the parents that pull, carry and push their children through the races... However during my first HIM I had all the mentioned "things" during my race but I also had a special motivator too.

Not like a first HIM would not be enough pressure or motivator I felt a need to reach out to someone who needs more than I to fight and succeed.

If you haven’t heard of Camilla Pedersen please go to http://www.swimmersdaily.com/2013/10/01/camilla-pedersen-feet-three-weeks-coma/ and you will understand the power of motivation determination and perseverance.

With IM70.3 Cozumel being my first HIM I wanted to see “who” the real racers were going to be and the list included Camilla.

After the news of Camilla’s crash and severe injury I contacted Ironman (WTC) and was put in contact with the race director. We worked out a deal to allow me to carry Camilla’s race number in addition to mine. I know during the bike leg I did “look” at the #14 taped on my top tube and thought this is easy compared to the journey/recovery Camilla will be going through.

After the bike I pinned her BIB on my race belt and started on the run of a lifetime.

The heat, humidity and then the storm all battered me and my fellow racers but also the BIB numbers.

It is strange the things you think of but after the race as I looked at the numbers I was sad they were so beat up, faded and water damaged. But a moment of clarity came when I realized the numbers correctly reflected me and my feelings. I was beat up, certainly water damaged and while happy to have finished felt drained both emotionally and physically.

Once I was refueled and resting with the celebratory BEER(S) I thought how to make the numbers look good as I will be sending it back to Camilla. I thought maybe to “color” them in or???

NOPE leave them as is!

Every time I look at it I will remember my first race and the beginning of Camilla’s long road to recovery to normalcy and hopefully back to a Triathlete; but she will always be a Champion.

The only change to the numbers will be the (exchange) addition of one of the small “bag” numbers to always have a reminder of the connection we share.

Camilla was brought out of her coma the day after the race and while I had nothing to do with that I can only hope that my actions helped and will continue to help her in her recovery.

 





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2013-10-03 2:57 PM
in reply to: switch

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Subject: RE: Things you see that help put it all in perspective
I ride on a greenway that runs along a creek. At this one area there are some flowerbeds with benches and little paths that lead to a hospital. The thing about hospitals is that unless you are there to have a baby, even if things end well, things are not going well at the time. Many many times I've passed by people sitting on those benches quietly crying or worse that 1,000 yard stare. I don't know what to do, I just keep going. I figure they've come down there to be alone so I just try to be really quiet and not disturb them on my way by.
2013-10-03 6:53 PM
in reply to: switch

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Subject: RE: Things you see that help put it all in perspective
I sometimes represent children whose parents are no longer able to care for them. I sometimes represent parents who are no longer able to care for their children. I am not around death or any other type of suffering. But, I can think of nothing worse than being that child who does not understand that they cannot go home and will never see their parents again except maybe being the parent who can't fully comprehend why they are unable to care for and because of that will never see their child again.


2013-10-04 7:52 AM
in reply to: BigDH

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Subject: RE: Things you see that help put it all in perspective

Originally posted by BigDH I sometimes represent children whose parents are no longer able to care for them. I sometimes represent parents who are no longer able to care for their children. I am not around death or any other type of suffering. But, I can think of nothing worse than being that child who does not understand that they cannot go home and will never see their parents again except maybe being the parent who can't fully comprehend why they are unable to care for and because of that will never see their child again.

This is completely heartbreaking. 

Thank you to everyone who has posted to the thread (please keep posting as you think of others).  I find myself visiting it a couple times a day, reading through, and feeling grateful.

2013-10-04 8:38 AM
in reply to: blueyedbikergirl

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Subject: RE: Things you see that help put it all in perspective
A month or so ago I was running a tough 8 miles, it was hot. I was pretty darn miserable and as I came off the trail into my neighborhood I noticed a person sitting in a driveway as I got closer I realized the person was in a wheelchair and then that the person was a recent double amputee. My mantra for the rest of the run home was 'you have legs, you should run'. I kept thinking what this man would do to go for a walk with his grandkids and here I was b!tching about being able to run.
Yesterday I had a tough 14 mile run that had turned into a run/walk, guess who was sitting in his driveway again? I managed to pull it out and run.
2013-10-04 9:27 AM
in reply to: switch

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Subject: RE: Things you see that help put it all in perspective
I posted this on my workout log last year:

I was running on a quarter mile high school track. About 5 minutes after I started a girl with cerebral palsy got on the track with her father. I would guess her to have been in her twenties. He held her crutch and she slowly walked the track. Every step was slow and took intense focus just for her to keep her balance, but you could see the look of total determination in her eyes as she continued to take step after step. I heard her father say that she was going to do one lap. By the time I left - a good 45 minutes later - she had made it about halfway around. She still had that same look of determination and no signs of stopping. I can't imagine what kind of inner strength it takes to do that. No matter the distance or speed I run, I am still not as strong as she. I am humbled to see what true strength really is.
2013-10-04 9:44 AM
in reply to: chrishatcher1138

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Subject: RE: Things you see that help put it all in perspective

When my father was dying from cancer I worked out my schedule so I could take him to all his chemo sessions.

The thing that really affected me was sitting in the waiting room and seeing young couples bringing their infants in for chemo.  Hard to even put into words.  Life just seems so unfair at times like that.

Mark

2013-10-05 5:37 PM
in reply to: RedCorvette

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Subject: RE: Things you see that help put it all in perspective

We watched this with our son today...for when he says he "can't" or "it's too hard".

Ritchie Parker

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiLDMBDPCEY



2013-10-10 12:44 PM
in reply to: switch

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Subject: RE: Things you see that help put it all in perspective

My youngest son has a classmate who was born with birth defects in his legs and feet...At 13 he's already had 50+ surgeries trying to make the best of his situation..

Anyway, he's the biggest optimist and cheerleader/motivator for everyone around him yet he's the one facing the surgeries, recoveries and still faces uphill battles.. He is genuinely happy and excited for his buddies and their athletic successes... My son happens to excel at soccer and this kid calls him Messi (soccer god if you don't recognize the name) and is always bragging him up...

I think of him when I'm feeling too tired to work out or just don't have the juice on a particular day...I tell myself karma will b - - ch slap me upside the head for not using the gift of health....

 

2013-10-14 6:48 PM
in reply to: TriMike

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Subject: RE: Things you see that help put it all in perspective

I work in emergency medicine and several weeks ago I found myself performing CPR on a 10 month old.  This child did not make it.  It hit very close to home as my husband and I had recently started trying to get pregnant.  To this day, every time I hear someone complain about the smallest things I bring that experience back and I'm reminded that at any moment your life could change.  No matter how hard a day I was having, I still got to go home to my healthy family.  

2013-10-16 3:01 PM
in reply to: blueyedbikergirl

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Subject: RE: Things you see that help put it all in perspective
Tomorrow is not a promise so express your love and gratitude to others now.

I work in emergency medicine and every day at work I am humbled by how fortunate I am and by how precarious our existence is. Every day reminds me to live like there is no tomorrow because, for each of us, one day there won't be a tomorrow. We never know when that day will come.
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