It was a day that I was dreading! I had agreed to "Tackle the Tower" - climb 38 floors, 646 steps - to the top of the Tower at Erieview in Downtown Cleveland with my sister and husband.
I really wanted to bail.
- I took the pressure off. My goal was to simply finish and did not feel compelled to beat my previous times.
- I took my MP3 player and listened to some great tunes while I climbed.
- Knowing that challenges like this are often more mental than physical, I decided to focus on staying calm.
- I recognized that the anxiousness that I was feeling at the start was just part of the experience and instead of wishing it away, I made room for it.
- At each water stop, I made a point of smiling and saying "Thank You" to the volunteers.
- When other folks were ready to pass me, I smiled and let them go by.
I did it! And, I even enjoyed it!
AND, more importantly, I experienced something that I have NEVER experienced before in all of my various races...I never once compared my body to the other racers. I never felt like a fraud or that I didn't belong. And, I never felt bad about myself or my body for not being and looking healthier and "better". And to that I have to say - WOW!
That is HUGE for me!
Yep...Day 5 was a SUCCESS!
