The Old Man & Two Cs

We talked about going to sea this morning. Actually I talked and everybody else did 6, 6 minute hill repeats with alternating 60 second seated summits and and 6 second explosive power sprints. 6 of those puppies to celebrate the day, 6.6.2012. The sea reference came as I attempted once again to illustrate the importance of a couple of sea words, C words actually, CONFIDENCE AND COURAGE. 

We build confidence indoors through a dedicated adaptation program designed to push both your aerobic and anaerobic fitness to greater levels. We build base, balance, leg and core strength, speed and endurance. What you do with them is then of your choosing. You can race, you can ride, you can tour, you can run your dog in the park, makes no matter, what does matter is that you accept the responsibility of your health and fitness as your own doing. There is nobody going to do it for you. What we do today, what we did this morning, will contribute to our quality of life when the going gets tough. As we age. As we retire and as we start the eventual decay that will lead to having someone else care for us. Please trust me when I say that the going WILL get tough. Let's be prepared. The confidence that we build today will serve us tomorrow as our ability to remain self sufficient we long as possible. I, for one, do not want to be a burden on anyone when I can no longer tie my own shoes. And I certainly do not want to be a burden on my community or my state. There are others with greater needs. The greater my confidence, the lesser my needs. I think it would be a terrific eulogy to have my great nephew say that Uncle Kevin was still racing long course triathlon when he was 100. Don't look now amigo but that is only forty years away.

Courage is to confidence what the Old Man was to the Sea. One defines the other. Courage builds confidence and vice versa. Papa Hemingway would not have had such a tale to tell if his Santiago had stayed on the couch instead of heading out in his skiff to fish. He faced his fears (and bad luck)  much as we do ours. When we fish, when we train, let's bait for big. Let's have the confidence to set lofty goals and the courage to do whatever it takes to get that fish ashore. It will assuredly drain our energy stores, it will test our resolve, it will provide a fertile testing ground for our evolution and growth. 

At the very least if will go for a good story.