2014

the year is basically in the books. and, at the end of it, i find myself reflecting on the life of schubert, and on an old story in triathlon which has inspired me looking into the coming year, that of marc harremans

my triathlon year did not pan out, in the sense, that my A race never happened, due to illness. boo-hoo.

marc harremans finished sixth overall in the 2001 Hawaii Ironman, after just a few years in the sport. he was a protege, destined for greatness. 

destiny is indeed a trickster who never runs out of tricks, some more sinister than others.   the next year, marc lost the use of his legs in a training accident. in the face of such a life altering and devastating change of circumstance, he committed himself fully to the goal of finishing the race, with his arms only, that same year. however, the trickster named destiny was not done with him yet; a kidney infection thwarted that brave and incredible response to tragedy. i simply cannot fully communicate how much i was moved by his tears as i watched the 2002 Ironman coverage all these years later. brave, resolute, frustrated, proud and...i don't know what else, but perhaps more perfectly human than most of us ever get to be, and in all of the best ways. he cried...a bit. and then he was at the finish line later that night, watching able bodied athletes find their way home in the land of the holy grail. and he looked happy for them. 

marc harremans toed the line at Ironman Hawaii every year from 2002 until 2006, when he finally finished and won the wheelchair division. today he is a motivational speaker, athlete, coach, father and founder of the "to walk again" foundation. and he is one of my greatest heroes. 

franz schubert died at the age of 31, in relative obscurity, only a few close friends realizing that they were witness to the short, terrestial existence of one of the greatest composers who has ever lived. what a tragedy. yet, i find nothing short of prolific creativity and exploration of the full range of human emotion in the music of schubert. his music seems like a vivid reflection of, rather than a rebellion against, the human conundrum. this is not a man who apparently had much time for wallowing. 

me, i am confused. i keep going. i am more motivated than ever. i am more angry at the human condition than ever, yet that anger is tempered in ways i have never before experienced. it is an anger distilled, if you will, aged into something with bite but also mellow character. like a fine spirit i like to think. i wouldn't say i feel peace. i mostly resonate with a character in a woody allen film who referenced being born having committed no crime, yet being sentenced to death. yes, the conditions of life are unfair, unchosen, and , depending on your ideology, arbitrary. 

yet, i find much to celebrate in the human potential for greatness juxtaposed against the gross un-fairness that inevitably accompanies existence. 

and i have a deeper, more resolute, humble and total understanding of what it means to be an endurance animal. more than ever before. so, 2014 has been a great year. 

may we all have a great year in 2015; yet, i know we all won't...and still, there is the question of where greatness really lives.