to Ron
sometimes the content of a tweet cannot be contained in 140 characters. commenting on a blog is ok – but lacks the intention and weight of what i want to say to Ron 1 week from his first Ironman.
ron – first of all – i think it’s funny that you, and all your friends, use the word “first” without having ever heard you mention a desire to do another.
i had a dream that you completed your Ironman wearing every race medal you’ve ever earned. clanging around your neck like mr T – you finished strong and humbled. you were wearing your Boston jacket. you had your PunkRockRacing hat on – and there you were – a diary of proof. a living, breathing, unbroken achiever who inspires not by any overt attempt to do so – you inspire by doing.
i had a lovely new follower ask me the other day what “BQ” meant. i had someone else ask me what a good marathon time was. i had someone else ask me how far a marathon is – and when i answered – they asked me to explain it in terms of distances they could relate to.
my point:
remember: we belong to a bigger world than the skinny athletes who finish first. our world is larger than the twitter running community that bears a striking resemblance to my high school cafeteria. we belong to a world of people who are TERRIFIED to buy a pair of running shoes. a world of people who are SCARED to go to the pool. a world of children who are overweight because their families don’t know where to start. WEIGHT? SPEED? qualifiers that don’t even make SENSE to anybody but you. i hope you find those demons and wrestle them to the ground somewhere in Coeur d’Alene. i hope you take your hat off and humbly acknowledge that you, by making yourself public and inviting us into this journey – are a role model and an inspiration to all of us. no pressure my friend – you’re just holding hands with alot of people right now. you’re in the harvest season of love buddy. i’m getting a little God squad on you here but just know that **I** think you are meant to be exactly where you are.
as the dust swirls in these next few days – clouding your original dream, blurring your vision of the finish, mistaking your nerves for self-doubt – remember that YOU are Ulysses!!! your vision gets MORE clear as you move. the uprights of your horizon grow wider with every step. YOU SHINE IN USE!!!!
i feel your fear. ironman won’t be enough. and the irony is that the journey is 99% finished. you already are an ironman Ron. you just have to go pick up your medal now.
godspeed: an expression of one’s good wishes for a person’s success and safety.
godspeed Ron.
much love,
dre
Dre,
I don’t have the words and “thank you” seems too much of a cliché.
Please know that you will be with me every step of the way on Sunday.
I’m proud to call you my friend.
All the best,
Ron
Ron
June 20, 2010