Winter Olympics

Well, if you’ve been following me on Twitter over the past two weeks, you know I’ve spent most of my down time watching the Olympics. From day one’s freestyle skiing gold medal to today’s hockey game, I’ve been emotionally invested and borderline-obsessed with these games.

Part of that is definitely due to my love for all things sport but part of it has a deeper meaning. There’s something special about athletes dedicating their lives to a sport and working towards one single competition, one single moment. You can’t help but invest yourself emotionally when you hear stories of these often-unknown individuals accomplishing their dreams to reach the pinnacle of their sports.

Hell, I’ll admit it - I look up to these competitors. Not because I dream of wearing a gold medal or competing at that level some day but because of the dedication, the dream, the passion, and the commitment.

The Olympics is two weeks of nonstop Super Bowls and World Cups. It’s an emotional drain but a motivational shot in the arm. It’s Lindsey Vonn’s dedication to her training and Bode Miller’s redemption and passion for skiing on the edge. It’s Shaun White’s pioneering and so many other athletes’ unprecedented and unpredictable victories.

This is exactly what I want in my life. Whether it’s channeling my inner Vonn during training or pushing my limits further like White, I want all of it. This is why I got into endurance racing and this is why I love the Winter Olympics. It’s a competitor’s overload and a set of challenges I once never thought I could do.

So after I take some time away from the television and NBC’s website, you better believe my ever-expanding list of life goals is about to grow just a little bit more. I won’t spoil everything because I expect to merge the future of this blog into a discussion of those new challenges, but I’ll at least tell you that I intend to spend my future triathlon off-seasons up in the mountains and snow.