Our flight into the Valley of the Sun took us directly over the Ironman course. I could see the majority of the bike course as I played out in my mind what it would be like on this corner or that, on this stretch of road or that, what it would be like to be out on Beeline suffering in the wind with 2500 others on a day where many dreams will come true. Although signed up for this race because of injury I will be a DNS (Did not start).
I also saw the only major hill on the run course with it's decent back to the Lake. I knew from past experience what it's like to descend that hill in the final miles of the marathon, the final miles of a day never to be forgotten by so many.
I was met with anxiety, I was met with a longing to be out there and I was met with remorse. These were selfish things as I focused inward on what this trip will mean for me. Yes I took a minute to feel this selfish angst in an effort to get past it. I need to move past it by race day. These feelings need to be put to bed so I can begin the process of giving back to everyone involved.
As the Tri season comes to a close it's time to work with my sponsors about next year. When I opened the package sent by Base Performance a sponsor I am proud to say I have been working with for going on my third year, I have used Base products for years, part of the package is that you have to volunteer at a charity event. It can be one of the many phenomenal charities Base supports or one of your favorite local charities, but you must give back. You must make an attempt to grow the sport.
I have always been a believer in giving back to the Tri community, be it mentoring a newbie, volunteering as a bike course director at a local kids tri or volunteering at a local or national race. The point being is to give back to and grow a community that continues to give so much to me.
As I worked through the information packet for the Base Ambassador program I was unaware of how much the last tag line of the outline of the program struck me. That was until I flew over the course at Ironman Arizona.
Old people plant small trees, middle aged people plant large ones. As I have gone through the process of "rehabilitating" our back yard I have always chosen to put in larger plants not all of them trees but the theory applies. As we all know larger "trees" cost more then smaller ones, but I didn't care. Thinking "I'm to old to plant small trees".
Middle aged people tend to plant large trees. By the time a small tree has matured our leaves may be falling as thoughts begin to shifting to life under the roots of the tree.
So why do old people plant small trees? Why do old people go through the effort to plant trees at all you may ask.
The obvious answer may be wrong. The obvious answer is old trees are to costly to someone on a fixed retirement income and frankly the physical nature of a large tree is too heavy.
Big trees are also too large for a 50-year old who believes there can never be enough trees in my life but that one back injury is sufficient.
So why do old people plant thin, young tress? The answer lies in the fact that when you ask people of age what they want for their future you are not asking what they want for themselves, they will be elsewhere in the future. You are asking if what they want is for us. You are asking what they long for on our behalf. And that's why old people plant small trees.
Middle-aged or in this case a 50 year old plant tress for purely selfish reasons, for themselves. I tend to plant trees that are large enough so I can enjoy the products the tree provides. So I can enjoy the fruits of my labor.
Old people plant trees for others, for generations of others. It doesn't matter how small the tree is, someday it will produce the intended result. There is no deadline on trees planted by old people.
So if I have begun a quest for immortality, not unlike children and grandchildren for most, should my trees be getting smaller? Would it be pleasing to know that the trees I plant will survive me? Long after my seasons have past, my trees will be living, growing and each spring when the season is new it will be showing it's blossoms to people yet unborn.
It pleases me to know that for years after I have toddled off this beautiful earth that children will climb it's branches in a right of passage as they to spread their own winds. One day young lovers may cuddle up in the shade of my trees or old people may sit sipping cocktails on a long summer's eve underneath a small tree now grown large.
That's why I plant trees. That's why old people plant small trees and that's why when asked what kind of trees do I want for those to follow, I wish for a tree the world has never know.
So this weekend although I wished selfishly I were racing, I will do my best to give back. There will be plenty of opportunity for me to do my part, all be it a very small part. By giving to this large event my hope can only be that others will be inspired not only by the efforts of the athletes but also by this world class event as a whole.
Triathlon is a very self centered sport. It's the nature of the sport itself. This weekend I may have many moments that I selfishly wish I were racing but I hope to move past this in a effort to "plant a tree". What size tree is yet to be determined but if even one tree is planted, one seed is sown then my back yard will be better for it for generations to come.
So go forward, plant your trees. It's up to you to decide how small or large they will be.
