Balance and the Boys

Just finished reading a blog that Scott Molina wrote regarding the recent completion of the 30^th anniversary edition of Ironman New Zealand.  I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the little time that I’ve spent with Scott.  He is incredibly engaging and direct…the kind of guy that pushes your buttons because of his no nonsense approach to training and life.

 But honestly, I’m left with conflicting thoughts and feelings.  On one hand, I love that he shares the pain and suffering experienced to continue to race, train, and compete.  I’ve always been in awe of those folks that I’ve had the privilege to train with that seem to be able to bury themselves to depths that I can only imagine.  Scott, Sam McGlone, and Gordo are a few retired pros that come to mind.  They seem to be able channel some deep place that produce performances disconnected from their already superior talent and fitness.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve drawn upon that to push myself to new personal heights. 

But Scott’s desire to "… Burn Out than to Fade Away" seems a bit dismal.  I can’t help but draw parallels to actors (Heath Ledger and Phillip Seymour Hoffman come to mind) we see that party themselves into oblivion and death, leaving everyone around them discussing how tragic that loss of talent is.  Isn’t there some middle ground?  I’ve never met Dr. John Hellemans, but Gordo has shared his philosophy of focused training intermittently to maintain that balance of health and athletic achievement. 

I don’t want to misinterpret or dramatize Scott’s intention.  But I do hope that I continue to personally define the fine balance between the same enviable traits that produce performance with the restraint necessary to prevent tragic self-destruction.  In my world, this is less about world-class achievement and more about simple diet and fitness choices that prolong optimal health.

In any regard, it is nice to quickly jot down some thoughts this morning to pass onto these guys.  Hopefully my future choices will buy me a little more quality time.  Good luck in finding your balance.