Reaching the Other Shore vs Coming Back to Shore
In "No Shortcuts to the Top," mountaineer Ed Viesturs tells his story
of climbing the world's 14 highest peaks without supplemental oxygen.
An endeavor that took him 18 years.
What always struck me is Viesturs's commitment to one motto, "Reaching the summit is optional. Getting down is mandatory." This from a guy who once turned around 300' from the summit of Everest, and who is one of the most respected high-altitude climbers on the planet.
I have "Failed" countless times in an endurance career that started with a first 10k in 1982. When you don't grow up on teams or playing sports at school you pretty much have to define a vision of yourself as an athlete based on internal doubts of "How do I look to others."
From blown workouts to DNF's I have often dealt with not reaching the goal I had set for myself. Just like everyone else I have spent hours, days or weeks wondering if I was kidding myself by thinking I was someone who could accomplish or become something bigger than my past.
With over three decades of long, solo training sessions and self-reflection, I now have a clear understanding of where I stand on those questions of "How I look" and "What can I do."
1) It doesn't matter how I look.
2) It is never too late to become something more.
What always struck me is Viesturs's commitment to one motto, "Reaching the summit is optional. Getting down is mandatory." This from a guy who once turned around 300' from the summit of Everest, and who is one of the most respected high-altitude climbers on the planet.
I have "Failed" countless times in an endurance career that started with a first 10k in 1982. When you don't grow up on teams or playing sports at school you pretty much have to define a vision of yourself as an athlete based on internal doubts of "How do I look to others."
From blown workouts to DNF's I have often dealt with not reaching the goal I had set for myself. Just like everyone else I have spent hours, days or weeks wondering if I was kidding myself by thinking I was someone who could accomplish or become something bigger than my past.
With over three decades of long, solo training sessions and self-reflection, I now have a clear understanding of where I stand on those questions of "How I look" and "What can I do."
1) It doesn't matter how I look.
2) It is never too late to become something more.
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Truly inspiring, touching and moving true stories. Every human being is a bunch of different life stories. Let us keep knowing and learning.
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