France feeds my soul in a sense impossible for me to describe. Waking up this morning with the prospect of a flight to France on my agenda for the day is better than waking up on Christmas morning. Traveling enables me to explore my soul, my concept of living and the depth of my understanding of life in ways only possible by broadening my experience of the world. Moreover, France holds and will always hold a special place in my heart, for eight years ago it was there that I first experienced true freedom and self-compassion. France taught me that I am beautiful. It was France that opened my eyes to a world beyond eating disorders and self-consciousness and threw me into a world of confidence, joie de vivre, and real living.
I am off on a journey today to complete an Ironman, a life-transforming race, in a country that has already transformed my life, mind, body, and soul. It is said that the longest journey a man must take is the eighteen inches from his head to his heart. With that in mind, I am off on a journey of following my heart. I have trained my mind and body for months to be strong, to endure, and to have fortitude beyond measure, and now it’s time to listen to my heart and let everything else go on autopilot. As I prepare to tackle the Ironman journey of 140.6 miles, I know for a fact that my heart and my mind will carry my body to the finish line when my limbs are too weak to continue on their own.
Train your mind to embrace the life that you have always dreamed of and follow your heart wherever it tells you to go. Trust your body and treat it well for it will carry you farther than you could possibly imagine
That’s why we do Ironman. It’s to be able to show up on race day to battle the elements, our emotional devils, and the physical challenges that are thrown into our path along the way to the finish line. How we deal with these adversities is what helps to enrich our lives, and also helps us to learn how to deal with other major issues that face us in our normal lives. – Debi Bernardes