Risk Afoot

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” – T.S. Eliot

I did tell my doctor about the Ironman.  Shortly after I’d done it. 

He chuckled and shook his head.  “Well, I suppose there’s nothing I can do about it now.  As long as you don’t plan on doing anything like that again.”

“Don’t worry,” I replied, “I’ll stick to rugby from now on.”

I laughed.  He didn’t.

This weekend I played in a tournament alongside the England Sevens team – it was awesome to watch those guys doing what they do best.  But despite only a short time on the pitch I was sore the following day.

So I’m hanging up my boots.  The doctor will be pleased.  Although less so for the reason: to avoid an injury that might jeopardise my training for the A2A.

I’m not really supposed to run at all because there’s a chance it may do long-term damage to my feet and ankles, giving me problems later in life.  I know that.  So I’m stupid right?  Stupid to have done the Ironman, stupid to play rugby, stupid to be planning to run 87 miles in a day. 

But think of it like this:

There is a chance that I might do lasting damage.  A chance.  No one, not even the doctors, can tell me what chance.  So why would I give up what I love because it may or may not affect me later?  Why avoid running now so that in 50 years – when I’m too old – then I’ll be healthy enough to run?

Greatness can be reached by many roads but this they have in common: the man unwilling to take risks and unprepared to make sacrifices will never reach his goal.