Humility and Adversity

Having UC and being a triathlete I have learned many lessons in humility and dealing with adverse situations. Here is one area that those two roles come hand-in-hand. I am not sure if the triathlon training and racing has helped me deal with humility and adversity that comes with UC or if it is the other way around. My UC symptoms started around the same time I started my triathlon training (I believe this is just coincidental). Regardless, each situation is helped by each other.

Triathletes, by the nature of the sport, face much humility. A friend once told me that a triathlon is the best place to look for a girlfriend: you know what you are getting. After all, everyone is practically naked. Additionally, everybody’s nervous ticks are on display. Anybody with UC knows, and fears, humility. From my experience with humility I know that humiliating events are temporary and are often forgotten. Besides, nearly everybody has faced humility at one point in their life; especially if you are a parent!

The condition of UC is, in its own right, an adverse situation. It can be very mentally debilitating if you do not learn to deal with the adversity. There are many ways that people can and have overcome the adversity of UC (see some examples at www.ccfa.org and www.asacol.com). A positive outlook is needed to be able to move on. Triathletes face multiple types of adversity (on a lesser scale) at every race and most training days. Changes in weather conditions, water conditions, a flat tire, an injury or cramp. If a single event swings your mood to a negative side you will be pulling yourself out of the race. However, for both UC and triathlon, caution needs to be taken to not cross the line of over-pushing.