The Art of Failure
I recently told my students that success comes with many failures. It’s how you handle those failures that defines who you are and allows you to keep reaching for your goals. I’ve had many failures in applying for grants, publications, and jobs. Today was the first day that I felt like a failure in my English Channel training. I quit swimming because my shoulder hurt too much that I wanted to cry. I left my training partner halfway through our 4-hour swim and drove home feeling deflated.
I’m 2 months out of my window and at the peak of my training. In May, my goal is to swim 85 miles — the most I’ve ever swam. But unfortunately, as I’ve started to ramp up my training, my 33-year old body is starting to wear down. I have to be careful to not push it because anything I do now could not only impact my performance on the day of the swim, but also have lifelong consequences.
The good news is that I’ve got a solid foundation under my belt and I’ve already completed my 6-hour qualifier swim. I can take a few days off to rest and hopefully with physical therapy and exercises, I can strengthen my shoulder.
I’m so close.
