I was in the lobby of a hotel this past weekend watching the leaders finish the NYC marathon. Both the men and women were incredible but it's the woman's winner, Paula Radcliffe, that was so very impressive. From when I picked up the race at Mile 19, it seemed like second place finisher, Gete Wami, was on Paula's tail the entire time. She just couldn't shake her. It even appeared that for several moments, Paula was faltering but she stayed strong. Her arms were pumping...her stride was strong and her face was determined. If you saw the race, the one thing you can take away was Paula's grit and determination. She would not accept anything but finishing first. As an age group triathlete, we're not going to win may races, if any. But in order to finish strong, to move up a few places in the standings, we should remember Paula Radcliffe. I know that the next time I approach the finish line, I'll remember Gete chasing Paula down and Paula not letting go. Even when Gete moved a few meters ahead, Paula dug down deep and took the lead right back. She is a great example of what it means to be a winner. And we can all learn from that.
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