COURAGE is Endurance for One Moment More

An Unidentified Marine during the Vietnam War once said, “Courage is endurance for one moment more.” One minute more, can you hang on for one minute more?

I once told my friend Maryellen, who happens to be the proud mother of a United States Marine, you can do anything for one more minute. I didn't know I was quoting a wartime Marine. Just like lowering your gaze to see one obstacle at a time instead of a horizon of obstacles. One thing at a time, one minute more, hang in there, you can do it.  Courage to face the next thing, one moment at a time.

I participated in the Mighty Montauk Triathlon a few years ago. A race, as far as I know, made popular by Timmy Coughlin who has inspired hundreds of people from serious athletes to weekend warriors to participate in this event. His motto was Work Hard/Play Hard and he embodied this philosophy heart and soul before his life was tragically taken, along with so many other outstanding people we knew and loved, in the terrorist attacks of 9/11. The Tri challenges the athlete’s body and mind and it was a great accomplishment for my bucket list and I did it! (Don’t know if I will ever do that again but…)  His wife Maura Coughlin-Roberti and her husband Billy continue on the tradition to this day as well as many friends and family members of Timmy’s and it has become the unofficial Timmy Coughlin Tri for those in the know for sure. A friend of mine who had done it for years, was being very encouraging to me when he heard I was going to attempt to challenge myself by entering the race. “What will be the hardest part for you?” I said, “definitely the swim”. He said, “Ok, so when you get in the water don’t look at the 6 buoys in the horizon because a half-mile out to sea looks far. Look at the first buoy you have to swim to, then when you get there look at the next one, and so on. Before you know it you will be counting them down on your way back and then all you will have to do is bike 25 miles and run a 10K.” I extinguished my cigarette in my martini glass and thanked him for the advice.

Cut to race day. I was so nervous I couldn’t believe it. I had spent the night with my friend Cathleen and she was a great calming presence. I got down to the beach where I met Maura who had been so encouraging and supportive of me from the start of my training; I could not have gotten through it without her love and advice. We took a picture together and she looks as cool as a cucumber and I look like my eyes are going to pop out of my head. We get in the water waist high with our numbers on our caps ready for the gunshot to begin the swim. Luckily for me it was so foggy that morning that I had to take Mark’s advice because you could only see 1 buoy at a time. While standing waist high in the murky cold water Cathleen introduced me to a friend of hers and just as the gun goes off I hear this chick ask me, “Is your wetsuit on inside out?” AHHH!! What? No time to panic, start swimming! The entire time I am thinking, I wonder if I’m sinking in this grey cold water because my stupid wetsuit is on inside out? I eventually stagger to shore 35 minutes later on legs made of Jell-O. Not a great time but, great for me! I completed the remaining two legs of the event slowly but steadily. As I ran around the bend with my friend Marilyn who could have dusted me but she was so supportive and stayed with me for the last leg of the run and we saw the finish line I knew all I had to do was keep going for one minute more and the greatest physical achievement, (besides giving birth), would be waiting for me. I knew I was going to do it! I saw my Dad, my husband Mark, my friend Jen, all cheering me on. And then I saw my son and two youngest daughters standing there cheering their mom to keep going and I saw the pride in their eyes and it gave me the courage to run a little faster for that last moment of the race and finish strong. “Courage is endurance for one moment more”. This pertains to everything in life not just the physical challenges we face but our emotional, mental and spiritual challenges as well. Have the courage to hold on one moment more, that will lead to the next moment and the next. You can do it, if you just have the courage to hold on.