THE RESTING HURDLE

So I hit my first obstacle in my daily blog writing challenge. Instead of getting up early and penning my blog, I diverted into doing morning chores. It’s now 1:00 in the afternoon and my normal morning inspiration has left me. But like any challenge, there are going to be difficulties and hurdles to overcome, so I will stumble along like a runner in a marathon who has just developed an irritating inner leg rash.

I played the $250 NL event Deepstack at Venetian here in Las Vegas yesterday. I got there 30 mins late, hadn’t eaten and wasn’t feeling physically at my best. I’m just getting back on my feet after having been sick the past couple of weeks. So I got to my table ordered some food to eat and started reading Card Player magazine while I viewed and pitched almost every hand into the muck. Coincidentally the cards I were getting were as cold as my approach was to the game this day. I ended up losing my discipline and called a multi-limp pot in MP with Td3d, flopped a flush draw and getting it all in against a player who flopped 2 pair. I whiffed and was out after only 5 levels of play. My exit was actually a welcome relief, as I was feeling weaker by the hour. I obviously didn’t realize I was not in competitive shape when I made my way to the casino. Because my energy was low I just didn’t have the strength to battle through.

So one of the reasons for my late start today is that I slept in, trying to get some well needed rest. It’s hard when you’re used to running around everyday in this fast paced world to slow down and allow your body the rest it is telling you it needs. Getting sick may be one of the notifications the body uses to tell us to slow down.

I didn’t head down for day 1B today of the 200k guarantee tournament at Venetian.

I’ve learned my lesson and am staying home, resting and regaining my strength. Instead I’ll use the time to deal out some flops and practice some challenging situations that have come up in the past and better prepare myself for tournaments ahead. I also want to work on my backgammon game. My brother sent me some great resources to do that.

What is it about games that I love so much? I suppose I love the challenge that they present. Not just the challenge of defeating the other player(s), but in discovering and confronting my own personal obstacles and challenges that I have to overcome in order to win. I believe any game can teach you great things about yourself if you let it. In learning to overcome those challenges you become more then just a better player in the game, but the best become better people as well.

I have 12 more words in which to reach my 500 word goal and this last sentence put me over the top of that hurdle today. I’m sure there will be another one somewhere along the track, but with each day of showing up I’m gaining more strength and confidence that I’ll win the race.

Enjoy the Journey!

Kenna