Lessons from DNS's

I’ve been pondering my tri’less season, as the summer is starting to fade and the local races are finished. At this time last fall, I had completed a season of 4 tri events, and a ½ marathon (all firsts for me), and had a plan for a 1/2IM in July/05. This didn't happen, instead I lost countless miles of training BUT I gained precious miles in the lessons of life, and in the process found freedom. So....

Some lessons learned from my DNS’s:

1. Training can get me through many difficult parts of life, but not the hell parts of life.  
2. When my children are hurting, training doesn’t help.
3. When I literally and figuratively can’t stand up anymore – I have family and friends who hold me up.  
4. Listen to my body – when the mind, soul and body are exhausted, let it heal. There is no other way.
5. There will hopefully be other years of training and  racing – but if for some reason life provides unexpected roads which prevent this, I know it will also provide new adventures.
6. Mental strength and endurance can come from many places aside from the road or pool, and are equally important.
7. Coming back to training is like finding an old familiar friend waiting for me.
8. And lastly – enjoy wholeheartedly the bubbles of joy that I feel at once again doing the swim/bike/run!

Are there others who learnt far more than they expected from a DNS??