Yesterday I posted while sitting in a hallway waiting for my best friend Frank to finish the competitor’s meeting at his bodybuilding competition. It was a long day from there and despite being in the best shape of his life, Frank took 3rd overall in his 1st pro bodybuilding competition. 

Bodybuilding is tough as the judging is highly subjective and unlike other sports, it’s not clear who the winner will be and it’s often less clear why a particular person won at all. The judges’ score sheets are not made available, so it’s impossible to tell what they were thinking or why they liked some competitors and not others. Frankly I find the entire process very frustrating, but it is what it is. 

Frank was in the best shape ever, better than the night he won his pro card a year ago. I thought at worst he was a 2nd place finisher and made a strong case for 1st, but I was wrong. Personally, the fact that he was in the best shape of his life was a major victory. Most guys miss it by a mile or don’t care enough to see it through to the end. 

I admire Frank’s passion and his will power. I could never eat the way he does or drag myself into the gym at 5am to run on a treadmill. I don’t have the passion or will power for either. I do love lifting weights and I love lifting with Frank, the gym is truly a refuge and sanctuary. 

I’ve spent the day thinking about Frank’s finish and the nature of failure (although I don’t consider his 3rd place finish a failure at all) and I’ve realized that every one fails, a lot. Somehow we focus on people after they are successful, forgetting all the times they failed. This is true of sports stars, business people, government officials and just about everyone. Perhaps failure is nature’s way of weeding out week people, making sure it’s not too crowded at the top. It’s interesting to see what drives someone to keep trying at all costs and others to give up quickly, sometimes before they even get started. 

I could likely write all night about this, but it’s late and I’m tired. Watching Frank was an emotional roller coaster and it really took a toll. Thankfully I know he will regroup and plan a path forward, the best always do.