I Tri, and Try, and Tri - Day One
No, that's not a typo in that title, it's the theme for this summer, the summer of 2017, and hopefully the summer of some transformation for me both physically and spiritually.
A bit of backstory: I've been a runner for about 18 years now, having run my first 5K in 1999 after almost 30 years of being overweight (I got an early start on that). I progressed up the distance chain, running 10Ks, half-marathons, marathons, and even one 50K race. That one took me just under 6 hours, so I'm not a fast runner, but I can endure.
Odd circumstances got me into my first triathlon. I had been swimming (took that up very late in life, too) and was doing some cycling when my bike broke down. When I went to get a new one, the owner of the cycle shop told me one of his athletes was hurt, and couldn't do the local triathlon that weekend, asking if I wanted to do it. Sure, I figured, why not?
To make a long story short, I did the race. It was downright awful, and at least three times, I swore I would never do another. I hated the scrum of the swim start, got kicked in the head, my legs cramped on the bike, the hills were just horrible (well, not in the swim leg), and I felt like I was running through molasses at the end. This was a scene in which I did not belong, and I felt like an imposter next to all of the other racers with their fancy bikes and tri-suits.
But after a few days, I realized that a part of me did enjoy it, and a few weeks later, I found myself at another triathlon. This one was a bit flatter, and a good bit more enjoyable, even if the water was even less clear, and I thought this could be a new adventure.
Fast forward a few years, and I've done a few more sprint-distance tri's and one Olympic distance (nearly a mile swim, 25 miles on the bike, 10K run). On New Year's day, I'm up at midnight to sign up for the local race, the Ridgefield Triathlon, which sells out in hours. But there's something nagging at me, wanting to do more, to push harder. I've felt this before, but ignored it, getting comfortable at the distances I was running, recognizing that I wasn't getting any younger. My work schedule is intense, I volunteer in the community (maybe too much), and I barely have time for a few workouts each week. I certainly can't get in all of the cardio, stretching, and strength training I'm supposed to do, and still sleep a reasonable time.
Now wasn't the time to do something different, or so I thought.......
A bit of backstory: I've been a runner for about 18 years now, having run my first 5K in 1999 after almost 30 years of being overweight (I got an early start on that). I progressed up the distance chain, running 10Ks, half-marathons, marathons, and even one 50K race. That one took me just under 6 hours, so I'm not a fast runner, but I can endure.
Odd circumstances got me into my first triathlon. I had been swimming (took that up very late in life, too) and was doing some cycling when my bike broke down. When I went to get a new one, the owner of the cycle shop told me one of his athletes was hurt, and couldn't do the local triathlon that weekend, asking if I wanted to do it. Sure, I figured, why not?
To make a long story short, I did the race. It was downright awful, and at least three times, I swore I would never do another. I hated the scrum of the swim start, got kicked in the head, my legs cramped on the bike, the hills were just horrible (well, not in the swim leg), and I felt like I was running through molasses at the end. This was a scene in which I did not belong, and I felt like an imposter next to all of the other racers with their fancy bikes and tri-suits.
But after a few days, I realized that a part of me did enjoy it, and a few weeks later, I found myself at another triathlon. This one was a bit flatter, and a good bit more enjoyable, even if the water was even less clear, and I thought this could be a new adventure.
Fast forward a few years, and I've done a few more sprint-distance tri's and one Olympic distance (nearly a mile swim, 25 miles on the bike, 10K run). On New Year's day, I'm up at midnight to sign up for the local race, the Ridgefield Triathlon, which sells out in hours. But there's something nagging at me, wanting to do more, to push harder. I've felt this before, but ignored it, getting comfortable at the distances I was running, recognizing that I wasn't getting any younger. My work schedule is intense, I volunteer in the community (maybe too much), and I barely have time for a few workouts each week. I certainly can't get in all of the cardio, stretching, and strength training I'm supposed to do, and still sleep a reasonable time.
Now wasn't the time to do something different, or so I thought.......
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