Why Am I Doing This?
My Story
A lot of people laugh when I tell them I am going to become a professional triathlete and ultramarathon runner. I often laugh in return and withold a response so that I don’t waste my time rationalizing my dreams to those that will never understand them. To quote one of my favorite poets:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
WB Yeats
Running is moving meditation. Running helps me restore sanity and peace to a chaotic world. Running is where I do my best thinking, where I reach my highest motivation, and where I find God. The more I run, the more I find that I am born to run. Running is primal and it feels great to reach that point where mind must override the body. Simply put: I love running.
As for the rest of the equation, I never thought I would enjoy cycling. I used to watch cyclists and wonder why they would spend all day on a bike risking accidents and looking crazy in their clothes. Then I started cycling. There is something unique about hitting the open road on a bike and feeling the wind zip past you. Were it not for the discomfort of the saddle, I could spend all day on a bike travelling across the world. It is a fabulous way to connect with the spirit of the road.
Swimming is something I used to do as a child and then lost as I got older. However, being in the water is a very curious feeling, especially in the ocean. Swimming laps is ok, but swimming in open water is where the real fun is. Maybe it is the idea of reconnecting with our one-celled ancestors or just being in a different world, but like the other two sports, I could swim all day if time would allow.
My First Triathlon
I saw the Kona Championships on TV several years ago and was enthralled with the competitive spirit on display. I swore that someday I would become an Ironman, but years went by and I found myself moving in the opposite direction. Then, I went through some sort of internal metamorphasis and my life started changing in more ways than one. I stopped bad habits and started better habits and as my well-being and health increased, I realized that I’d left some dreams on the shelf. I started running and became addicted to it. I started 5k races, then 10k races, then moved on to half-marathons and 10 mile races. Pretty soon I was knocking things off of my list that I thought I’d never accomplish. I was becoming the guy I wanted to be and it was an amazing feeling.
I no longer went to bed feeling as if I hadn’t accomplished enough, for I was accomplishing more. However, there was still one thing left to do…a triathlon. The problem was I didn’t really have access to a pool or a bike, but I made it work by getting a 10 day trial to a local club and buying a cheap mountain bike. I was already in running shape, so I signed up for a sprint triathlon and figured if I didn’t do it now I’d never do it. So I spent the next 10 days training in the pool and on the road as much as I could. I didn’t get nearly as much training in as I wanted but nevertheless I showed up on race day nervous and excited. I was one of 2 or 3 with a mountain bike and I definiately got some strange looks, but I was not deterred.
The gun went off and I spent the next 15 minutes getting kicked in the face in freezing water, but the rush was amazing! Finally getting out of the lake I ran to my bike on exhausted legs and struggled for approximately an hour and 10 minutes covering the 17 mile 2nd leg. I dropped off my bike and started running and kept thinking to myself that I was amazed by how much fun I was having. I passed a good deal of people on the run and crossed the finish line with my family proudly watching. I’ll never forget the look in their eyes as they watched me accomplish a dream. I’d finally done it, and who knew it would be so fun?
The Aftermath
So now I’d been bitten by the Triathlon bug and there was nowhere to go but forward. I convinced my wife to let me buy a bike, a model similar to this: Trek 1000 Racing Bike
