General Discussion Triathlon Talk » What was your motivation to start competing in Triathlons? Rss Feed  
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2016-06-17 1:24 PM
in reply to: NealeinMI

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Subject: RE: What was your motivation to start competing in Triathlons?
I was beginning to consciously lose some weight and saw an article in the local paper about a triathlon. I didn't own a bike, never swam in a competitive sense and wasn't really running at the time. Never heard of a triathlon either. I'd been travelling a lot for work and sitting behind a desk, had slowly piled on 100lbs., oh yeah and I smoked.

I digress in reading the article I made a mental note that I'd like to race the triathlon... or rather win it. I did my first tri later that year and the one I read about in the article about a month after that. I came in 110th in the triathlon I'd made the mental goal "to win"... it wasn't until last year that I actually won it... came in 2nd the year before. So it took me a few years to meet that goal.

I don't do it to win now, I just found that I really enjoy "it" and the lifestyle. I've won a few races but the race I'd read about in the paper is a special one for me. I was athletic growing up and sort of lost touch with that over the years. I now race several a year, staff with Virginia Maryland Triathlon Series, qualified for Team USA twice, competed in one World Championship and had a few All-American seasons... feeling great and love getting back in touch with my love for being active.


2016-06-17 2:28 PM
in reply to: xeon

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Subject: RE: What was your motivation to start competing in Triathlons?
In 2010, many years of driving a desk had left me many pounds overweight & out of shape. Had been athletic in HS/college days, and needed to do something. Headed back to the gym, straightened out my diet, and dropped plenty of weight. Was asked to be the bike guy on a relay team for the local tri and accepted immediately. Hadn't ridden a bike in years, and my bike at the time was a Trek street cruiser. Race day was a revelation. Loved it, despite taking 51 minutes to do the 12.5 mile bike loop . Decided then and there I needed to do a entire race myself.

Within 5 days I'd found BT (Yeah!), and signed up for a sprint race in the next town which was happening only 9 weeks out. I had NEVER had a swim lesson and had no real 'swim' technique, and hadn't run in half a life, although I'd run quite a bit in younger days. Took a few swim lessons, and found a "Couch to 5k" running plan. It all worked out, and on race day, I did the whole thing -- crossing the finish line was as powerful an adrenaline shot as I can ever recall. HOOKED immediately. Have done nearly 30 tris, road races, etc since, despite missing most of 2014 & all of 2015 due to injury & health problems.

My first race in 2 years is a week from Sunday, and while my fitness isn't very good, my goal is to finish before the awards start .

I turn 50 next year and to celebrate, I'm going to do IM Lake Placid
2016-06-18 10:47 AM
in reply to: Mike_D


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Subject: RE: What was your motivation to start competing in Triathlons?
For five years I was a volunteer captain at Ironman Coeur d'Alene, in charge of bike / run course marshals out on the course. Each race day was spent circulating around my given sector. Over the years I saw many instances of people overcoming adversity and / or demons to triumph in this grueling endurance event. That old slogan on ABC's Wide World of Sports about "the thrill of victory...the agony of defeat"...I've truly seen it all. Each year, my sedentary, semi-fat self would say: I'm gonna do that some day". It never happened.

Fast forward to two winters ago when I had some surgery that kept me homebound and in extreme pain for two weeks. It remember thinking that it was no fun to live a helpless existence and that I was a massive stroke away from a permanently homebound existence. "From this point on", I thought, "it's either uphill or downhill". I was 59 at the time.

Joined a gym in February 2016. Luckily for me, it was a gym where triathletes and runners hang out and where it was easy to get swept up in support. I have lost 35 lbs, dropping down to 198 on my 6'1" frame. I want to see how 190 feels. I have brought my blood pressure and cholesterol back to normal and have gotten off both my blood pressure meds and my cholesterol medication. To be fair, part of this is diet. I did my first triathlon last summer, a sprint at which I surprisingly came in third in my 60-64 age group. It was an unexpected delight to make the podium in my first tri. I will be doing the Ironman 70.3 in Coeur d'Alene in 8 days. I am excited but cautious, having pulled a calf a few days ago. I am enjoying a long taper.

In my days out on the full Ironman course I met a number of people pushing through adversity, and these experiences have contributed to my inspiration. I will share with you one story:

In the outer reaches of the bike course, about 80 miles into the bike, I came upon a 68 year old man who was off his bike and sitting down. He was done. What does he say to me? "I shouldn't have done this so soon after coming off of chemotherapy". When I asked him when that was he said "two months". Long story short, I gave him a ride to town rather than having him wait for the SAG wagon. Driving in, I told him about my annual inspiration and resolution to one day be one of the athletes out on the course. And, I told him, the dream usually lasted about two weeks until I would inevitably say "WTF was I thinking? I'll never do that". I told him it was probably too late...that I was north of 55 years old and had never been a runner. One of my greatest moments of inspiration, which I carry with me today, is when he looked me straight in the face and said "It's never too late. I never ran a mile until after I was 60".

In nine days, when I am a month short of 61 years old, I will hopefully finish the Cd'A Ironman 70.3. That's my triathlon story.
2016-06-18 8:58 PM
in reply to: NealeinMI

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Subject: RE: What was your motivation to start competing in Triathlons?
I had been running but then we bought a water access cottage about 5 years ago where we spend a lot of summer time. I couldn't put in the hours running so I thought I would stay in shape swimming. I figured that biking is easy so I decided to enter a try a tri. I was hooked. It's a much more all over body workout than running and a lot less boring than doing one sport.
2016-06-19 2:52 AM
in reply to: b2run

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Subject: RE: What was your motivation to start competing in Triathlons?
Always been into team sports and martial arts but the knees gave up and I can't do these things anymore ( unless I start my own water polo team).
I needed something to keep me going crazy by lack of exercice while piling up the pounds.
I don't like running, find cycling rather boring and doing laps in the pool makes me lose the will to live.
But racing in sprint triathlon is kinda of fun and I have to do something about my weight, so I train, with more or less success. Keep hoping I'll het hooked but it hasn't happened yet....
2016-06-19 12:16 PM
in reply to: Rollergirl

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Subject: RE: What was your motivation to start competing in Triathlons?

Originally posted by Rollergirl Always been into team sports and martial arts but the knees gave up and I can't do these things anymore ( unless I start my own water polo team). I needed something to keep me going crazy by lack of exercice while piling up the pounds. I don't like running, find cycling rather boring and doing laps in the pool makes me lose the will to live. But racing in sprint triathlon is kinda of fun and I have to do something about my weight, so I train, with more or less success. Keep hoping I'll het hooked but it hasn't happened yet....

I didn't start to love running until I got to the point where I could run 10 miles without problems the next day. Then it started to be great. I also run with music and that helps.  I also run on a treadmill at home with a big flatscreen and movies. That helps.

Cycling can be kind of boring.  You might be able to ride with groups, or find new places to ride that are interesting to you.

Swimming laps also made me lose the will to live, until I found Audio Flood's waterproof Shuffle so I can swim with music.  http://www.audioflood.com/ or their competitor https://www.swimaudio.com/product/ipod-shuffle-100-waterproof/



2016-06-19 1:24 PM
in reply to: brucemorgan

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Subject: RE: What was your motivation to start competing in Triathlons?
Originally posted by brucemorgan

Originally posted by Rollergirl Always been into team sports and martial arts but the knees gave up and I can't do these things anymore ( unless I start my own water polo team). I needed something to keep me going crazy by lack of exercice while piling up the pounds. I don't like running, find cycling rather boring and doing laps in the pool makes me lose the will to live. But racing in sprint triathlon is kinda of fun and I have to do something about my weight, so I train, with more or less success. Keep hoping I'll het hooked but it hasn't happened yet....

I didn't start to love running until I got to the point where I could run 10 miles without problems the next day. Then it started to be great. I also run with music and that helps.  I also run on a treadmill at home with a big flatscreen and movies. That helps.

Cycling can be kind of boring.  You might be able to ride with groups, or find new places to ride that are interesting to you.

Swimming laps also made me lose the will to live, until I found Audio Flood's waterproof Shuffle so I can swim with music.  http://www.audioflood.com/ or their competitor https://www.swimaudio.com/product/ipod-shuffle-100-waterproof/




Thanks . I run with my dog, it's better than on my own. I swim in the lake in the summer, and that's much better than the pool. I take the dog sometimes, but she's not a fan (yet)
Yes, I definitely need to find a group to ride with.
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