Getting into Triathlons as a mid-life crisis

Guilty.

Was fat, out of shape, and had heart issues. Started doing triathlons, exercising, new job and new outlook on life. Happier now. No sports car but a "Sports bike"

I'm 45. If that is considered mid-life, then yes. Didn't want a new car. Just wanted to get in shape and have fun. Still don't want a new car, just a new bike

My 22 year old son calls triathlon my mid life crisis. I call it my celebration of life. Besides, I plan to live well beyond 100 and I'm not 50 quite yet so I'm not at the mid point

I'm 43, and started this year, but its always something I wanted to do, but never had the time. Was getting really fat and out of shape as well, so the whole thing is working out well so far.

And yes, I'm guilty on the car thing. Did that in March, just about the time I finally got off the couch and started moving again.

But now I want a new bike...

got off the couch at 44 years old... started Tri's at 46 years old... I got divorced, I drive a convertible, I have an awesome bike... mid-life crisis? who knows - I'm just enjoying life

Well, look at my user name. LOL

Hmm...I'm 50 now and I think my midlife crisis has probably been rolling along since I was 37 and ended my first marriage...so not sure I can say "triathlon" = "midlife crisis"...just one part of a bigger, messier picture that includes one divorce, one marriage, one career change, 2 IMs, 4 marathons, and 75 lbs of weight loss. 

On the triathlon front, however, I didn't start until I was 47.  I was already doing running events, however, and had finished my first marathon by that point.  Didn't have any thoughts of doing a tri until my wife (the current wife, that is), decided to do one with some people from work and asked me nicely if I wouldn't mind doing it with her.

So I suppose if it wasn't for the midlife crisis -> divorce -> 2nd marriage, I wouldn't have stumbled into triathlons... 

Not sure that I would call it a "crisis" - I'm enjoying the heck out of it!   But yes, my first venture into triathlon has been "mid life driven".   

I'm pusjing 50.  Was never a complete couch potato, but a stressful job; a lot of travel and raising a family were starting to take a toll!   Started with running (half marathons) and am stepping-up to triathlon.

Interestingly the "triathlon thing" and associated training has really helped me re-claim my work-life balance.  I'm also really pleased that my kids are taking an interest!

No sportscar and no regrets for me!

x2-I call it my 'Life Destination Course Correction".

Me:  47, always stayed 'in shape', but started doing tris after marriage ended.  My kids think it's pretty cool that their 'ol man can still bring it on race day.

as far as a midlife crises goes hookers and drugs and cars are more expensive...but just barely

I started when I was 30 but I was a runner before then. I had knee surgery and the doctor said "dont run anymore". I heard "dont run as much" so I needed something to fill the exercise void and was easier on my knee. Thats how cycling and swimming enetered my mix. Plus I dont want to be the "old dad" who looks 50 at 35. I like being fit and athletic compared to many of my peers and that I can do anything my kids want to do without a second thought.

A Harley and a 22 yr old girl friend constitute a mid-life crisis.

I'm 47   got into Triathlon due to running injury.  

Four years ago I became a runner.  Running nearly daily.

 Started swimming and spin class to keep in shape while healing from running injuries. 
I had hung up my bike after quitting cycling due to bad race crash many moons ago. was a Cat 2 racer. Had not been on a bike for 15 years.   Rekindled my love for cycling. 

 Continued to swim as cross training.    After a while I thought hmmm  Triathlon!  

Now why did i get into running?  HA!  Mid life crises   YES indeed.  The crises was a diabetes diagnosis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol  etc.   And two little darling daughters that needed a good example.  I was not it.  

Thus I would have to say it WAS a mid life crises.  Just not the type you meant.


Edited by oriolepwr 2010-08-25 6:31 PM

More or less, yes.  I don't know whether it was a classic 'mid-life crisis' -- I had, and have, no qualms about growing old and dying -- but I was very unhappy with my condition, and especially with the message I felt it was sending to my kids.

There are alot of things people do when they hit middle age.  I wouldn't call it a crisis either.  It's a time in your life when it can be more about you and less about your kids.  They start becoming more independent and suddenly you find you have time for yourself.  There are many benefits to spending that time training and doing tri's . 

When I turned 50, I realized that if there was something I wanted to do during my life then I had better get on with doing it!

A friend did her first triathlon last year and was so pumped by it.  So I learned to jog, got my bike out of the attic, and started swimming laps again for the first time since high school.  I did my first sprint tri back in April, will do another in September, and am having a BLAST while training!  Don't know if that is a crisis exactly, but I do feel rejuvenated. 

I'm 52 and a proud grandpa.  Started tri training 20 months ago.  Don't know that I would call it a mid-life crisis however it did cause me to develop an addiction to endorphins.

I've happened into triathlon this year, at age 43, for a combination of reasons, none of them I consider a mid-life crisis. I needed to get into much better shape a lose a bunch of weight, and it provided a structured, goal-based way to achieve that. I also was looking for a new challenge after finally achieving some big time goals I'd work towards for over ten years, and tri is unexpectedly providing that. The other attractions for me are that it is hard no matter what, and can be really, really hard when/if long course is attempted, working three sports never gets dull, and there are so many things to learn that I've never dealt with before. Lots of great attributes at any age.

I got into triathlons because my Dad died from lung cancer in '09.

Initially, being an avid runner, I wanted to do races that benefited lung cancer research, but I found no serious races (10k and above). So I looked into doing my own race, people told me it was a lot of work and very hard to organize. I was discouraged.

Then I got in touch with my now tri coach, Amy Bennett of Camp Bennett. I heard from someone she was organizing her own race, and so I asked her how to do it. She said right away that she'd add a 10K race just for lung cancer ! I was so excited, then she asked me to help plan it..so I did.

Turns out her race is a 2 day multi-event with off-road run, mountain bike race, and triathlon, called Freedom Fest.

During one of her planning sessions, a couple months out, she said that I should just sign up for all the races ! (I was planning on just doing the 10k race).  So I took her challenge and started training. Did a few sprint triathlons to get some experience before hand, and then did all 3 races on July 4th/5th 2009. It has changed me forever.

We just planned our second Freedom Fest Hawaii this past July 3rd/4th 2010, and was amazing to do it all again. This year we added 1 more race, total of 4 races in 2 days. We hope to offer this race every year - held at Kualoa Ranch on Oahu Hawaii.  It's really a great experience - a beautiful valley to do it all in.

We donate our proceeds to cancer research and to American Red Cross. Freedom Fest was a way to help honor my Dad, and potentially help those stricken with the awful disease of cancer.
 
www.freedomfesthawaii.com

Since that initial step, I have participated in quite a few triathlons, and my first marathon. Planning on IM next year. It's been a great change in my life.

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I'd call it a mid-course correction... or maybe after you've gone around the first buoy on the swim and you swim too long without sighting... and you poke your head up and you realize you're not quite where you thought you'd be :-)

But you do seem to wake up and reflect somewhere in here about what's important... next week is the big 5-0 for me... we're taking our one-and-only up to her first year in college tomorrow and my Mom was in the ICU over the weekend (better now, but lots of unknowns going forward).  I'd prefer if there wasn't quite the convergence of events this week, but it does focus one's mind.

Yep, mid-life crisis, here I am!  (Glad I have triathlons as an outlet)

Stu

I'm 46...right in the mid life crisis. I'm in triathlon for 10 years now...so for me, it's not mid life crisis related. But, there are a lot of other things that justify my symptoms...lolllll....too much things....