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Beginner or Newbie I will be!
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 2017-09-25 4:32 PM |
 13 |  Subject: Beginner or Newbie I will be!Hello there, I have been interested in triathlons most of my life. I remember watching the Ironman races on TV and thinking how accomplished the athletes must feel (no matter their age or story) as they cross the finish line. I can not tell you who won those races because I never identified with the super athlete. I watched for the "average" people who finished as the course was closed, or the 6'5" 350 lbs football player who rode a bike way too small for him, or the 4' Hawaiian lady putting her head down and grinding out the miles. These are my people! I was never a runner, I rode a bike once or twice, and I swam laps in a pool to make a whirlpool as a kid. I did go out for the middle school track team but due to a technicality I was ineligible to participate. So I went into baseball and never looked back to running or biking as a sport for me to participate. I would still enjoy watching the endurance sports on TV (Ironman, Tour de France etc.) but it never occurred to me that I might be able to do that! Fast forward to my late 20s and you will find me working my way into my career and grinding out the miles in different ways. I was not into fitness and I did not care about what I ate or how much I drank. There was a time when I lost 15lbs to impress an Ex by walking and lifting but I hated it because it consumed what I thought was my life! To make a long post even longer, I met the love of my life not long after this. We married and enjoyed life so much we both ballooned in our weight (she 200 and I 280). Even tho we were happy, life was a struggle. Then...for no apparent reason my wife signs us up for a 5K that took us 45 minutes to complete. By default I received 1st place in my age group (and last!!) and my wife 3rd. Lets just say the few people cheering at the end and the winning of the medal put us on a track that we have not looked back on. So I guess you could say like everyone, we got into running for the overall health benefits. Progressing in my running to this day, I look forward again to endurance sports and eventually completing (not competing in) a marathon next year. Which takes this post full circle. I have been toying with the idea of triathlons because running now is getting to be mundane. I train with a purpose everyday for an eventual goal but I want to test myself even more. I will never win awards for my abilities but if I can finish strong and do something I have never done, I consider that a win! I want to be that person that falls down at the finish line thankful to be able to finish! Then be there to cheer on those behind me. So this is me. I am still training to finish a marathon so I am not even a Beginner Triathlete or Newbie . But one day soon I will be! |
| 2017-09-26 5:11 AM in reply to: SoggyDollars |
1940     , Kronobergs lan | Subject: RE: Beginner or Newbie I will be! Hi and welcome! nice story! |
| 2017-09-27 9:12 AM in reply to: SoggyDollars |
| Pennsylvania | Subject: RE: Beginner or Newbie I will be! Keep your goals in mind and enjoy the mini-milestones along the way! Good on you for deciding to make a healthier change in your life and following through. Best of luck! |
| 2017-10-09 11:27 AM in reply to: 0 |
| 701 | Subject: RE: Beginner or Newbie I will be! Welcome brother. We have very similar stories. I'm a little older and was a little heavier. The appeal of triathlon to me is the same as yours....watching all stripes of finishers participating in the journey....and the appeal of varied disciplines. Riding a bike was always fun for me. Swimming was always fun (although, making a whirlpool is more fun than doing laps). Running? What's that? The aspect of running that finally became an appeal for me was that you don't need perfect weather, you don't need a gym, you don't need all sorts of gear, you can do it just about anytime. Edited by jhaack39 2017-10-09 11:30 AM |
| 2017-10-10 10:57 AM in reply to: SoggyDollars |
Master 6595 Rio Rancho, NM | Subject: RE: Beginner or Newbie I will be! Welcome to BT. I'm glad you checked in. I can identify with your steps toward a bigger goal. I remember my first 5k, 10k, half marathon. Then I got in to tri. I remember my first sprint, oly and my HIM. I remember each finish line. The sense of accomplishment, the emotion for achieving something I'd worked toward. Two weeks ago I finished my first full IM. In the days before and since I've thought a lot about each of the distances and races that led me there. Last night my husband asked me if I knew how many races I've completed. I have no idea. But each one was another step toward something bigger/longer. Enjoy the journey, treasure each training run, each race. You only get one first at each distance. |
| 2017-10-10 2:44 PM in reply to: rrrunner |
| 13 | Subject: RE: Beginner or Newbie I will be! Originally posted by rrrunner Welcome to BT. I'm glad you checked in. I can identify with your steps toward a bigger goal. I remember my first 5k, 10k, half marathon. Then I got in to tri. I remember my first sprint, oly and my HIM. I remember each finish line. The sense of accomplishment, the emotion for achieving something I'd worked toward. Two weeks ago I finished my first full IM. In the days before and since I've thought a lot about each of the distances and races that led me there. Last night my husband asked me if I knew how many races I've completed. I have no idea. But each one was another step toward something bigger/longer. Enjoy the journey, treasure each training run, each race. You only get one first at each distance. I love this! I never really connected the dots before but I do remember every first distance!! My first 5k was a 280lb slug running because my wife said it would be motivating (3yrs later she had no idea of her impact on both of us) i think we jump into a 5k race series that involved 6 or so races throughout the year to keep us motivated (because we paid all the money up front). Then I believe we for some reason jumped to a 15K in Tampa where it was so humid it looked like a snow storm! My first half was in Ft Lauderdale with the same conditions but I pulled up with leg cramps (I finished unrespectfully). So I very much look forward to my marathon but more for the fact of checking it off the running list rather than enjoying it! I have a very different outlook for my transition to triathlons. I am for some reason supper excited to do something different! Thanks to ALL for great words and stories!! Keep them coming because I am not going anywhere anytime soon... |
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