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Triathlon and your career
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Very satisfied in career situation48 Votes - [37.21%]
Somewhat satisfied in career situation45 Votes - [34.88%]
Not very satisfied in career situation24 Votes - [18.6%]
Extremely unsatisfied in career situation3 Votes - [2.33%]
Student/Home maker/Not currently employed9 Votes - [6.98%]

2007-04-03 1:21 AM

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Champion
6056
500010002525
Menomonee Falls, WI
Subject: Triathlon and your career
It's no secret that some personality types are more attracted to triathlon than others. I am interested in the relationship between triathlon and your career. Specifically, I would like to know how satisfied you are in your current career and your motivations for participating in multisports.

Please rate the degree to which you are satisfied in your current career and feel free to share the primary reason you participate in multisports as it may pertain to your career. Do you train to "let off steam" and alleviate the stress your job may cause? Do you do triathlons to re-channel some of the frustration you may feel in your job situation? Are you simply a competitive personality, driven to rise to the top both in the workplace and on the race course? Something else?



2007-04-03 1:49 AM
in reply to: #746679

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Master
1567
10005002525
Kauai, Hawaii
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career

Mom of 2.5 year old twins boys. Love it! Can be challenging to get workouts in. Do most of them while they take their nap.  Then there is Dad and sitters!  Yes I am competitive in that I want to do my best.

Before Kids I became a RN and worked in the ICU so training was a stress reliever, nursing is a good career to train due to different shifts and schedules.  I preferred 12 hour shifts three days a week, the days I worked I would get up early and get a workout in.  I plan on going back on call this fall when the boys go to preschool.

Overall I train to stay in shape, if I have a race to shoot for then I don't slack. I think it is a good stress reliever for any reason, job, kids and life!  I don't think my personality is competitive but do like to compete!

2007-04-03 1:55 AM
in reply to: #746679

Veteran
354
1001001002525
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career

It is very difficult to train and race with my career being I work 12 hr nights 7p-7a. The only perk is that I work 3 days a week. The hard part is coming in from work at 8 am and having the next night off, I sleep about 6-7 hrs and wake up around 2pm and then I have to start the day/workouts. It is epecially hard come race morning when I need to go to sleep early and wake up before I would usually be going to bed. I  first got into this sport to fill my free time when I would be off for about 3 days in a row. Started off more as a healthy hobby.

2007-04-03 3:52 AM
in reply to: #746679

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Extreme Veteran
1491
1000100100100100252525
northeast Ohio
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career
I am very satisfied with my career.  I work full time as a veterinarian.   I don't see my participation in sports related to my career at all.  I lost some weight a couple years ago and getting into triathlons was good motivation to keep exercising to stay fit and healthy.  Although I do want to improve and I am competitive with myself, I am a purely recreational triathlete.  To me, life is about balance.  There is family, work, sleep, exercise, hobbies, community.  Each takes a chunk of my weekly time available.  For me, 6-8 hours per week in the exercise category seems to be about right to maintain the balance.
2007-04-03 5:42 AM
in reply to: #746679

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Regular
97
252525
Long Island
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career
I'm a high school teacher and track coach. It is hard to be around athletes all day and not want to compete. They also give me so much time off what else can I do.

Edited by incognito 2007-04-03 5:43 AM
2007-04-03 5:54 AM
in reply to: #746700

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Cycling Guru
15134
50005000500010025
Fulton, MD
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career
I'm an architect and in both offices I've worked in they are always pretty liberal about "hours" of operation.  As long as you put in your time and make all your deadlines and meetings you can pretty much do what you want (to some extent).


2007-04-03 6:44 AM
in reply to: #746679

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Extreme Veteran
374
1001001002525
Hoboken, NJ
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career

Interesting post.

I'm 'very satisfied' in my career.  In my current job I would say I'm 'somewhat satisfied'.  There are things I like and things I don't care for.  I've been very successful in my current job and the 4 years I've been there net on the plus side without question, but I can see from here that I'll be moving on within the next 18 months or so.

2007-04-03 8:26 AM
in reply to: #746679

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Master
2356
20001001001002525
Fenton, MI
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career
Although I very satisfied with my position and career, I needed a greater challenge.

I lost some weight and got into pretty good shape, but I needed a greater challenge to keep going.

I started swimming because it was hard. I got decent at that, but I needed a greater challenge.

This spring I'll do my first sprint, but I can already tell, I'm going to want to longer and harder ....

2007-04-03 8:29 AM
in reply to: #746679

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Expert
1144
100010025
Kansas City, MO
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career
I voted that I'm very satisfied with my situation, but I'm about to go to an interview with our company's direct competitor.  :P 
2007-04-03 8:41 AM
in reply to: #746679

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Veteran
256
1001002525
Hooksett, New Hampshire
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career

I'm satisfied with my career as a stay at home mom to 3 great kids.  But I've always loved to compete and be active.  Now that I've finished having kids and my body is my own again, I feel that I can push myself the way I've always done pre-babymaking.

I need a challenge and Triathlon training can fit into my life style.  I choose when to train, etc.  Plus, it's a great example to set for my kids.  I'm the only mom I know in town who is doing a tri. 

2007-04-03 8:47 AM
in reply to: #746679

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Member
46
25
Twin Cities, MN
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career
I am somewhat satisfied. I work as a school psychologist, which can be pretty emotionally draining, more than anything. However, with 9 weeks of school left until summer vacation, triathlon training pretty much becomes my full time job during the summer!


2007-04-03 8:57 AM
in reply to: #746679

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Elite
3067
200010002525
Cheesehead, WI
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career

I'm currently unemployed well, work very part time at the Y. I was in a career that entailed lots of travel and that made me nuts in terms of getting workouts in. I'm looking for a job now and frankly don't want anything that starts too early in the am because that's my workout time. Also as a mom, juggling workouts around family can be a struggle. For example, Sundays are a perfect day for a long ride right? My husband works Saturdays so Sundays are it for long rides... but sometimes it just doesn't work out between family commitments, weather etc... I have learned that I have to be flexible and also have finally learned that if I don't work out on a given day that it is NOT the end of the world and my muscles and aerobic training won't suddenly go out the window.

I got into working out to maintain weight and gain some firmer muscles... over time, I found that it also helped immensely with stress and overall psychological well being. I then took up biking and found it to be fun! Then triathlon... more as a 'lets see if I can do this thing' and now do it because of all the aforementioned reasons but more importantly as a goal. The goal is not so important as the ability to 'push' my limits - physically, mentally and emotionally. Every little 'gain' has a positive impact on me.

2007-04-03 9:06 AM
in reply to: #746679

Expert
1113
1000100
Las Vegas
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career
Never been happy, and don't expect I ever will be unless I am working for myself.  Never much liked working for "the man".  I use Triathlon as an escape from the hell that is WORK.
2007-04-03 9:14 AM
in reply to: #746870

Champion
6539
5000100050025
South Jersey
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career
I am very happy with my career (well, job). I see a job as a means to an end basically, but I do like what I do, and don't at all mind getting up and going to work everyday. I didn't like my job much last week when I had to travel out of town for a last-minute trip that screwed up my training (I don't really travel much with my job), but for the most part, I am extremely happy. That said, I know I will never LOVE a job, and if I didn't have something outside of work (i.e., triathlon) that makes me so happy, I may not be as happy at work either. My job helps me pay the bills and buy tri stuff, so it's all good .
2007-04-03 10:01 AM
in reply to: #746679

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Expert
1092
1000252525
Earth
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career

I am pretty generally satisfied with my job.  But as someone else said, it really has nothing to do with Triathloning.  My job allows me to provide for my family, sometimes it requires me to give up things I would rather be doing.  1 day a month I know I have to work Saturday, most other Saturdays are mine without a problem.  But I also work many nights until 6:30 or later, and with a 45 minute drive that eats into family and training time.

2007-04-03 10:54 AM
in reply to: #746679

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Expert
760
5001001002525
Mt. Morris, IL
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career
I already saw one teacher respond, but I am very satisfied with my job.  It takes a special person to be a (good) teacher, but if you have the ability to relate to your students, your life is good.  I coach three sports (football, wrestling, track), so I have very little time during the school year, but you can't beat the summers. 


2007-04-03 11:46 AM
in reply to: #746679

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Champion
6285
50001000100100252525
Beautiful Sonoma County
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career

To be honest, my job and my training are two very different things. I like my career, although I'm considering tinkering with it over the next couple of years to bring it more in-line with my personal values.  Work is what I do for money, and that's pretty much it.  It's not WHO I am.

Training is what I do for fun.  In fact, if someone were to ask me to describe myself, I'd probably say "triathlete" long before I said "print production manager."

I don't think about work when I'm training, but I do think about training when I'm at work...

2007-04-03 11:55 AM
in reply to: #746679

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Expert
789
500100100252525
Lake Forest, Illinois
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career

I'm very satisfied with my career situation.  I'm a massage therapist and in hospital management.  I love my organization and the people I work with (I better I hired them hehe).

I train to eat.  I come from a competative athletic background and then when I got out of competition I gained a bunch of weight.  Now that my weight is back closer to where I want it to be I train so I can keep eating stuff I like 8)

OK I also enjoy it and use it as my meditation in motion, but one can't under-estimate the importance of burning an extra 500-1k calories a day.

2007-04-03 12:12 PM
in reply to: #746679

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Veteran
303
100100100
Auburn, Alabama
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career
college student...

I hate my major, so does that count?
2007-04-03 12:22 PM
in reply to: #746679

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Extreme Veteran
356
1001001002525
Lethbridge, AB
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career
Good questions. Love my job for the most part. I love being in the classroom, interacting with people and performing at a high level. The connection to triathlons.. yes, I think there is one. I had to work my butt of to get where I am in my career and most of us work our butts off training. I also find a lot of correlations between performance aspects of triathlon and music. I use a lot of the same skill sets and personality quirks.

It's also a great stress reliever for me. Time to think, time to just be by myself, no kids, no students, no audience. Being expected to play perfectly every time definitely gets to you at times. But, again, a similarity. When I perform I concentrate on making music, and sharing my love with the audience, not necessarily making it perfect, when I race I try to concentrate on the joy it brings me and how lucky I am to be able to do what I do.

Just an addition... I also love to do triathlons b/c I get to meet lots of NON musicians!

Edited by tmason 2007-04-03 12:42 PM
2007-04-03 12:33 PM
in reply to: #746679

Veteran
213
100100
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career
I'm very happy with my career and it's really only getting started (i'm 27 and now 3 years into my current job). I don't have long days, but they are fairly intense and i'm at my desk 10 hours a day. I probably put in another 10 hours a week at home, over the course of a week.

My first sprint tri last year was a fun challenge with my older sister. It was a blast, and I was hooked. Exercise has always been my way of dealing with work related and non-work related stress, and that has continued with my training. My family history of heart disease is my other main motivator to stay in shape. Beyond that, I am simply enjoying the renewed competitive spirit that I haven't really had an outlet for since I stopped playing organized sports when I graduated from college. It's a personal challenge for me to see what I'm made of in areas that don't relate to my career.


2007-04-03 12:42 PM
in reply to: #746679

Subject: ...
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2007-04-03 12:51 PM
in reply to: #747262

Extreme Veteran
356
1001001002525
Lethbridge, AB
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career
courtney_leone - 2007-04-03 12:42 PM

I'm a 6th grade teacher. My stress (and frustration) level is THROUGH THE ROOF! So I have to train. School gets out early at 230 so I have lots of time after work. Plus Xmas vacation, Thanksgiving vacation, spring break, the entire summer...

Training is how I unwind. That and naps

I am also very competitive.

My kids know all about my training and are always interested in how my races went. Primarily: Did you win? or How much money did you get?



Kudos to you. It takes a very special person to be a middle school teacher! Every so often I teach band clinics and I think, thank god I don't teach middle school band.. I could never do it!

Primarily: Did you win? LOL.. my kids too, did you win mom?
2007-04-03 1:14 PM
in reply to: #746679

Veteran
171
1002525
Jacksonville
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career
im very satisfied with my career, but very unsatisfied in how little time I have for triathlon training.
2007-04-03 1:37 PM
in reply to: #746679

Veteran
151
1002525
Kalispell MT
Subject: RE: Triathlon and your career
I am an architect and have a very competive career.  I started bicycling in college just because I loved it, then started swimming after college when I got into a fairly mundane office and could take a break at lunch to go.  When I got to a more competative office I decided to add running to help with stress and go for the triathlon.  Plus the cross training is needed for my fibromyalgia.
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