www.triathlonforlife.com
In the beginning...
Back in the winter of 2004, a friend of mine said he had a Tri-Bike I might be interested in. I had never ridden a Tri-Bike (or even a road bike), but when I saw it, I knew I had to have it. After riding it for a week, a triathlete I worked with told me I should race a Sprint Triathlon. I didn’t even know what a Sprint Triathlon was, but after he explained it, I did it a month later and my life changed forever.
Now I train 10-20 hours a week for Ironman - not a lot compared to others, but with a full time job, Navy Reserve commitments, F.I.S.T. fittings and, of course, my family, it’s close to the max time I can give. So I’ve learned to be patient with my ultimate goals and to be efficient with my training. One of them was qualifying for the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. Well...I just did on Aug 30th in IM Louisville. Wow!
In order to completely give yourself to this lifestyle, you’ve got to love training - and I do. I love my solo runs and rides, but really cherish the group sessions. I’ve been lucky to train with athletes more talented than I, and have benefitted from their knowledge, dedication and experience. I enjoy the camaraderie you get from an epic session that was extreme with either the distance, weather or training pace. You share unique memories with athletes that are completely separate from jobs, income or background.
Oh yea, and did I mention that you get super fit? Well, you do. Both your body and mind grow with no end in sight. You learn about yourself, about imaginary self-limitations and about how to completely blow up those limitations. I’ve learned more about myself within the last few years than I’ve learned over my entire life.
This is a lifestyle. It’s my lifestyle, and I love it.