I am a Triathlete

I often joke when I say  I’m a triathlete that I try to be athletic or Why be good a one sport when you can suck at 3 just to get a giggle.   But I am a triathlete.  I LOVE to swim, bike, and run!  As a kid, I used to love watching the annual Ironman Championship out of Kona, Hawaii (still do!).  I swam like a fish, never wanting to get out of the water (still don’t).  I used to bike all over the Massachusetts North Shore (now it is the desert SW.. I miss the ocean).  Running did not come into play until 2008, after I lost ~ 50lbs and got to my lowest adult weight.   It is my most challenging of the 3, but I still love it anyway.   I competed in my first Tri in 2009 and I have not stopped since.  Here is a video of pics from that race:

 

 



I’m proud of  the fact that I did not let my weight gain stop me from competing or practicing what I love.  Even though I gained the 50 lbs back, I still travelled to TX last Fall to compete in a tri that had a grueling 18 mile hilly and very windy (20 mph winds!) bike course.  I still did my first open water tri this past Spring.  I accept that my body is not perfect and that I do not look like the average triathlete.  I accept the fact that I may be the very last person in (this has not happened yet , but I was the penultimate finisher in my last tri.. I beat a man in his 70’s, yes I did!).   What I get in return far outweighs any embarrassment I could let myself feel.   I get such a high from packing my gear the night before a race, setting up my transition area, getting my body marked,  and the feeling post race.   The camaraderie on the course is so motivating.  Everyone chants way to go girl, keep it up, you’re doing great to one another.   There are all sizes and abilities competing now too, which is also very motivating. 

So get out and do what you love to do.  Life is too short to be missing out on the fun stuff!