I once got in a heated debate with my college swim coach over what made one eligible to be called an 'athlete'. Firmly denying that I could ever be called an athlete, I explained to her that I've always associated athleticism with agility, reflexes, and speed, none of which I historically posses outside of the water. That I was a successful division 3 collegiate swimmer made no difference to me. "Running" has always been a four-letter word to me, I can't shoot a basketball from ten feet out, and I won't be winning any strength competitions. The one thing I've had going for me was endurance, and that wasn't enough in my book. Then, I discovered triathlon.
I'm not breaking any speed records and I'm not any kind of elite or all-american, but this past June I got my body to somehow finish a half-ironman. In the last year I ran a half-marathon, and I finished a handful of sprint and olympic distance triathlons. I can't deny that it requires some athleticism to do those things, so I am now able to proudly declare myself to be a triathlete. That word, in case you missed it, ends in 'athlete'.
I intend to use this blog to share my experiences as a newcomer to the sport. I've met a whole community of amazing triathletes in the greater Portland area who have helped me figure out what in the world I'm doing, and how I might do it better. Many of them have also served as inspiration, training partners, and awesome friends. In addition, I have introduced several friends to the triathlon scene, some of whom can't escape any more than I can.
My next race is this Sunday, the West Kennebunk Fireman Triathlon. Last year I raced this event as my first olympic distance race ever. I love the bike course as it is relatively flat, but I remember hating the run course because it's a double loop. Like I said, running is a four-letter word in my vocabulary, and running the same loop twice is like a kick in the face. I finished last year in 2:47:22, good for first out of one in my age group. That's always a great phone call home... "Mom! I won my age group!"..."That's great! Out of how many?"..."ummmm, well, me!"
I'll post a race recap sometime later Sunday or Monday, and share my point of view on the race. The weather looks perfect, should be a fun day :)
