Me, the triathlete?
in Not a Diet
By Jess
I have a secret fitness goal: I want to complete a triathlon.
I’ve been thinking about this ever since I started swimming regularly about a month ago. I still have trouble conceptualizing the idea that this surgery is enabling me to lose weight and become more fit. I still see designer clothes and assume that I will never fit into them, ever. And I still can’t imagine that I could ever be a triathlete. I mean, how could that ever be possible? Linda is a fitness goddess and she is still freaking out about doing a triathlon. You know? So how could I, my perpetually overweight self, do it?
Yes, I work out a lot and yes, I’ve always been a decent athlete and attempted to get lots of exercise. But where I’ve always fallen down on the athletic thing is when it comes to stamina. Which is exactly what a triathlon requires. And yes, even though I’ve been living a relatively healthy lifestyle for awhile now, and have attempted the Couch to 5K multiple times, I still can’t run miles in a row. And I’m still a little apprehensive about being too fat to bike.
So, all I’m really working on is the swimming, right now. So let’s just say that
the triathlon goal is a super-far off, distant goal for me right now. I have more short-term goals too, of course. Because I know goals should be attainable and that I need to have goals I can actually REACH sometime in the near future in order to stay motivated. And I’m reaching those goals. I’ve already gone from being able to swim 40 laps in an hour to being able to swim 55. Part of that is that I am stronger and fitter and so I swim faster, and part of is that I take fewer, shorter breaks while swimming.
I want to keep improving with the swimming. I want to, once I’ve lost a bit more weight, get a bike and learn how to really ride it. I want to do the C25K again, and actually FINISH it this time. And then, when I’ve done all of those things, I want to combine them into a triathlon.
I don’t know why, but it SOUNDS doable to me, even though right now, without any training, it so, totally, absolutely is not. I’m talking about a short triathlon right now, a super sprint or similar. The kind that Linda linked to, where you swim 400 yards, bike 9.2 miles, and run 1.6 miles. Even though I can only do one of those three things right now.
And yet, I read this article recently, or was it a blog post? Something talking about a scale of fitness. On the one end was a total sedentary couch potato. And on the other end was a triathlete. Like, that’s the fittest you can be.
And yes, I know it was referring to the ironman type of triathlete, which is not what I’m going for. But still.
I still don’t believe that will ever be me. I still don’t think I’ll be one of those success stories who starts running marathons AND LIKING IT. I certainly have no goals of finishing this future hypothetical triathlon in any specific amount of time. I don’t care if I finish dead last. I just want to finish. And someday, even if it’s years from now, I WILL.
July 22nd, 2009 at 4:12 pm
I firmly believe you can do any dang thing you put your mind to!
July 22nd, 2009 at 4:29 pm
I second what AndreAnna said. If you want to do it, you WILL.
July 22nd, 2009 at 6:34 pm
I’m certain you can do it. And it will be fun! I only started running a year ago so I know what it’s like to not be able to imagine doing something like running more than a mile. Now I’m training for a half-marathon. If I can do it (never athletic in my life, almost 40 y.o.) anyone can.
July 22nd, 2009 at 7:44 pm
You can do it! I never in a million years thought I could do a triathlon and I did a sprint distance and then followed that the next year with a half ironman! It’s totally do able and you’ll be so proud of yourself.
July 22nd, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Change “I still don’t believe…” and I still don’t think” to “I believe” and “I think I can”.
Like other commenters, I’m doing things I guffawed dismissively about a couple of months ago.
Before I run, I repeat over and over, “I can, I will, I am.” Just those three. It may sound lame but it really helps (and that negative voice in me that still has so much power has NEVER helped me one iota, I’m realizing).
July 22nd, 2009 at 11:11 pm
P.S. re the Couch to 5K. I am finding the podcasts super helpful. You don’t have to time yourself or think about the time. The narrator provides direction from the warm up to the cool down for each of the nine weeks. These are downloadable here.
http://www.ullreys.com/robert/Podcasts/podcasts/podcasts.html
Just plug ‘em in to your MP3 player and you’re set.
July 23rd, 2009 at 4:30 am
That’s a fantastic goal! You will totally be able to do it someday if you keep working towards it. I’m too scared to even think of doing a triathlon. Right now, my goal is to do a 5K. And then after that, maybe do another 5K with a better time.
July 23rd, 2009 at 5:33 am
You have every right to be at the starting line of a triathlon as anyone else. Don’t tell yourself it’s impossible, tell yourself that you’ll do it, and the list out what you need to do to finish. You would be surprised at how few steps it will take!!!
Check out beginnertriathlete.com for forums, advice, training logs, etc. I did my first sprint tri a few months after having heart surgery — something that I would have thought impossible, except that I got to link up with “mere mortals” who showed me that really, truly, you can do anything you put your mind to.
Stop selling yourself short! You really, really really can do this.
July 23rd, 2009 at 10:54 am
A triahtlon — even a short one — is an ambitious goal, but that’s what a meaningful, well-lived life is all about: reaching for something that is beyond your grasp, and striving, and getting there, or failing, but still, striving to achieve your dreams. It’s really beautiful that you have this goal and are going public with it. I love your blog! You rock!
July 24th, 2009 at 10:03 am
Best of luck in your training. I wish I had the motivation to learn to become a better swimmer. I did a mini sprint triathlon this past March and I did pretty well, but it was mostly because I rocked the run, did fairly well in the bike, and didn’t drown (although the pool sorta kicked my ass). Oh, and the tri I did was in that order (run, bike, swim) because it was in March and they didn’t want people running/biking after being wet from the pool. I gotta say though- I never want to swim AFTER biking and running in the cold ever again!
July 25th, 2009 at 7:51 am
Amazing! You can do it!