What I Have Learned From Five Years of Doing Triathlons
Featured in www.transitiontimes.com August 2004
- It takes a very long time to get into good condition and only a very short time to lose it.
- Someone who looks faster than you will finish behind you in a race.
- Someone who looks slower than you will finish ahead of you in a race.
- Try to catch the sun coming up as you are checking your gear in the transition area. It is awfully pretty and I have had some of my best races when I just stare at the sun coming up over the horizon and take the beauty in.
- Ask the people who mark your body with your race number if they will draw smiley faces around your knees. It won’t make you go any faster, but it will start some pretty good conversations and generate some weird looks (and sometimes laughter) from others.
- Do a race side by side (except for the bike because of blocking and drafting) with someone who is doing their first triathlon. They will thank you for the guidance and support and you will thank them because it will remind you of what this sport is really all about.
- You will always be a little nervous before every race. This is perfectly normal.
- You will bonk at least once in your triathlon career. It will make you appreciate the races where things go well.
- You can eat 4,000 calories a day while you are in season and not gain any weight.
- You can eat 4,000 calories a day while you are not in season and put on weight real quick.
- The best workouts for personal fulfillment are the ones without a formal plan, without a watch, and without a heartrate monitor. It is good to use the previous mentioned for structured training, but you can’t beat a dirt bike workout followed by a nice hilly run in the woods in which you come home muddy, sweaty, and feeling on top of the world.
- The fourteen year old who tried to keep up with you last season will finish ahead of you by ten minutes by the time he/she is sixteen. Congratulate him/her while you secretly plan to lock his/her bike up in the transition area at the next race.
- Cheer for the other competitors after you have crossed the line. Some won’t care at all, but to some it will mean everything.
- You will have a tight ass that others will envy without having to get plastic surgery.
- Some will learn how to read food labels in search for the right balance of nutrition while others will live off of beef and beer-both are fine in moderation.
- Do one race without a watch and focus on the feelings of the race instead of the numbers. If you can do this one you are on of the few and fortunate. You will probably also set a personal best in regards to your race time.
- Don’t draft in non-drafting races. There was a time when we didn’t need draft marshals. You will be competing fairly and you will also be able to look at yourself in the mirror at the end of the day.
- The amount of money that you will spend annually on your equipment, race fees, accommodations, gas money, food, etc. can easily be in the thousands. Don’t think about it too much as you ride your new bike to the running store for a new pair of running shoes.
- Do one race where you raise money for charity. We are fortunate to have the physical ability and desire to participate in this sport. We should feel compelled to help other worthy causes. The money raised for the charity that you choose will be grateful to you and you will feel very proud of yourself-truly a win/win situation.
- If you are still reading this you are procrastinating with your next workout. Stop reading and go out for a swim, ride, or run and say hi if you see me out thereJ
Cory Bank, Ph.D.
Founder of The Abington Center For Therapy And Sports Psychology and www.powerfulathlete.com