Why the blog?
July 24th, 2012 | 5 Comments
Well, it’s simple. I began this quest to become a triathlete 6 months ago, and had not a clue what I was in for, how difficult it would be, what I would be doing, where to start, and how much I would come to enjoy it. I think that a story of someone’s journey would have been helpful to me (actually one was–that of Chrissie Wellington). I also think it is useful for me to keep a log of my training, and also useful for me to reflect on the things that have gone good and bad. In addition to these things, I have a lot of family and friends who support me and mean the world to me, and I want a way to keep everyone up to date on my activities.
There is somewhat of a secretive world to triathletes–particularly for professionals and elite competitors. Everyone wants a leg up on the next person, so it’s rare to have a picture of everything another athlete does for training. Screw that. I’m going to share everything. If anyone else is able to look at my training and find something useful, that will be great. Of course, the more likely thing is that someone will look at my training and see how they can help me. If that’s you, please get in touch with me right away. I have a lot of pride in myself and my ability to do things on my own. But my desire to improve, commitment to improve, and relentless quest to give the best I can will always trump my pride. Anyone who has never gotten on their knees and pleaded with God for help a) is missing out and b) has never had a big, hairy, audacious goal.
alyse 
VigBike
I’ve seen your recent tweets and Facebook posts about hoping to compete in the Olympics in a couple of years. How did the Olypics became a real goal for you? I see your later post talk about staying positive and putting in the work. An Ironman is one hell of a goal… the Olympics is something I can’t really fathom. I’d like to hear more!
Thanks again, Alyse, for the comment! Actually, the Olympics are not on my schedule presently, nor my list of goals. It’s something fun to think about though (I was only joking about it on Facebook). This is worth a blog post as well, so I’ll just summarize by saying the Olympic triathlon competition (4 yr recurring Olympics, not referring to Olympic distance triathlons) is very different from the type of triathlon I have begun focusing on. If you watch the Olympic competition this coming Saturday, you will see what it’s all about, but the race is governed by ITU regulations. A major difference in ITU triathlon is that drafting is allowed on the bike. This changes the game completely, and suddenly the swim and run are much more significant. Great ITU triathletes are very very very good runners. If I were to ever consider ITU and going to the Olympics, I would need more than 4 years to do it. I am a very confident person, however, so I feel that if I dedicated myself to that, it would one day become a real possibility–as it would be for anyone with the right tools and motivation. For now, I am focusing on learning to improve and become competitive, and to do an Ironman. We will see where my goals head from there.
Well, thanks for clearing that up. 🙂
I was out with Vik last night who said your mother told her that competing in the Olympics is actually a goal of yours… So, I guess I’m not the only one you fooled. 🙂 I did see your ma at the fair breakfast yesterday, and she did not mention the Olympics when she was bragging (like a very proud mom) about you.
Ha. I’m not surprised. Both of my parents tend to do that. I think they are finally to the point now where a triathlon is no longer “a run”. I’m sure I’ve told them my goal is going to the World Championships in Kona, and I wouldn’t be surprised if my mom simply confused that with the Olympics. They are incredibly different races, and I have no intention at this point of training for the Olympic ITU race. However, I do love the Olympics and will always pretend that one day I will be there to compete in something… Maybe biathlon…