The old man and the triathlon.
For our personal well being, let’s try to minimize our individual healthcare costs and avoid accidents these days. If you are healthy now, your number one health risk is some type of accident. Going slower while driving, cycling, running and swimming will probably keep you healthier with little performance loss. A car accident can really screw up your health so follow a safe distance behind and be careful when you change lanes or turn. While running the other morning I had to suddenly stop to avoid a truck turning left onto the street I was crossing. While I love fresh water, I like a coffee, Coke or one adult beverage a day to break up all the water that I am drinking. The body and brain heals better while you are sleeping than while you are wide awake and moving. Like over training, overworking is going to catch up with you. Your health is at risk if you are relying on the government. You can enjoy your good health, regardless of your healthcare insurance premiums.
My thoughts, ideas, feelings and happenings
Last Saturday Don and I finished our first-ever Olympic Triathlon. The Team in Training tent was out first stop and then we went to the Registration tent to get our numbers, timing chips and awesome bag o’ swag. I was embarrassed to see myself in the honoree slide show and even more so as my name was read and I stood and waved to the tables around me. We got dressed in our Tri clothing, put warmer clothes on over and met out team mates in the hotel lobby. We rode the dark two miles to Lovers Point together. Don’s wave was before mine so I got to watch him start his swim. While stuffing myself into my wet suit I could feel the excitement building in me. I expected to hate the cold salt water and kelp, but instead I loved the water and found the kelp to be mildly annoying. There were times during the race that I was in pain. If that didn’t work, if the pain kept my attention I would remind myself that the reason I could feel that pain was because I had that body part.
Triathlon-My-Ass-Along
To compensate, I ate out a lot, drank, and paid for eating out and drinking with my credit card. Things between us went from combustible to nuclear, and I was alone, left feeling like I wasn’t good enough. My self hatred was deep, and I took it out on myself in so many unhealthy ways. Sometime in the late summer, another friend and I decided to get serious about fitness. I managed to fall off a stationary bike once get a death glare from another patron, but I still worked out beside him anyway. Too much strain weight lifting sent me to the ER once. The job hunt didn’t work out as well as I had hoped, but I did have a full-time job offer wait for me when I got home. The job, the island, were just not a good fit for me. After nearly one year, I was back at home, back to my old gym, trying to get back to the fit, fearless girl I had been the year before. My eating patterns were much better since I live with my good friend and didn’t always have to cook and eat alone.
“Making triathlon great again”
ASU Triathlon Alumni Allysa Seely is heading to Rio for the Paralympic triathlon! She was kind enough to let us pick her brain before she heads down to the games. AS: My favorite race to date has been my first World Championships in Auckland New Zealand. The race broke me mentally and I performed very poorly because of it. Depending on the year my race schedule can change dramatically. I train with Bettina Warnholtz/Racelab for triathlon and have a swim specific coach Misty Hyman. Never feel guilty for doing what is best for your training and racing. AS: I enjoy a good mix of racing and training, but in the end I would have to say the training. Races are only a fraction of the time in sport so enjoy the process. Logging miles, the training, meeting new friends and training partners. AS: I am really looking forward to the race, but I am also excited about meeting people from all over the world, learning about a new culture and experiencing all Brazil has to offer.
HFP Racing News
It is 3 consecutive days of racing, gelling together 4 races covering a total of more than 140 miles for the weekend. You will find yourself swimming in the chilly spring-feed Turkey Creek Lake, riding the most technically challenging hills in the Shawnee State Forest region, and finishing with out-and-back runs along the fire roads climbing and descending those same hillsides. The American Triple-T is not for the weak or faint of spirit. Athletes from all 50 states, and 4 continents have all sought the privilege of earning their American Triple-T finisher T-shirt. Volunteers, and spectators all come away with a new appreciation of the sport and of the athletes who train and tame mind and body to complete this legendary event. You’ll also come away with new-found friendships, and you’ll solidify those bonds every year you come together to face this demon. It has boasted a SOLD OUT field for the past decade, and the excitement continues to build every year.
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