By: Rebecca Bailey
This is my 5th Season of participating in Triathlon.
Who would have thought (not me!!) that I could take up a sport that involves endurance and enjoy it for 5 Seasons and beyond??
What inspires me? What keeps me moving even through this season when I can't run as I'm trying to heal my nasty case of plantar facitis? I have been very challenged by my time and energy constraints this season....how do I keep going?
There are some though ts, things that inspire me this 5th Season of Triathlon:
1. New Triathletes.
-One of the major things that keeps me going is the ability to inspire others to do it. It is so fun to see my teammates take this on and be so excited when they get in shape, drop weight, discover their inner athlete, and most important, feel better about themselves.
-I created my Triathlon 101 class three years ago at the request of my employer who asked me to teach the class to other employees, and I've taken off with it, teaching it about 15 times. Every one of the class participants inspires me to keep going. They have no idea that as I'm standing up there teaching them and demonstrating how to do this, that they are all inspiring me to keep going too. They make me want to keep going so I can stand up there and inspire them. It is so wonderful when they find me at a triathlon, or event later and tell me about their races, so nice to see the excitement they experience.
-This year I am thrilled to have my coworkers at the ER joining me! Six women completed the 5 Mile Lake Triathlon with me. So far there are 10-12 others who have signed up to do a coed triathlon in Elma on August 2. The buzz and excitement around the ER about is great! Every day coworkers are talking about Triathlon, asking questions, contemplating it, trying to find relays, having a good time with this.
2. My Health & Family
I continue to keep diabetes away, and know with 100% certainty that Triathlon is the best way for me to keep it away. Mom died 3 years ago from that horrible illness at only 69, I just can't let myself go there. I have to stay healthy for myself and my family. I love knowing that even though I am an XL person, I am healthy and strong. If I could train more, I'd be healthier and stronger, but I am healthy and strong. I can complete any sprint length triathlon I take on. I have completed every race I have started.
The wise words of the very wise Patty Anderson keep going through my head. I sent out a whiny email one day about being frustrated not being able to join my teammates enough, not being able to train with the group much. Patty emailed me to remind me there are Seasons in life. She is so right, this is so helpful.
This is the Season for me to coach my son, to spend time with him, teach him to throw the discus and the season for me to work hard.
There will be other Seasons for me to get to work less and train harder.
Thank you for that Patty, those words have been very helpful, nice to remember that my life is long and good. I will be doing triathlon for a long time, there will be many more Seasons, some Seasons will be perfect, some Seasons will have challenges, that is life.
Life is a cumulation of ma ny Seasons.
There will be many more Seasons.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
“What would Kathy Morrisson do?”
By: Kathy Gendreau
I’m sitting here at the computer, my hair still wet from swimming. It’s not even 8 AM and I’ve already been up for almost 3 hours. It’s summer break, and the kids are still in bed. I’m looking forward to a run tonight, and Lake Meridian training tomorrow. Seafair is on Sunday. It will be my second triathlon, and my fourth race, counting the two 5Ks I did early in the season. Sammamish is on my calendar for August.
It’s hard to imagine my life being any different than it is now. I swim, I bike, and I run. Sometimes, my crazy hectic life gets in the way. Sometimes, it’s hard to get up for swim. Sometimes, I don’t want to finish the last mile. Sometimes, riding on the road scares me. But somehow training has woven its way into the fabric of my life. It feels like it has always been there, and I don’t want it to ever leave.
It’s hard to even comprehend how I got from where I was to where I am. It seems like such a long time ago, and when I was there, I certainly couldn’t see to here.
It has been a long journey, and I’ve learned a great many lessons along the way. I have a lot of people to thank for helping to get me here, especially my RTH teammates and coaches. That’s the first, and probably the most important thing I learned when I joined RTH: Don’t go it alone. In the past, exercise was always a solitary activity for me. It was something to endure and get over with. When I joined RTB/RTH, I had no idea how much of a difference it would make to be part of a team. The support, encouragement, and camaraderie I have found with this incredible group has had a tremendous impact on my life. I look forward to every team workout, and fitness has become a social event instead of just another obligation. I am surrounded by people who have similar goals – and similar struggles, and I am inspired by every one of them.
When I accepted Kathy Morrisson’s invitation to come to the RTH kick-off meeting in January, it was the third year in a row she had asked me about it. The first year, I was so out of shape that the idea seemed absurd. The second year, I had just signed up for a boot camp at a local gym. Triathlon training was for athletes, and boot camp was for people like me. I turned her down. I did boot camp for most of a year, and though I did get results, I really, truly hated every single minute of it.
The third time was the charm, and when she asked me in January I told her I would at least come to the first meeting. I immediately had second thoughts. Who was I kidding? After a year of boot camp I could still barely run a mile, my weight was heading back up toward the 200 lb mark, and I had no idea how I would fit training into my schedule when I had barely made it to 3 one-hour boot camp sessions a week. Train for a triathlon? From where I stood, it just plain sounded nuts. But I went to the meeting, and I decided after hearing all the wonderful stories from everyone there, that it would be even more nuts not to give it a go.
What I know now is that I didn’t need to be “ready” to start, I just needed to start. It was never my weight or my level of fitness that was the problem. It was fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of failure. I’ve conquered so many fears since joining RTH that it sometimes makes me laugh. Now, when I am faced with a challenge, I don’t hesitate, because hesitation holds me back, and I want to keep moving forward. If I can’t do it now, I will be able to do it eventually, but if I don’t start, I’ll just sit where I am, and these days, I don’t spend too much time sitting still!
Another crucial lesson I learned early on was this: Behave like the athlete you want to become. When I first started training, I really struggled with motivation, especially when it came to running. I felt terrible doing it, and most days I just didn’t feel like going. With a kindergartener in half-day school, I had very little free time, and there were lots of things competing for that time, so it was easy to find reasons not to go. I was still getting used to the early morning swim schedule, and I was feeling very tired from the early mornings. Some days, after putting the kids on the bus, I just wanted to go back to bed.
One particular day, I found myself sitting on the sofa watching TV at 9:30 in the morning. It was raining, or maybe it was snowing, and I was unsuccessfully trying to convince myself to get my butt off the couch and do the run that was on my training plan when it occurred to me, Kathy Morrisson would not be sitting on the couch watching TV at 9:30 in the morning! She would go for a run! So, I got up and put my shoes on and went.
For the next several days, when I needed a little motivation, I would think to myself, “What would Kathy Morrisson do?” Would she let a little rain stop her? No! Would she run in the snow? Yes, she would! Would she stay up late to watch TV? No! It worked so well that I joked that I was going to print up little bracelets and T-shirts with WWKMD? on them for the rest of the RTH team. It made me laugh, but it also made me get up and go, which is what I really needed.
The point is, Kathy is a successful athlete, and if I wanted to be a successful athlete myself, I needed to act like one. Find an athlete that you admire (and there is no shortage of them on RTB or RTH!) and when facing an obstacle, ask yourself, what would that person do in this situation? T-shirts and bracelets optional.
Though I still look to Kathy for advice and encouragement, I’ve come a long way since then. I remember meeting with our RTH groups for the first time. I sat there listening to everyone talk about the races they wanted to sign up for: Escape from the Rock. Seafair Issaquah. Start with a 5K. Set some goals. Sure. Except that I can’t run around the block. Oh, and did I mention that I don’t own a decent bike? OK, maybe I can swim 25 yards, but ¼ mile? In a lake? Wearing a wetsuit?
It was someone else sitting at the table. It was someone else doing the workouts. I was just along for the ride. But here I am, just 6 months after my first swim class, 4 months after starting my run to walk training plan, 3 months after buying my new bike, and 2 months after getting my wetsuit. I am a triathlete, and I am no longer just along for the ride.
I’m sitting here at the computer, my hair still wet from swimming. It’s not even 8 AM and I’ve already been up for almost 3 hours. It’s summer break, and the kids are still in bed. I’m looking forward to a run tonight, and Lake Meridian training tomorrow. Seafair is on Sunday. It will be my second triathlon, and my fourth race, counting the two 5Ks I did early in the season. Sammamish is on my calendar for August.
It’s hard to imagine my life being any different than it is now. I swim, I bike, and I run. Sometimes, my crazy hectic life gets in the way. Sometimes, it’s hard to get up for swim. Sometimes, I don’t want to finish the last mile. Sometimes, riding on the road scares me. But somehow training has woven its way into the fabric of my life. It feels like it has always been there, and I don’t want it to ever leave.
It’s hard to even comprehend how I got from where I was to where I am. It seems like such a long time ago, and when I was there, I certainly couldn’t see to here.
It has been a long journey, and I’ve learned a great many lessons along the way. I have a lot of people to thank for helping to get me here, especially my RTH teammates and coaches. That’s the first, and probably the most important thing I learned when I joined RTH: Don’t go it alone. In the past, exercise was always a solitary activity for me. It was something to endure and get over with. When I joined RTB/RTH, I had no idea how much of a difference it would make to be part of a team. The support, encouragement, and camaraderie I have found with this incredible group has had a tremendous impact on my life. I look forward to every team workout, and fitness has become a social event instead of just another obligation. I am surrounded by people who have similar goals – and similar struggles, and I am inspired by every one of them.
When I accepted Kathy Morrisson’s invitation to come to the RTH kick-off meeting in January, it was the third year in a row she had asked me about it. The first year, I was so out of shape that the idea seemed absurd. The second year, I had just signed up for a boot camp at a local gym. Triathlon training was for athletes, and boot camp was for people like me. I turned her down. I did boot camp for most of a year, and though I did get results, I really, truly hated every single minute of it.
The third time was the charm, and when she asked me in January I told her I would at least come to the first meeting. I immediately had second thoughts. Who was I kidding? After a year of boot camp I could still barely run a mile, my weight was heading back up toward the 200 lb mark, and I had no idea how I would fit training into my schedule when I had barely made it to 3 one-hour boot camp sessions a week. Train for a triathlon? From where I stood, it just plain sounded nuts. But I went to the meeting, and I decided after hearing all the wonderful stories from everyone there, that it would be even more nuts not to give it a go.
What I know now is that I didn’t need to be “ready” to start, I just needed to start. It was never my weight or my level of fitness that was the problem. It was fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of failure. I’ve conquered so many fears since joining RTH that it sometimes makes me laugh. Now, when I am faced with a challenge, I don’t hesitate, because hesitation holds me back, and I want to keep moving forward. If I can’t do it now, I will be able to do it eventually, but if I don’t start, I’ll just sit where I am, and these days, I don’t spend too much time sitting still!
Another crucial lesson I learned early on was this: Behave like the athlete you want to become. When I first started training, I really struggled with motivation, especially when it came to running. I felt terrible doing it, and most days I just didn’t feel like going. With a kindergartener in half-day school, I had very little free time, and there were lots of things competing for that time, so it was easy to find reasons not to go. I was still getting used to the early morning swim schedule, and I was feeling very tired from the early mornings. Some days, after putting the kids on the bus, I just wanted to go back to bed.
One particular day, I found myself sitting on the sofa watching TV at 9:30 in the morning. It was raining, or maybe it was snowing, and I was unsuccessfully trying to convince myself to get my butt off the couch and do the run that was on my training plan when it occurred to me, Kathy Morrisson would not be sitting on the couch watching TV at 9:30 in the morning! She would go for a run! So, I got up and put my shoes on and went.
For the next several days, when I needed a little motivation, I would think to myself, “What would Kathy Morrisson do?” Would she let a little rain stop her? No! Would she run in the snow? Yes, she would! Would she stay up late to watch TV? No! It worked so well that I joked that I was going to print up little bracelets and T-shirts with WWKMD? on them for the rest of the RTH team. It made me laugh, but it also made me get up and go, which is what I really needed.
The point is, Kathy is a successful athlete, and if I wanted to be a successful athlete myself, I needed to act like one. Find an athlete that you admire (and there is no shortage of them on RTB or RTH!) and when facing an obstacle, ask yourself, what would that person do in this situation? T-shirts and bracelets optional.
Though I still look to Kathy for advice and encouragement, I’ve come a long way since then. I remember meeting with our RTH groups for the first time. I sat there listening to everyone talk about the races they wanted to sign up for: Escape from the Rock. Seafair Issaquah. Start with a 5K. Set some goals. Sure. Except that I can’t run around the block. Oh, and did I mention that I don’t own a decent bike? OK, maybe I can swim 25 yards, but ¼ mile? In a lake? Wearing a wetsuit?
It was someone else sitting at the table. It was someone else doing the workouts. I was just along for the ride. But here I am, just 6 months after my first swim class, 4 months after starting my run to walk training plan, 3 months after buying my new bike, and 2 months after getting my wetsuit. I am a triathlete, and I am no longer just along for the ride.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Paul Morris XTERRA Vashon Race Report
Thoughts on my First Tri
(XTERRA Vashon
Well, I made it and finished. So that in and of itself is an accomplishment. But not a real big surprise considering the time, effort, training, and practice that I have put in since I decided to participate in a triathlon last fall. All in all, I was happy with my individual split times and the overall time. My swim time was better than I was anticipating by several minutes. This was a big achievement since I hadn’t swum in approximately 18 years and never competitively. I still had issues getting out of the water – the going from horizontal to vertical thing wasn’t working too well. I probably lost a minute trying to gain my equilibrium so I could stumble like a drunk into transition. Then transition took too long as I was still coming out of my stupor. Off on the bike to hit that first hill. Wow! What a climb it was. Not only did we get to ride or walk up it once, but three times! On the tight, single track that was a challenge. I had not anticipated walking very much with my bike, but that long (maybe ½ mile or so) staggered hill required too much energy to ride and I figured that it was better to run/walk up it. Once up the hill, the tight twisty single track was fun to ride. I had to try to remember that I was in a race and not just out for an enjoyable mountain bike ride. I had hoped for a faster bike time. However, after I finished the first of three loops in around 35 minutes, I knew that wasn’t going to be the case. Coming in for the bike transition, I was caught off guard when another rider was right behind me as I was trying to dismount and run into the transition area. For most of the bike ride I was riding alone except for occasionally passing by someone or being passed. I got through T2 in acceptable time, but as always could improve here as well. Just as I was heading out of transition, it started to rain. Starting out on the run going up another hill, I noticed the biker that had been right behind me coming into transition was now running ahead of me. I could see that he was struggling, so I reeled him in as we ran up the hill and headed into the forest. The 2 loop trail run through the forest was enjoyable. I tried to find my pace and felt like I ran fairly comfortably. However, like the bike section, I didn’t know the course or the terrain. So I was at a disadvantage and could have pushed a little harder during the run. Then I ended up back where I started, crossing the finish line 2 hours and 33 minutes later. Not too bad for my first triathlon.
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