Why?

At some point all endurance athletes ask themselves one simple questions, "Why?"  Why do we put our bodies through hours training? Why do we get up at 4:30 to knock out an hour swim class before heading to work? Why do we bike and run at 7:00 AM (or earlier) on weekends?  Why do we pour thousand of dollars into a sport that rewards us with sore muscles, injuries, and drawer full of t-shirts?  Why do we endure the pain of race day?  The answer is simple....WE ARE CRAZY...and we like it that way!

Honestly, there is satisfaction is the suffering.  It makes us feel alive.  It allows us to escape the real world for a little while.  It makes other aspects of our lives seem easy.  It's not always fun to run for two hours or to push yourself beyond the limits in a race.  I always describe my experience at the half Ironman as gratifying; not fun. There were parts of the race that were fun, but overall, I wouldn't use "Fun" as to describe the experience. When it hurts,when I'm tired, and when I want to stop,  I say, "To hell with it," and  keep going.

I've never crossed a finish line or completed a workout thinking, "I wish I hadn't done that," or "I should have just quit."  The feeling of crossing the finish line is like an addiction.  It makes the hours of training all worth it.  I may not feel physically stronger at the end of a race, but I am mentally stronger.  I've found that I do a better job when facing challenging or uncomfortable situations lately, and I attribute it to my triathlon experience.  When I'm presented with an uncomfortable situation I always think back to the swim start of the half Ironman.  It's not hard to remember what that gut wrenching feeling was like.  I bring myself back to that place of being uncomfortable and just wanting to get out of the water.  I think about how I overcame it...I just kept swimming.  I didn't stop and I prayed a lot.

I love triathlon.  I love the training, and I love the racing.  It's a challenge unlike any other I've ever given myself. It's not always easy, and there are moments when it is not fun, but I can't imagine giving it up at this point.  I'm learning more and more about myself each day that I'm in this crazy sport.

I don't mean to give the impression that this sport is all about pain and suffering and misery.  Most of the time I'm more than happy to train.  I have fun when I'm swimming or biking with my friends, and I even find enjoyment in the long runs I do alone.  There is something soothing in listening to my feet hit the pavement in a continuous rhythm. While the hours of training and racing may leave me physically exhausted and a bit sore, they also leave me renewed and excited about the challenge of doing an Ironman.

"It doesn't matter how slowly you go, as long as you don't stop." ~ Confucius