There is a mental and spiritual side to the sport of triathlon that is every bit as important as the physical aspects of training and competing.

There are numerous mental obstacles a triathlete must contend with, and ways the sport influences people on a “spiritual” level, including our self-image, peace and contentment in life, and our most important relationships.

Fear, feelings of failure, stress, obsessive compulsion, disappointment, and burn-out are just a few of the challenges most triathletes will have to deal with at one time or another. My goal in the next few posts is to cover some of the most common mental and spiritual aspects of triathlon.

This particular post is about self-image.

Last week, I participated in an Olympic Distance Triathlon in a part of the country where the weather was being affected by Hurricane Ike.

On the morning of the triathlon, there was a “wind advisory” or high wind warning for the area with gusts up to 40 mph. The lake was churning with high swells and white caps.

I began the swim in one of the first waves and on my way to the first buoy, it blew away. People became disoriented, and as I began trying to figure out where to go next, I heard the announcement on a bullhorn for all swimmers to return to shore immediately.

Panic-ridden swimmers began signaling for help, and a boat turned over trying to pull struggling swimmers on board. The remaining 10 waves were not permitted to do the swim, and the swim portion of the triathlon was canceled.

The whole experience prompted me to do this article about windy triathlon conditions because it’s not wise to assume that all the triathlon events you participate in are going to have good weather.

Every now and then I plan to share the stories of other triathletes, ranging from newbies to seasoned veterans.

Diane is a newbie triathlete, and I asked her a few questions about getting into the sport of triathlon and how she is dealing with her swimming phobia.

I just returned home from a triathlon trip; I competed in an Olympic distance triathlon a few hours from where I live.

With it fresh in my mind, what follows are some tips regarding race day of your triathlon, including what to pack and how to prepare the night before the event.

Yesterday I did a Sprint triathlon, which is typically 0.5 mile swim, 12.4 miles bike, and 3.1 miles run. Some are shorter, some are longer; the bike ride for my Sprint triathlon yesterday was 16.5 miles.

The first triathlon many newcomers do (which I suggest) is the Sprint triathlon, and yesterday I tried to see it all through the eyes of a beginner. Here are some suggestions that I hope will make your first triathlon race a great experience.

 

Cycling shoes and clipless pedals allow your feet to be secured into the pedals, so your pedaling motion can utilize both the downward push of your quads and the upward pull of your hamstring.

Like all gear, there are a variety of options to choose from.

The cycling shoes themselves have different components that allow you to “click into” the pedals such as Look pedals and SPD pedals, but the concept is the same.

Here’s some advice on getting started with cycling shoes...

I admit that before getting into triathlons I imagined these folks to be hardcore, high-strung, overbearing, egotistical types. Wow, was I wrong about that!

Most of the triathletes I know are the exact opposite. Sure, there are a few jerks in every crowd but I found most of them to be humble and considerate people who are happy to help along newcomers to the sport.

I learned an important life lesson some years ago: don’t judge people, because there is always more you don’t know about someone than what you do know.

Every triathlete has a story -- how they got into it, their motivation for competing, the challenges they have had to overcome to get there, what drives them, and the experiences (sometimes very painful ones) that have shaped who they are.

I feel overwhelming gratitude for the people I have met and the new friends I have made along the way of training and competing in triathlons. These people have greatly impacted my life.

Go ahead: play it safe, only do things within your comfort zone, minimize risk and don’t expose yourself to the possibility for failure, don’t take on more than you can chew, stay well within your limits and don’t push yourself, and just concede that there are many things you are not capable of and shouldn’t try.

But is that truly “living?”

It sounds more like just getting by or biding your time or living in a rut. Maybe there’s more to you than you think, maybe there’s more to life than you’ve yet experienced, and maybe you have it in you to do things you never dreamed possible.