The sport of triathlon is a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. We laugh, we cry, we celebrate, we agonize. We train hard, we race hard, and we push ourselves to our furthest limits, and consider all of this fulfilling!

Robin Williams once said, “You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it.” Maybe that’s what we are doing as triathletes – giving expression in our own way to that little spark of madness.

So, I decided to close out one year and start a new one on The Fun Times Guide to Triathlons with some special awards.

Jim’s Fun Times Guide Triathlon Awards

People in their 40s represent the fastest-growing segment in the sport of triathlon.

This is but one expression of the “fit after 40” time we live in. An increasing number of people are becoming involved in endurance sports in the second half of their life journey; maybe you are one of them.

Coach Don Nava, in his book Fit After 40: 3 Keys To Looking Good And Feeling Great, says there are 5 major questions people ask as they cross the line into the second half of their lives:

Will I ever feel young again?

Is my life going to make a difference?

Have I reached the pinnacle of my ability?

Is this all the happiness I can ever hope to have?

What will happen after I die?

Nava also defines true “fitness” to include 6 areas:

physical

directional

nutritional

emotional

mental

spiritual 

 

It’s no secret then why the sport of triathlon has become increasingly popular among the over-40 crowd. Training and competing in triathlons can help shape an answer to some of the above questions, and provides plenty of opportunity to grow in each of those 6 areas.

There is plenty of talk around the sport of triathlon about how popular it is has become, and all the newcomers fueling the sport.

But this past week I ran into two different people who said they, “used to do triathlons.” Which got me to wondering, is the sport of triathlon a revolving door? For every newbie, how many are tri leavers?

There are all sorts of reasons why a person might leave the sport of triathlon:

Time commitment – It’s a significant time commitment to train and compete in triathlons, especially the longer-distance triathlons. In terms of time and energy investment, training for an Ironman triathlon is the equivalent of a part-time, even full-time job.

Change of circumstances – Sometimes life circumstances affect your life at a level where you leave the sport of triathlon temporarily or permanently. Some life circumstances might change or re-order your life goals and priorities in a way that bumps triathlon commitments.

Injury – There are some who leave the sport of triathlon as a result of injury. Perhaps they had IB Band surgery, an injury caused by triathlon training, and so they have decided against getting back into it.

Burn out – Some people overdue it, perpetually push their body to the limit, have no off-season, and ignore the basic principles of rest and recovery. Add these people to the list of tri leavers.

Unfulfilled expectations – If your triathlon involvement was a strategy for achieving self-worth or finding a date or outdoing the neighbor you despise and this doesn’t pan out, you might pull the plug on triathlon.

Fear of open water swimming – Some percentage of wannabe triathletes go swim in a lake and say, “No frickin way!”

Family conflict – For some people, the time and energy investment in triathlon becomes a family conflict, and can cause resentment. The divorce rate among professional triathletes is a consideration.

Ah, living the Tri life...

No, not the High Life but the TRI Life!

What is the “Tri Life?” Let me describe it.

Recently a friend of mine and I decided to explore a new bike route that went through a rural town, Gladeville, TN. It seemed like we were out in the middle of nowheresville when suddenly we biked past a gated yard that was filled with grazing Zebras!

Hmmm... Zebras in Africa - check; Zebras in a zoo - check; Zebras in Gladeville, TN - huh?!?!

We hopped off our bikes and took the above pic. I'm guessing it was some sort of refuge for injured Zebras but not the sort of thing you expect in a town where the Nashville Super Speedway is the major attraction. I don't see any connection between Zebras and NASCAR.

By the way, if you want to find or share new bike routes, you might be interested in Map My Ride.

This past weekend I was out on a 100-mile bike ride, and it started to pour rain.

Part of the route was on a local greenway, and rounding a curve onto a wooded pedestrian bridge my bike slid out from under me and I went down hard on my right shoulder. For a while I just laid there in the downpour, wrenching in pain. I was fine, but what came to mind in that moment was this article that had not yet been written, discussing why doing triathlons are “FUN!”

Admittedly, there will be times when you will question the premise that training and competing in triathlons is “fun.”

Here are some times when I questioned it:

1. Falling over on my bike, getting used to clipless pedals.

2. Swallowing mouthfuls of nasty lake water.

3. Accidentally getting IcyHot in places you really don’t want it.

4. Getting kicked in the head by other swimmers in a tri event.

5. Your first flat tire.

6. Calf cramps with 4 miles left to run.

Just for laughs, listen to Bud Light's Real Men of Genius "Mr. Professional Sports Leg Cramp Rubber Outer":

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.

There will be times as a newcomer when you will be tempted to reconsider doing triathlons.

Here are some situations that made me think twice:

1. The first time I tried open water swimming, swallowing mouthfuls of nasty lake water, and floundering around in the breakers while fearing for my life. I really wasn’t in any danger because I was swimming alongside a long float buoy pipe, but I felt like a complete idiot.

2. The day our kitchen began looking like a medical clinic. No lie; here’s what I currently have sitting on our kitchen counter: IB-Relief, Organic Tendon Rescue, Traumeel Homeopathic Ointment, Arnica Ointment, Flexall; and IcyHot. The freezer is filled with Styrofoam cups with ice for icing down my shoulder, foot, groin, hamstring, and the rest of my anatomy!

3.  The cost of training and competing. Wow, you can save a lot of money eating at McDonalds compared to organic foods such as Rebound Cereal and all the organic alternatives to regular food items. The cost of equipment accessories and the registration fees for bike, run, and triathlon events add up.

4.  The learning curve as a beginner. I remember when I first began my training that I practically was killing myself trying to keep up with more experienced cyclists when biking in group rides. It was also a little demoralizing while swimming in the YMCA pool when other swimmers would lap me. Just face it: it’s not easy being green.

I said all that to say this...

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.

What is it with this whole Triathlon thing?!

For most of my adult life, my only exposure to this sport was once catching a weekend TV show, covering the grueling Ironman competition in Hawaii. I remember thinking as I wolfed down my Little Debbie Zebra Cakes and Diet Coke that these people were frickin crazy!

That was then; this is now.