Here is a guest post from my friend, Angela, who went from non-athlete to triathlete in three months! Celebrate how AMAZING she is and consider:
What do you really want to do? Name it here in the comments!
Here’s Angela’s story of NOT waiting and her first triathlon.
by Angela Johnson Peters
In June, a friend and colleague who is 62 years young reported how she had completed a triathlon with her daughter. For years, I’ve wanted to do something physically challenging to mark my advancing years as I turn the corner toward 50, e.g. climb Mt. Whitney, run a marathon like Oprah and P Diddy, or bike from San Francisco to Los Angeles. I thought, well if she can do it at 62, I should be able to do it at 50.
A few weeks after that, a friend’s husband, John mentioned he was training for a triathlon. Without thinking too hard about it, I said, I’d do it with him. I thought that certainly my chances of training on a regular basis would be enhanced by training with someone who lived around the corner from me. In April, I had already started a rigorous fitness regime of cardio classes, weight workouts and training sessions with a personal trainer to get fit and shed some pounds. I figured, “why wait to get in shape to do a triathlon? Instead, I’ll just add the triathlon training as a way to get into better shape!”
So, in mid-July I started training for the Hermosa Beach, Day at the Beach event. A 1/4 mile open water swim, 10 mile bike ride and 3 mile run. Mind out, it had been almost 14 years since I had done any competitive sports. I ran to stay in shape in the early to mid-90′s and the longest race I’d ever run was 10 miles (once). Lately, I had been working out consistently at the gym, including cardio machines, spin and kick-boxing classes, and with the assistance of a trainer getting stronger through strength and weight training. But still, I wasn’t quite sure if I was quite triathlon material.
After a month and a half I was improving and I got to the point where I could run the full four miles without stopping. Our swimming practice consisted of weekly workouts at the local school pool and most importantly weekly open water swims with the LA Tri Club down at Redondo Beach. After reading on the many triathelete websites, it was apparent that we needed to get into open water to practice. Swimming in the ocean is completely different than pool swimming. I wasn’t really worried about the biking part since I had been consistently doing spin classes.
What was most helpful was just setting times to train with John. Between running and swimming workouts, training with my fitness trainer on strength training, weights and core workouts; I started to see a real difference in my endurance. Best of all, I started shopping in my own closet and wearing outfits that months and years before were too tight.
As event day got closer, I alternated between wishing I had more days to train and wanting it to be over. The week before the race, we went down to Hermosa Beach for an open water swim. We got down to the beach, and I was speechless. The waves looked really, really high. The lifeguard said that on a scale between 1-10, the waves were at a 8 or 8.5. For the first time I was concerned, okay scared. John and I waded out into the water, but couldn’t get out far enough to actually swim. All I could do was “release it” and realize there wasn’t any point in worrying about it, since I had no control over the tides or how high the waves would be race day.
We arrived at Hermosa Beach, at 5:20 am Sunday morning to set up our event area. It was dark so we couldn’t see what the water looked like. Once the sun came out, we could see the ocean was like glass, barely a ripple.
It took me 11 minutes and forty seconds to finish the swim, 42 minutes and 48 seconds to finish the bike segment and 35 minutes 26 seconds to complete the run. My total time was 1 hour forty-seven minutes with transitions between events. The hardest part was the run, because it seemed a lot longer than 3 miles. But I just kept on going and telling myself that I wasn’t going to stop.
My goal was to finish in one piece without injury, complete the event in under two hours and have fun. I was able to do all three! Accomplishing this triathlon has been an amazing confidence builder. I can’t even think about quitting while in the midst of doing something difficult during a workout, because I know that it’s merely mind over matter.
Now I’m hooked. I love the feeling that I can push my body toward a challenge. I can’t wait til the next one. Now I’m setting a goal of completing three triathlons next season! If there’s anyone out there who thinks they can’t meet their fitness goals, I say, “You just have to try! It’s well worth the effort.”
What’s your story of NOT waiting? Tell it here, in the comments, OR write a guest post!
Body Report:
I did my cardio intervals today as part of my 40 days of My Body (if you are new to this story, read the intro here) project, which is a quest in service to my business and my own path of finishing what I start. I am committed to exercising 6 days/week, keeping a food journal and being more aware of ways I use (and abuse) my body. Going public is extreme, yes, and it’s working! I’m working with a fantastic trainer, Sunny Riggs, to create a program I can sustain over time and she’s amazing. HIRE HER!
I am not alone on my quest. The roll call is at 29 people (including me)! Some are getting organized, others giving up fast food and some are simply breathing! Support them; check out their sites, give ‘em some good love:
Tanya Geisler–40 days of hatha yoga and radical self-care
Petra Korn–30 days on her body (supported with love by hubby Nick)
Tia Reddy–yoga and exercise.
Alisa Bonsignore–working out and food consciousness
Suzie Powanda–no fast food or beverages
Julie Rorrer–training for the Austin marathon in Spring
Emma Alvarez Gibson–some bit of exercise, every day
Joyce Black–21 days without caffeine/general detox; she’s on Day 19 and even the rice cakes and almond butter are tasting good to her!
Carabunga is rocking 40 days of hardcore productivity and rocking a blog about it. Today, her quote is, “Some days, you will want to be there for someone and you will have to sacrifice something in order to do that.”
Paula Trucks-Pape and her husband: 87 Days of exploring their passions.
Monica Kingsbury: 30 days of the Candida diet to deal with her sweet tooth
Jack and LisaMarie Rowell: 30 days of extreme health (alkaline diet)
Diane Sherry Case: 3 weeks of walking–she’s up to 20 minutes 4 days/week! (yoga if it rains)
Cindy Morefield: 21 Days of 30 mins/day of cardio exercise
Paula Estes: 30 Days of playing drums
Sheila Hart is IN: 21 Days of no sugar! Sheila is running a 5K this Saturday–give her a big GOOO, Sheila!
Amy Ahlers: 40 days limiting processed food.)
SouperJenny Team: 40 Day hits the ATL! So far, Meredith is giving up sweets and Jenny is giving up booze!! 7 folks have joined their group. Gooo, Team Body, Mind, Spirit! Watch their daily update video here. As of today, the WHOLE team is on target and rocking their challenge:
- John from San Diego is giving up carbs and working out 3x/week (John, let me know if you want to work out on Saturday, I’ll be in San Diego–Dyana)
- Sharon from Souper Jenny giving up all sugar except fruit
- Merrideth giving up all sugar and exersising 4 times a week
- Marcie will journal every day and cut down from 4 to 5 diet sodas a day to one per day
- Tricia from Atlanta will drink a quart of her green juice concoction and exersise 5 to 7 times a week
- Lucero Martinez a restaurant/bar owner will give up all alcohol!
- Jenny giving up all alcohol and working out 5 times a week
Ashley White-Stern: 40 days of meditation and is up to 12 mins of meditation–she didn’t even notice her timer today!
M Arsenia Brown (aka: @donutdemon) joins with a commitment to 40 days of her body
Cat Sabonis-Chafee is in and will “move my ass” for 21 days of daily, considered exercise
All photos by Tosh Peters.
