It's been a month since I completed the Ackley Lake Invitational Triathlon. Friends are still congratulating me and asking about it. It feels really good although I'm inclined to make sure they know it wasn't an Ironman type thing. I don't want them to think I did something that dangerously crazy!
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| My Medal |
The whole experience was wonderful and surprising. I find myself reflecting on it quite a bit. Being a reflective sort of person I also did some thinking during those long training sessions, especially the boring walks. I've come to some conclusions about the experience and thought it would be fun to do a Letterman-type top ten list. So here goes:
Number Ten: Don't wear your favorite bathing suit to swim in a lake.
I had a premonition about this one. The first time I tried the lake swim to see if I might be able to do it I put on my backup swimsuit. Last summer I bought two when they were on sale for 50% off. One fit better and looked better on me than the other so I've been using it as my number one suit. Sure enough, it is hard to get the smell of lake water out of a suit. I don't know about you but both of my suits say to hand wash only. I religiously washed it out in the shower after every swim. Somehow it always had that earthy, organic, decaying plant smell. After the triathlon was completed I did put it in the washing machine and, luckily, the smell washed out and the suit didn't fall apart. So I guess I could modify this learning to say "only wear a swimsuit that can be machine washed to swim in a lake".
I had a premonition about this one. The first time I tried the lake swim to see if I might be able to do it I put on my backup swimsuit. Last summer I bought two when they were on sale for 50% off. One fit better and looked better on me than the other so I've been using it as my number one suit. Sure enough, it is hard to get the smell of lake water out of a suit. I don't know about you but both of my suits say to hand wash only. I religiously washed it out in the shower after every swim. Somehow it always had that earthy, organic, decaying plant smell. After the triathlon was completed I did put it in the washing machine and, luckily, the smell washed out and the suit didn't fall apart. So I guess I could modify this learning to say "only wear a swimsuit that can be machine washed to swim in a lake".
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| Ready for the Start |
Number Nine: Lake swimming can be fun.
Despite all my fears about the oogieness of lake swimming, I found myself rather enjoying it. Seeing beauty all around me as I swim is really wonderful. I've always liked the feel of water and the sense of freedom that comes with buoyancy. Its fortunate that the water temperatures were comfortable the whole time I trained. Since the triathlon we've had more rain and cooler air temperatures. The one time I went into the lake for a swim since the triathlon was a shock. I started walking out into the water and stopped short. When I looked at the thermometer it said 72 degrees. I got out and went for a walk instead! Joe has been wearing his wetsuit to swim the last week or so. I do plan to swim more next year (or this year if we have a warm spell). If I do the triathlon again, the swim is one area where I can definitely improve my time.
Despite all my fears about the oogieness of lake swimming, I found myself rather enjoying it. Seeing beauty all around me as I swim is really wonderful. I've always liked the feel of water and the sense of freedom that comes with buoyancy. Its fortunate that the water temperatures were comfortable the whole time I trained. Since the triathlon we've had more rain and cooler air temperatures. The one time I went into the lake for a swim since the triathlon was a shock. I started walking out into the water and stopped short. When I looked at the thermometer it said 72 degrees. I got out and went for a walk instead! Joe has been wearing his wetsuit to swim the last week or so. I do plan to swim more next year (or this year if we have a warm spell). If I do the triathlon again, the swim is one area where I can definitely improve my time.
Number Eight: There is a least one advantage to a tri-suit.
As much as I mocked tri-suits earlier in my training, there were times when I wished that I had one. I had a problem with chaffing along the bottom edges of the swimsuit when wearing biking shorts on top of my suit. Another advantage of a tri-suit would be reduced transition time between the swim and the bike. It took awhile to dry off my legs and get the bike shorts on over a wet swimsuit. Next year I might look into one of the less expensive tri-suits. As Joe has been saying lately, I'm getting "hard core"!
Here's breaking news: thirty-somethings don't look their best doing a triathlon either. At first I felt embarrassed about being seen on the local roads in my tight fitting triathlon outfit. There's no way to hide your bulges in Lycra. Gradually, as I began to feel proud of myself, I started thinking that folks who saw me working out should be impressed that I was serious about my fitness as demonstrated by my authentic fitness clothing! I still felt a bit uncomfortable about my whole family seeing all my bulges. When everyone showed up on the day of the event, I took a look around and realized that nobody cared how I looked. They, too, were dressed to maximize their performance rather than win a beauty contest. It dawned on me that if no one else cared, why should I! This was very freeing.
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| Swim-Bike Transition |
Number Six: Dividing a big goal into small achievable objectives does work.
When I first thought of doing the whole triathlon it seemed overwhelming. I thought that the most I could do is one leg of a relay team. As I worked on swimming, the weakest of my sports, I began to approach my preparation by thinking of the next step I needed to take. I had never really swum in Ackley Lake before because I didn't want to get into places where the water was too deep or the bottom too gooshy for me to be able to put my feet down if needed. The first step I took was to swim away from the dock a short distance and then swim back. From there I worked out a plan to increase to the triathlon distance. When I worked as a consultant we called this the "Swiss cheese method". By poking small holes in a large task, it gradually seems less daunting.
Number Five: Outdoor exercise gets me closer to the earth.
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| 33rd Street |
I can't tell you how many times I drove, biked and walked the stretch of 33rd Street that was part of the triathlon route. At one point, as I was driving it, I thought "I own this street!" I realized that I knew so much about it - every hole in the pavement to avoid on the bike, where to shift gears, where there was a shoulder that I could walk on, where there were shady stretches to cool off. But ever more significant, I knew how much the corn had grown each day, where there were nice wildflowers and how they changed over time, the hangouts of various birds, landscaping ideas in people's yards that I might try. And the swimming helped me know our lake more deeply. I think you get the idea. When you are outside and move slowly you see a lot more than when you drive by. This is one of the reasons that I'm more interested in exercise when it's done outdoors. I have never done well in a gym because I can't stand the enclosed environment. I treasure this area in which I live even more now that I have become more intimately acquainted with it.
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| Our Lake |
Living in this body for 66 years has taught me a heck of a lot about myself. I can use that self-knowledge to accomplish lots of things.
As I've already mentioned, I know I'm more committed to exercise when it's outside. I also know that I can feel overwhelmed by a big effort but am able to accomplish it if I think of it in incremental steps. One thing about my triathlon preparation that really impressed me was my ability to put together a concrete plan that got me from the first inkling that I might just do it all to actually completing the event. As I put together that written plan, I knew what would work for me and what would not. I planned for success and that helped me believe I could succeed.
I also know that I am more committed to regular exercise when I have a goal in mind. I'm not the only one to discover that special events are a way to convince myself to get out and workout even when I don't want to.
Number Three: I can be more successful at sports than I thought I could.
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| Relaxing after the Race |
I've probably already shared in this blog that in school I was usually the last one picked for teams in PE. I had family models and, I think, a genetic inheritance that tend toward inertia and enjoyment of sedentary activities. The last things I would include on a "what I'm good at" list are sports and physical activities. This triathlon blew a big hole in that part of my self-concept. I know I'm unlikely to compete in the Olympics but the folks who do are a mighty small proportion of the population. In between the top athletic echelon and doing no athletics at all there's a lot of room for us ordinary folks to find pleasure and be successful. Somewhere along the way I decided that it's better not to try something unless you're certain you can win. Doing this triathlon has taught me that I can still be proud of myself if I don't win. That there are different ways to win in a competition with myself. How I stack up against other people or whether other people perceive me as a winner are not the most important factors in deciding what I'll do. In fact, I have gotten more praise and encouragement from other people for doing this triathlon than any other sports event in which I participated and I came in dead last!
Number Two: I get by with a little help from my friends.
I would also add from my family. Throughout this whole process of preparing for and completing the triathlon I have had a wonderful cheering squad. Knowing that I stick to my exercise goals more if I tell people about them, I shared my goal to do the whole triathlon with lots of people. I figure that way I don't feel like I can back out. The other thing that accomplishes is getting the help and support of all the people who know what I'm doing.
Joe was a huge help with ever positive comments and much quiet joy about my enthusiasm. I consulted with him frequently about my training plan and expectations. My sister and I walked together and mutually encouraged each other reinforcing the belief that we could actually do this. Writing this blog was a way that I went public and also tried to help others feel encouraged to participate. Our nephew told me that reading the blog let him know it was safe to go out on a limb and give this a try. Throughout the event everyone encouraged each other and provided lots of positive feedback. Even the women who sold us the t-shirts kept saying what a great idea this was and expressed interest in how it was going. Over and over in my life I have found that most people want the best for others. When I open up to them about my new endeavors, I have found support.
Number One: Never say never.
Sometimes I think one of the reasons I married Joe (and continue to be glad I did) is that he is so different from me that he stretches me in surprising ways. With him at my side I have taken on backpacking even down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and, more impressively, back up. I have tried sailing which didn't turn out to be something I want to do again but now I know that. I've experienced the beauty of Corsica and done a walking trip in the English Lake District. The list goes on, but you get the idea. Many of the things we've done together were things I said I would never do or, more accurately, never thought I'd be able to do. Whenever I catch myself saying "Oh, I'll never do that in my lifetime" I wonder if I really know what lies ahead. This makes my life more fun and more adventurous.
The triathlon is another one of those things. I remember thinking that a triathlon was something I would never do, never want to do and never be able to do. Lo and behold, I have now done one. I find myself wondering what my next challenge will be. The whole family is wanting to do the triathlon again next year so that's a possibility. I'm also thinking about longer biking events. At a minimum, I find myself actually wanting to keep up the exercise habit I've developed. Here's to the future and whatever surprises it holds!
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| Support Crew |
Joe was a huge help with ever positive comments and much quiet joy about my enthusiasm. I consulted with him frequently about my training plan and expectations. My sister and I walked together and mutually encouraged each other reinforcing the belief that we could actually do this. Writing this blog was a way that I went public and also tried to help others feel encouraged to participate. Our nephew told me that reading the blog let him know it was safe to go out on a limb and give this a try. Throughout the event everyone encouraged each other and provided lots of positive feedback. Even the women who sold us the t-shirts kept saying what a great idea this was and expressed interest in how it was going. Over and over in my life I have found that most people want the best for others. When I open up to them about my new endeavors, I have found support.
Number One: Never say never.
Sometimes I think one of the reasons I married Joe (and continue to be glad I did) is that he is so different from me that he stretches me in surprising ways. With him at my side I have taken on backpacking even down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and, more impressively, back up. I have tried sailing which didn't turn out to be something I want to do again but now I know that. I've experienced the beauty of Corsica and done a walking trip in the English Lake District. The list goes on, but you get the idea. Many of the things we've done together were things I said I would never do or, more accurately, never thought I'd be able to do. Whenever I catch myself saying "Oh, I'll never do that in my lifetime" I wonder if I really know what lies ahead. This makes my life more fun and more adventurous.
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| Pre-race Orientation on the Dock |
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