Why Tri?
I’ve been thinking about motivation recently. When I get to the “Why” question, the answer that seems to keep coming back is, “Because it’s there”. But I know there’s more than that to it.
When I did my first triathlon, my biggest fear was a not completing the race - a DNF. So I worked really hard through what seemed to be the longest, coldest winter ever to prevent that. And when I completed the race, within shouting distance of my Tall Friend, I felt just so amazing.
Well, now I’ve committed myself to moving up this “wacky racers” sport’s distance ladder. After a weekend running and then cycling longer than I usually do, I felt a little (but not excessively) tired today, but I just had to go out this afternoon to visit a client in Newcastle, and run a couple of errands. The sun was shining, so I took Trixie the Fixie, and I can tell you she’s no slouch - I equalled my record set by my sturdy commuting bike for the return trip, and apart from a couple of hills it felt like easy riding.
But then when I got home, I found I’d just run out of enthusiasm for tonight’s swim session with the NE31 Tri club. Swimming is without doubt my weakest discipline - the one where my performance is so far short of the mark that it seems like the impossible mountain, and I am very, very daunted.
It’s like arriving in Grindelwald when the mist is down, and then suddenly seeing the north face of the Eiger through a break in the clouds. That little voice whispers in my ear, “Ya see . . . I told you you’d never be good enough for THIS”.
This is where I have to put the effort now, or what I have planned for June 2009 just ain’t gonna happen.
Recognising this is most of the battle, and things like this great video from the Columbia Triathlon that Bill Anders found really help on these kinds of evenings.
It’s a part of that whole “Begin With The End In Mind” thing from Stephen Covey’s books. Some of what he says is just a bit too happy-clappy for my British upper lip, but this point really works for me. I can see myself in the swim; through transition after 2.4 miles; cycling what seems forever; transition again, with legs like jelly, and finally putting on what feels like a sprint to cross the finish line after running 26.2 miles, with the crowd going wild. I mean it - the images are there in my head, in wide-screen technicolor and the most amazing surround sound. The more real I can make it in my head, the more I’ll start to believe it’s real, and that I AM that IronMan. If that doesn’t impact my behaviour (not to mention my hat size 
) I don’t know what will.
Along similar lines . . . Paul Campbell wrote a recent article for one of our region’s business magazines arguing that as a region, the one thing holding us back is belief. That insidious ‘I’m not good enough’ feeling that prevents people from achieving their potential. Naturally, he points out that this isn’t reality, just in a communal ‘head’, and that there are examples around of people who’ve broken this collective psyche mould to build great (or even, Amazing) companies.
And he’s right. One of my errands today was to the Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative shop in Byker. While I was stocking up, Trixie was parked up in the show room, with a small group of staff and customers admiring her stripped down looks. And suddenly people were interested in talking to me about how she rides . . . are those steel forks . . . am I going to the Leazes crits on Friday . . . or one of three road races on Saturday & Sunday . . .
. . . I could understand it if I was riding a £4,000 lighter-than-air carbon bike. But Trixie’s made from bits and pieces. She’s unusual, but there’s more to it than that . . .
. . . like when I look at the training log that Sweat365 generates as if by magic from my blog entries. This isn’t looking like the effort put in my someone who’s just dabbling at triathlon . . .
. . . even though I bunked off swimming tonight, I might just be in danger of becoming The Real Deal.
Workout:
- Type: Cycle
- Date: 06/11/2007
- Total Time: 1:25:00.00
- Distance: 24 miles
- Average Speed: 16.94 mph
I can definitely relate to not feeling like I’m “good enough” I sometimes feel really overwhelmed by the things I take on. Like, trying for Boston Marathon. I am going to start running again this week and I find that I am afraid that I might not be completely healed.
I am going to see my physical therapist this week to have him check everything out. I just want to make sure all my muscles are firing properly.
I guess I am not alone, just stuck inside my head sometimes. This is where I limit myself.
Thanks for your post!
I can definately relate to this post. I am always comparing my Clydesdale self to the rabbits out there, and I end up feeling unworthy.
But then there are others who say they are intimidated by all the “real” athletes out there blogging, and I realize they are also including me in that statement.
In the end - I think all of us deal with this. I think it’s one of the best things about athletics and competing. We take on challenges that force us to confront our doubts. Many times we overcome, and many times we fail - but through it we discover ourselves and continue to grow.
In his book “A life on the Edge”, Jim Whittaker says that if you aren’t living on the edge, then you’re taking up too much space. I think when we take on things that make our palms sweat - it let’s us know we’re living on the edge. And that’s were the action is…
Phil
Goodmorning! Yes, I am a little obsessed about food already. Actually, I’m transitioning into veganism right now, from vegetarian, and think constantly about what to eat. I read lots of books and have been to a nutritionist. What are some of the types of things you eat? Most animal products have a veg counterpart.. I’ve gotten pretty good at replacing most of the obvious animal ingredients.
Paul Campbell swapped “the bright lights of media London for a nondescript office on Newcastle’s Grey Street.”
Nondescript? Grey Street? Grey Street is Newcastle’s 5th Avenue, recently voted the most beautiful street in England by Radio 4 listeners, see the . If you can afford to rent in Grey Street you can make the effort to make your office better than nondescript.
The article was written in 2003, but it still shows somewhat of a bias toward That London in the BBC
There’s nothing too nondescript about Grey Street, though the Amazing Group’s offices are in a fairly unprepossessing building - nothing like the show & glitz that one might associate with the “bright lights of London media” . . . or indeed the more ostentatious offices nearby. More like quiet, understated diligence.
Grey Street still seems a bit flash to me, forget London. Astronomical rents in UK city centres mean in effect that Government, Universities and Lawyers dominate the real estate. In many North American cities you have the ‘down town’ full of high rise buildings, but then a few miles away you have cool places with their hip stores and alternative enterprises. These cool places are emerging over here in the UK but not to the same extent. If I had to name ten cool places to have an office on Tyneside - Grey Street would not figure. Grey Street despite it’s looks and history now smells of Elite - old money - privilege - establishment, none of which are cool any more.
Watched the video. I was surprised to find myself getting nervous waiting for the first start. Good reminder of the full experience of competing in events like this. Everyone is there for their own reasons and they’re all achieving something. Very cool.