In September, I ran my first triathlon. It was an exhausting – and exhilarating! – experience, and I’m quite proud of my extremely respectable 2-hour and 10-minute pace for this Classic distance. I would have liked to have taken 10 minutes off of my ride to break 2 hours, but that’s another story…
Unlike my first half marathon that I ran earlier this year, I took this race very seriously and actually trained for it all summer long. I ran short distances a couple times a week, I rode my bike a couple of miles at a time, and I participated in swim clinics most weekends at Zuma Beach to practice swimming in the Pacific Ocean. I even did mini-triathlon circuits many of those weekends riding most of the 18-mile course along Pacific Coast Highway and running up to 2 or 3 miles after the open water swim sessions.
It may be no surprise what a difference all this preparation made because I started the summer fearing the worst, unsure if I’d even finish, and I finished the summer setting some pretty aggressive targets for a 15-minute swim, less than 1-hour ride and near 30-minute run to break 2 hours overall. I didn’t reach that stretch target during the race. I did, however, get very present to an even more worthy accomplishment though.
With the race behind me, I’ve realized that training can be a constant in all areas of my life – and yours! Sure, I got in shape as an indirect affect of this triathlon. The reality though is that I may be in the best shape of my life now, and I’m inspired to keep it that way moving forward with or without a triathlon in my not-too-distant future.
More than being fit though, this triathlon has me focused on bettering myself in other ways, so I find myself constantly assessing my relationships with my girlfriend Monica, my children Dylan and Amanda, and even myself. I now maintain a more critical eye on my work performance and how I’m getting along with my Plus Delta team members and clients too.
What I’ve found is that I don’t need a formal race with entry fees and a medal waiting for me at the finish line to better myself. Training is a forever and always activity that is always there for me whenever I have a goal in mind, and it is possible to train in any facet of life. So what are you training for these days? Whatever your critical area of focus, that starting pistol is about to go off, so you better get training!
