The IMAZing Race: I suck at Triathlon! No, no, it's a GOOD THING!

I think the days of crying in my goggles are in the past.

It is nearly impossible to train for an Ironman and not get caught up in the belief that you may actually be good at it. When you first start thinking about an Ironman, all you want to do is finish it. But as you commit and start training, you start doing a lot of reading about triathlon, and spend a lot of time swimming, biking and running. As your training progresses so do your expectations. You find yourself going from "I can do this" to "Maybe I can actually be good at this!". It's not like I have aspirations of being a pro, or even ever placing in my age group, but as I have been devoting so much time and energy to this sport, I have found myself thinking, maybe I could be in the top portion of my age group! I don't know if this happens to everyone, but frankly I don't see how it can't happen to everyone! It just seems wrong to put in so much work just to be mediocre, and eventually mediocrity no longer feels like an acceptable option!

Then you attempt an s-curve swim stroke and all of your hopes come crashing down.

That sounds like it will lead to more goggle crying, but it is just the opposite. See, when I first realized that I actually suck at swimming (not just that I am a beginner and have a lot of work to do, but that I actually suck and am beyond hope of ever being a good swimmer), I was devastated to think that I would be spending 12-20 hours a week for the next 6 months of my life engaging in activities at which I suck. Depressing right?! But yesterday I came to a new realization. (Technically it is the same realization, just a different perspective on it.)

Realizing that I suck at triathlon sets me free!

If I showed any natural aptitude for this sport I would feel a responsibility to work hard to live up to that potential. And in fact I have been working hard...to live up to a potential that doesn't exist! Beginners with ability tend to progress fairly quickly in the beginning, as they become familiar with a new sport. (At the very least they start out above average; they don't bust their balls just to get to average.) But after months and months of consistent effort I have barely progressed at all. (To clarify, I have certainly increased my endurance and fitness! Just not my skill or speed.) So now that I realize that I am never going to be good at this, I AM FREE TO ENJOY IT! When I was attempting the s-curve and getting frustrated the other day I thought how ironic it was that I used to find swimming therapeutic. Also, as I have mentioned before, I used to love riding my bike, till I started "training." And now that I realize that I am never going to excel at this, and I have adjusted my expectations, I can just enjoy swimming and riding like I used to, instead of always beating myself up to reach an arbitrary standard!

MEDIOCRITY IS LIBERATING!

Case in point: Yesterday I had an amazing 39 mile ride followed by a fantastic 2 mile transition run! I just went for a long ride on a very enjoyable route; a route that does not lend itself to excessive speed because of a lot of turns and multi-users using the multi-use path. It is hard to build and maintain a consistent speed on this path, but it is beautiful and enjoyable. It was 99 degrees when I started my ride but there was a breeze and quite a bit of shade and it felt great. I loved every minute of it! I enjoyed my ride because of my new discovery:

I AM A MEDIOCRE TRIATHLETE AND IT IS FUN!

This is what a highly enjoyable 39 mile ride looks like...