Tri Goals

It is always recommended, as with most anything in life, that you establish your goals and work towards them. So with this new triathlon infatuation I am doing just that.

I hope to compete in my first triathlon on August 21st in Park City—if all goes according to plan. (The plan being I can complete the full length of a sprint triathlon in practice without dying.) I know I can complete the full triathlon sprint. That is not what worries me. Mostly I am concerned about not finishing in a time that I can take pride in.

Being a former swimmer there is one thing I am never without, and that is my pride. Swimming was hard work—day and night after day and night. It was a badge of honor to smell like chlorine every time you got wet. It was also a reminder of all the hours spent in the pool and in the weight room. I was always improving and always working hard—and that felt so great. Now I am working to start this process all over again.

Don’t be fooled, I'm not a die hard competitor. In fact, I hate being competitive. There was one thing my coach said to me after a race that stung and stuck with me for a long time. It was, “London, you don’t have that fire in your eyes.” At first I was really hurt! Because I didn't have to come first my coach tought I wasn't passionate about swimming. But now I recognize he wasn't saying that. My coach, the great man that he was, was saying I didn't swim to compete and win the race—and that was just fine. I was swimming as part of the team. I was valuable not because I could come first or because I wanted to beat the other swimmers, but because I was a solid place holder in the team. He knew he could put me in any event and I would give that event all I had to offer. I had passion, the passion to do my best for the team day after day in any event at any time.

So for this triathlon on August 21st I hope to be able to complete the full length of it in less than two hours—in fact, an hour and forty minutes would be ideal. If I can do that I will be proud of myself and of the work I have been doing to stay in shape.

Plan B, because every plan needs a back up. If I am unable to complete a sprint triathlon run through before registration for the 21st, then I will sign up for the race a week later, on the 28th. I know that will give me enough time to train more fully and get my running together, because I know that will be my weak spot in this race.