So in this post I”m going to answer three questions and ask you to do the same. Answer the questions, include the photo and send them to me at swimbikestumble@gmail.com. Please include Triathlete in the subject line. The three best responses, as judged by me, will be featured on the blog and receive a prize: a book or ebook from Amazon.com. Deadline is 5:00 pm East Coast Time, United States, Monday, April 9th, 2018.
Why did you do your 1st triathlon?
I read an article in a magazine way back in the mid 1990s. I think it was Men’s Fitness. It was one of those January articles about exciting things you could do this year. So I trained all year and raced in the White Lake Sprint that Fall. It was a disaster. I barely made it through the lake swim because I did all my training in a pool. The bike leg took forever, and I could barely get my water bottle out of the holder without crashing. On the run I barely stayed out of last place by keeping ahead of a gentleman with a long white beard. I’m pretty sure he wasn’t in my age group. In 2010, I got my trusty Trek 470 road bike out of the garage and started back by doing the Angel’s Race sprint triathlon in Clemmons, NC. I’ve been doing them ever since.
Why are you still doing triathlons?
Triathlons changed my life. I went from being a fat guy who couldn’t run all of the way across a soccer field to being a guy who routinely swims in open water, rides for hours and runs 5-10 miles at a time. My annual physicals went from being frightening to affirming. I went from the guy people told he should lose some weight to the guy people ask how he got those calves. But the thing that really keeps me going is the people. I have met, spent time with, trained with, eaten with and talked with people far more extraordinary than I could have imagined. And so many of them went out of their way to encourage, help and educate me. It is the company you keep that makes you who you are.
What is your favorite race day photo and why?
The finishing chute at Ironman Augusta 70.3 in September 2016. It’s my favorite race day photo for two reasons. First, the facial expression says it all: This race hurt me but it didn’t stop me. Second, because the first time I looked at the photo I didn’t recognize myself. I had lost that much weight training for Augusta. Stumble onward!
