My multisport journey started with a women’s' indoor duathlon series, hosted by one of my local tri clubs. I had been running a fair bit at this point, but my cycling was minimal and recreational at best. I performed well in the short course race and won an entry to an outdoor duathlon. Fortunately for me, one of the women volunteering at the indoor series offered a mentorship opportunity, and I took her up on it! I was very glad I did, as I didn't know the first thing about setting up transition or any of the rules of an actual outdoor event. After that duathlon series, I was hooked, I started looking for longer and more challenging events to participate in and set my eye on being called an Ironman by the time I was 40.
In triathlon, you get out what you put in. I haven't missed a workout since I started training seriously, more than a year and a half. There are many days when I don't want to wake up early to work out, days when it's cold and going outside to run seems impossible, and days when the workouts feel really tough. Accountability and discipline has helped me to keep moving, and not lose momentum even when I lose motivation.
One of the most challenging things in my journey has been balance. I have 2 children and a demanding job that, pre-COVID, had me travelling 75% of the time. My kids are keen to be involved in my training, hanging out at the park while I run speed workouts, or coming to the pool to watch me swim. They always know that if I say I have an easy 9 miles, it'll be about an hour and a half and that if they ask for a snack while I'm in the middle of a tough interval on the bike, my answer will always be yes. They're my biggest fans, and they love to watch me race. Balancing travel with training has demanded that I be flexible and plan up-front what workouts I'm going to do and how I will access the necessary equipment. It has always worked out!
Triathlon is one of the most welcoming communities I have ever had the pleasure of being involved with. From the outset of my journey, there have been multiple people who have offered advice and help with no expectation of anything in return. I hope to offer the same to others who are looking to enter the world of endurance and multisport.
