Triathlon: My Best Friend
I have a friend (shocker I know). Actually it’s more than that, I’d consider him family to me at this point as since the 6th grade we have been one of the only consistent factors in each other’s lives. If he asked me to help him hide a body, I’d get my shovel without asking any questions and I know he would do the same for me. A bond I only share with one other human, whom I happen to be marrying later this year. Stay with me here because here is my point. You’d be hard pressed to find any two people who are more different. Heck if he said the sky is blue I’d say it’s green just for the sake of arguing. So why are we friends? Simple, we are, and always have been, there for each other. From getting into trouble as kids when we hid beer cans and liquor bottles in our neighbor's bushes to helping each other overcome adult trauma we’ve literally never wavered. So what does this have to do with triathlon? Everything.
“Triathlon IS the friend you need in your life and I’m going to help you find that friend...you’re welcome. ”
Triathlon is the friend you never knew you needed. The one who doesn’t always agree with you. The one who will 100% of the time give you the honest truth even if it hurts. The one who will always be there for you regardless of where you are in your life. The one who will be there with you for your highest highs and your lowest lows and will ALWAYS give you a second chance (or 3rd, 4th, 5th, infinite). Triathlon is even the friend that helps you spend your money...the memories are worth that believe it or not. Triathlon IS the friend you need in your life and I’m going to help you find that friend...you’re welcome.
People disagree, it’s okay.
Triathlon doesn’t always agree with you: Just like your truest friends, you and triathlon won’t always agree, heck you might get into a knock down drag out brawl. There might be times you hate each other but you’ll always come around, swallow your pride and make amends. No two people will always agree on everything and even if you did you wouldn’t want to, the boredom would drive you mad. Triathlon is no different. Sometimes the sport just doesn’t agree. Maybe you’re at a point in your life where you can’t put the time into a hobby. Maybe you’re getting older and you miss the days when you were absolutely unbeatable. Hell, maybe you race and it just isn’t your day and you end up walking to the finish a shell of yourself with your ego in check. All these things are a part of life and a part of any true relationship. As long as you never lose the respect you have for triathlon I promise it will always come around and be open to making amends with you.
“Truth hurts”-Lizzo
Triathlon will always be honest and tell you the truth: Oh yeah, we’ve all been here. You slacked off in training and now you are completely exposed, broken, and suffering. Sorry to say it but you did it to yourself and just like my best friend, triathlon is now giving you a hard truth you don’t want to hear. Almost 7 years ago at this point I almost made a huge mistake (one of many) and without going into detail about what that mistake was, I didn’t make it. I didn’t because my friend was there, in that parking lot, not letting me. At that moment I hated him, I probably even took a swing or two at him but it was probably the best thing anyone had ever done for me. I listened, I learned and I changed. Triathlon has helped me in this way as well, maybe not as dramatically but it’s taught me the same lesson. Be better next time and every time after that until you get it right. I walked for an hour during my first Ironman. Triathlon was telling me the hard truth to prepare better, to dial my nutrition better, to pace myself better, to have a better mindset and be more realistic. Triathlon was teaching me to be better next time and every time after that just like any true friend.
“The sport of triathlon however will always be there.”
Triathlon is always there for you no matter what: No I don’t mean Ironman or even any other race organization. They just want your money. Seriously Ironman ONLY wants your money, that organization doesn’t care if you live or die out there as long as your payment is accepted, don’t convince yourself otherwise. The sport of triathlon however will always be there. The second you think of yourself as a triathlete is when you become one FYI and you’ll always be accepted by the sport. The past 10 years of my life have been filled with; adventure, excitement, tragedy, grief, stupidity, mistakes, fun, wonder, beauty...the list goes on. Throughout it all one thing remained. Triathlon. Sometimes I tried to ride my bike as far as I possibly could to get away from my problems. Sometimes I ran as fast as I could with the biggest smile on my face because everything in my life was perfect at that moment. Frankly sometimes I swam 50 yards underwater to see if I’d pass out before I made it back to the wall because I didn’t really care about myself. During all the downs, triathlon helped pull me up and during all the ups, triathlon helped lift me higher. It’s never ceased to be there.
Some say my ego grew 3 sizes that day.
Triathlon will give you your highest highs and lowest lows: I’ve told this story before but I’m going to tell it again because I like it. I was sitting at a bar after a race, still with sharpie on my arms and legs from my race number. A random guy walks up to me and asks if I did that race by the ocean today, I say yeah I did. He says “how’d you do?”, and I respond “Oh I won”. I watched him walk back over to his table and say “that guy won the whole triathlon today”. Talk about a freaking ego boost! I can’t thank my friend triathlon enough for giving me that moment. Little did that stranger know that only one month earlier I was walking up a hill in Virginia completely shattered during one of my worst race performances to date. It was a true low point for me. Triathlon hated me that day, it provided me with zero sympathy, it didn’t care about my past performances or how fit I was at the time. It knew I needed to be humbled and my gosh it forced that humility on me. But we soon forgave each other and I was rewarded with a win. There’s a life lesson somewhere in those words.
Triathlon will always give you a second chance: There have been times I’ve hated it. Seriously. This sport is the biggest part of me, my entire focus and all my goals revolve around this sport and there are times I’ve seriously hated it and everything about it. Yet here I am, writing about it, training constantly and coaching. See, there is always another race and another chance. It’s the sport of second chances and you don’t even have to earn them, you just have to sign up for another race and train harder/smarter/better in order to improve. In a deeper sense, endurance sports in general can give you a second chance at life, to be the person you want to be, or to achieve your athletic potential. Everyone has an inspirational story about how triathlon “saved” them or changed their life for the better. I know several athletes who lost 100+ pounds and changed their habits so they can lead healthy lifestyles. I know even more athletes who use triathlon as a tool for expressing themselves or as a way to change their mental health. Sports are a beautiful thing and I honestly feel bad for the people who will never truly know what their bodies are capable of achieving.
Goodbye paycheck, hello racing!
Triathlon will spend your money and you might not even remember: A countless amount of money. If you told me we’ve spent $10,000 dollars on each other I wouldn’t be shocked and I honestly wouldn’t care. Lupe Fiasco said it best “Don’t let nobody play me, if you are my homeboy, you never have to pay me”. Well triathlon, you are my homeboy but even if you weren’t you’d never pay me. I’m not even sure I can think of a more expensive hobby, maybe sailing? Just like all the good times I’ve had with my friends, I’ve spent an enormous amount of money. I don’t regret a thing and I’d even do it all over again if I could. I’ve seen triathletes drop 30k a year on equipment alone, add in a few races, hotels, travel, etc and your hobby is going to require you to have a second job. Is it worth it? Yes. Maybe? Depends on how much you care about money I suppose. Personally I’m more than happy to forget that I dropped a large portion of my paycheck on a race entry fee...if I do well. If I don't perform to my capabilities I’m wishing I had that money back in my bank account. Either way, triathlon spent my money and there is nothing I can do to get a refund.
“Remember. A real friend walks in, when the rest of the world walks out.”
COACH BEN ROTHERHAM