I did not beat my time from my first tri. I did not expect to, but I thought I could rest on my laurels for a bit. I still didn’t consider myself a triathlete, but, you know, I’ve done two triathlons. Have you?
Fast forward to now, two years later. Since my last tri, I’ve actually managed to get some use out of my gym membership. I still don’t like running, and while my bike moved with me to my new apartment, it hasn’t made it back downstairs and onto the road since. The last time I went swimming was on vacation in Florida, and that was just a few laps (breaststroke, of course) before basking again in the sun.
But I’ve been taking a high-impact aerobics class two or three times a week for most of the last year, and combined with that and a big change in my diet, I’ve lost about fifty pounds. So when Yi Shun called me again with a familiar request, I said yes. I don’t have a trainer, I don’t even have access to a pool, and my bike’s still just gathering dust behind my couch, but in about a month, I’m doing my third triathlon.
Something about the “three” and “tri” makes this one special. Even without the months of specialized training going into it, I feel in better shape to finish, and hopefully even beat my time from my first attempt. I mean, imagine running with a fifty-pound bag of flour, and then think of dropping that and taking off. You’d run faster without it, wouldn’t you? I hope so.
Plus, I’m going to have cheerleaders! Not just Yi Shun—though I may start with her, I fully expect her to leave me in the dust. But I’ll have friends and my sweetie on the sidelines, ringing their cowbells, holding up signs, and cheering me on, and for them, I plan to finish strong. Soggy and tired, no doubt, but strong.
Afterwards, I foresee a future day when I can mention a triathlon and someone will say, “Wow, you’re a triathlete?” and I won’t shake my head, and patiently explain, “No, I’ve just stumbled through a couple of triathlons. But just little ones.”
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