“The starting point of all achievement is desire.”
– Napoleon Hill
Would you ever do a triathlon?
It’s a simple question, yet most people would not compete in a triathlon because they are scared of the swim portion. And by scared, I mean terrified. They say they don’t know how to swim or couldn’t possibly swim the length that is required.
The swim is generally regarded as the hardest part of the tri for most people. And it’s easy to see why: Swimming is the most technique-oriented sport of the trio & most people aren’t naturally great swimmers. So rest assured, you are not alone.
These objections were what I initially thought, until I decided to do something about it. I resolved I would not let this fear keep me from competing in a triathlon. What did I do? I got a pass to the U of C pool and swam LOTS (the majority of my tri training consisted of swimming), got a swim coach, looked at swimming videos on YouTube and analyzed the best swimmers in the world (I.e. Michael Phelps & other elite Olympian’s) to see how the swim is supposed to look and tried to emulate their form each time I was in the water. To answer these swim objections for a tri race, there are 2 options: In the pool or open-water. I would advise starting off in a pool for your first triathlon and if you enjoyed it, then do an open-water swim for your second tri. That’s what I did & it worked out great.
“The first and best victory is to conquer self.”
– Plato
With this is mind, and as per the title, here’s the list:
26 Reasons To Do a Triathlon:
- It’s summertime and winter will soon be here
- Opportunity to try a new sport
- Have fun and feel great about yourself
- Do something you’ve probably never done before
- Take advantage of playing a sport outdoors, in Mother Nature’s wonderland
- Challenge yourself and be stretched in new ways
- Expand your outlook on life & sports
- Learn more about yourself and what you’re made of
- Know what you believe about yourself
- Meet lots of new people who, like you, are athletes and enjoy sports
- By learning a new sport you create new neural pathways in your brain to help you think better
- Conquer 3 sports all at once (kill 3 birds with 1 stone)
- Excellent workout and great for your health, sleep and well-being
- Releases stress and allows you to think better and more clearly
- Is a legal alternative for dealing with stress and frustration in your life
- The cross-training is excellent as you get to work & develop different muscle groups
- Accomplishment of a personal goal
- Personal satisfaction in seeing your success from beginning to the end, during the high’s and low’s
- Be a part of the journey (the goal) en route to the destination (not the goal)
- Life lessons you learn: Time prioritization, goal setting, money management, personal accountability
- What you also learn: Character, integrity, dedication, suffering, struggling, discipline, follow-through & commitment
- Crossing the finish line on race day is the reward and the memories will last for the rest of your life
- Opportunity to share your story with others
- To be inspired and inspire others
- Now is the time to get fit and be more active
- Why not?
Dwight Van Middlesworth 