Tri It, You Will Like It!

When I first started triathlons, I had no idea how much I would fall in love with the sport.  Now, I love everything about it - the training, the racing, and of course, the people I meet through the sport.  Chances are, that if you meet me or if you already know me, I will talk your ear off about how awesome triathlon is, because as much as I love triathlon, I want other people to love it too. So I'm here today to spread the gospel of triathlon, because I imagine that right now at least, most of my readers are my friends and family and not actually other triathletes...but that won't stop me from trying to convert you all into triathletes!

Here are my top 5 reasons why I think you should tri it:

1. Achieving Goals is AWESOME

I love setting goals and smashing them.  I can look back and feel proud of my hard work and be amazed at what my body is capable of doing.  You can also set goals and smash them, and I guarantee that you will feel those same feelings of pride and amazement. Warning though, you may also feel the urge to continue to set new goals and continue to challenge yourself to try new things once you've had a taste of how awesome it is to achieve your goals.

2. Triathletes are AWESOME, friendly, and fun

Exercise gives you endorphins, and endorphins make you happy.  Happy people are fun to hang out with!  I've found that triathletes are happy, goal-oriented, friendly, willing to share advice / experiences, and inspiring.  Join a triathlon club, running group, masters' swim team, or cycling group.  You're bound to meet people who are having fun and working hard to achieve their goals, and you're bound to make new friends!

 

3. Living a healthy lifestyle is good for you

Training for triathlons has a lot of physical and mental health benefits.  It will get you out, moving your body.  It will encourage you to make smarter choices in fueling your body, so that you have enough energy to train.  Triathlon is a lifestyle and it will help you build healthy habits for life.

4. Training helps you discover yourself

Triathletes typically spend at least a few hours a week training (maybe a lot of hours, depending on your race distance of choice), and those hours can be a great time for self-reflection and self-discovery.  I love losing myself in my thoughts and reflecting, especially when I'm running, so I try to make sure that I train alone sometimes so that I can have that peaceful time to myself.  Don't get me wrong, I love training with other people, and that can help you discover other things about yourself - your grit, determination, and perseverance for example.  But there is something magical about going out on a training run or swim and learning a little bit more about yourself in the process.

5. Training and racing helps you discover new places

My appreciation for my city has grown tremendously since I started training for triathlons.  It is amazing the places you will discover while you are out running or biking.  I've discovered the beauty of my city and surrounding area. I've discovered amazing cafes while out riding my bike in unfamiliar parts of town. You will see your city in a whole new way by foot or by bike, and you will begin to appreciate it more.  Beyond your own area, there are opportunities to discover new towns, cities, or even countries as you travel to races.  Of course these places may only be a 30 minute drive down the road, but I've discovered places I would have never been to if not for a race.