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How I Started
You’ve heard of football widows? I used to be a triathlon widower. I was a single-sport
guy—loved to ride my bike. Oh, occasionally I’d dabble in the usual stuff—running,
swimming, skiing, Olympic clog-dancing. But cycling ruled.
Then I met Janet, my future wife. She was into triathlon. We’d ride together. Then she’d
head for the pool or the track while I hobbled to the recliner. I went to a couple of her
triathlons, met her tri-friends. And I started to notice something: They were having an awful lot
of fun. Don’t get me wrong: I still loved cycling. But these folks never got bored or burned
out by doing just one sport constantly. Their bodies seemed more balanced, too—no
cyclist’s stoop or runner’s famine-victim torso. And everybody was so friendly and
welcoming. Each summer I’d accompany Janet and a crew of our friends to the big Ironman
Triathlon in Canada—a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile ride and 26.2-mile run. They’d compete.
I’d watch. I hate watching.
Back home, I decided to jump into a short race: 2.5-mile swim, 10-mile ride, 2-mile run. I borrowed
a wetsuit, unearthed my running shoes and slapped an aerodynamic handlebar on my bike.
I “trained” by swimming three times in a pool—that’s a total of three times,
not three times a week—and running around the block a couple of evenings after work. Before
you could say “certifiable,” I was racing. Smiling all the way—well, not while
underwater—I finished in one piece, and nobody made fun of me.
In fact, I had a blast. In a weak moment, Janet convinced me to sign up for a longer race. This
summer we’re going back to Canada. And I ain’t watching.
Neither should you.
Why Tri?
Here are just three reasons to try a tri:
- Full-body fitness
Triathlon, like other endurance sports, does all these good
things:
- strengthens your cardiovascular system,
- tones muscles,
- burns calories,
- reduces body fat,
- bolsters your immune system, and
- gives you more energy for everyday tasks.
Few activities offer a complete-body workout. Triathlon does. Running and cycling neglect the
upper body. Swimming doesn’t work your legs as well as other sports do. You’ll reap
all these benefits whether you’re preparing for a one-hour sprint race or an Ironman.
- Variety
You can get bored doing the same sport day after day. There’s always
a new technique to learn, another training method to try, a new piece of equipment to play with.
If you come from a background in one of the three sports, you’ll revel in the steep learning
curve and rapid improvement of the other two components. Then, when it’s the day to do your
favorite activity, you’re raring to go. And when you reach a degree of competency in all
disciplines—and you will, sooner than you think—the feeling of accomplishment is
unmatched.
- Fun
Ever shown up for an organized swim wearing a wetsuit? Or for a group ride
wearing the “wrong” outfit? The single-sport snobs act like you lit up a stogie in a
health-food store. Not so with triathletes. They know what it’s like to be a newcomer.
Besides, it’s such a young sport that people haven’t forgotten that the point is to have
fun. Go to a couple of triathlons and you soon feel like you’ve joined a big family. You see
kids, 70-year-olds, pros and rank beginners all racing together and gabbing happily afterward. It
doesn’t hurt that so many triathlons take place in exotic locales. Any sport whose marquee
event is in Hawaii—the Ironman World Championship, held in October—has its priorities
straight.
So don’t sit on the sidelines, wondering how those people do it. Dive in.
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