How I became a triathlete.
I was discussing health and fitness with a friend of mine, and I was telling her that through the course of my life there had been times when I was in very good physical condition , and times like… well… like then. We were talking about how it took a lot of effort to get into a routine that would sustain good conditioning, and how easy it was for something to disturb that routine. While we talked I realized that one of the keys to a fit life was sustainability. Whatever you were doing, it had to be something you would do even when life’s little roadblocks presented themselves to you. And while there are a lot of keys to overcoming roadblocks, one of the biggest is having a goal that requires you to get past the roadblock. So we talked about what sporting events were out there that would be motivating and inspirational enough to sustain you even when the going got tough. And wouldn’t you know it? Kona came up. We didn’t know anything at the time. I didn’t even know how to swim. But we talked about what we did know. And what we knew was this. If you keep at it long enough, eventually you’ll go. Even an 86 year old can qualify for Kona. And even at 86, it’s a world-class accomplishment. So I had my goal, and I was on my way.
How do I balance work, life, and training?
Well, I don’t really have a life. So it’s easy. I work, I sleep, and I train. And along the way, I try to live a little. I’ve come up with a Kona strategy that basically has me training for Iron distances this year, and in the seasons leading up to and the “age-up” years. I can’t sustain 20+ hours of high intensity training indefinitely. Although I am learning I can sustain it a lot longer than I thought possible. And I can sustain it for two year bursts when I try to give myself the best age advantage to get to Kona. In between, I’ll take 3 years where I just enjoy the sport and have a ton of fun. I don’t know if that’s “life”, but it’s the most fun I’ve had in years.
Races I’m most proud of?
Well, last year at Club Wars, I ran a decent Olympic distance race and took second overall in the Masters division. It was a small race, and I think Cid Cardoso Jr. beat me by like 30 minutes. So it stands to reason that had there been more competitors, I would have finished “out of the money”, so to speak. But I hadn’t planned on racing at all. I was invited at the last minute to go up to White Lake with some of the Y tri-clubbers. And I decided that rather than doing the 5 hour bike ride I had planned, I could do the race.
The thing that makes this race stand out is two-fold. First, I decided to do my training run as scheduled on Saturday and then substitute the race for my bike ride. The run was scheduled for 3 hours “easy”, and I ended up going 25 miles in 3 hours flat. If I’d run 10 more minutes, I’d have produced a Boston Marathon qualifying race worthy effort. Which surprised the heck out of me. But then on top of that, I crammed in 6 miles of swimming, and I turned around the next day and turned in a 2:40 in an Olympic distance event. Which is a decent time for me under any circumstances. So I was pleased with the performance.
The second reason the race stood out was because being able to hang out with the group that was up there that weekend made it probably the most enjoyable weekend I’d had in the last 15 years.
I’m also fairly stoked about my performance this year at B2B. The course is extremely fast. The conditions were nearly ideal. And everyone I came in contact with during the race… competitors, volunteers, spectators… everyone was just fantastic. And it was a BLAST! But to put the cherry on top, just 7 months after running my first triathlon, 9 months after buying my first bike, and 14 months after taking my first swim lesson (tri-club off season swimming), I turned in a 10:25. I don't know if I'm "proud" of that or not. But I'm definitely not embarrassed!
My inspiration for the sport?
Well, I want to get to Kona. I just fit everything else in to that effort. I have a good plan, I think I’m applying sound training techniques. I’m taking a holistic approach in terms of nutrition, wellness, and fitness. I hope I have my bases covered. And the wheels don’t seem to be falling off. If anything, they seem to be turning a bit better. So I’m optimistic. But I also know a lot can happen where I might not make it to Kona this year or next year, or the next age up cycle. But I choose to believe that if I don’t give up, eventually I’ll make it. Enjoying that journey, sharing it with as many people as I can, and hopefully reaching that goal are the things that keep me going.
Inspirational quotes?
I don’t really have a poster that I hang over my locker at the gym or anything. I do know a couple of “inspiring” quotes… but they don’t really play into my approach to the sport. One is that old Conan the Barbarian quote (which actually originated with the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche): “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” I don’t like the idea that things are trying to kill us. If your approach to this sport is such that you feel like it’s trying to kill you… you may want to re-think your approach. And besides, “That which does not kill us either wasn’t really trying that hard, or didn’t know where our weak spots were” makes more sense. I also kind of like, "Run for fun and be glad when you're done", “Lead, follow, or get the heck out of the way”, “Weightlifters may pump harder, but Endurance Athletes can keep it up longer”, and, “On any given day, in any given team sporting event, youth and enthusiasm will never overcome age and treachery”. There really isn’t much opportunity for treachery in triathlon. About the closest thing I can think of is being annoyingly fast in the run. And I think I only like that last one because I can no longer be classified as "youth" and I hate the idea of losing just because I'm old...er... older. I meant "older".
There actually is one "concept" that kind of guides me. It's the idea of figuring out the difference between what's important, and what you have to do in life so you can facilitate the important things. It has to do with what you might write on your grave marker. It's a great litmus test for when you're trying to decide whether something is important or not. "Here lies John Holbrook... clawed his way to middle management." I think I can safely say I've just made my case that middle management is not important in life. On the other hand, "Here lies John Holbrook... Beloved friend, brother, and son" kind of has a ring to it. So I try to live my life so people don't have to stretch the truth too much when they write my epitaph.