Triathlon is a process. We start with blind exuberance then evolve.
There’ve been many times when I’ve reflected and cringed. I used to “say” I was doing it to become a better person, and that’s somewhat true, but not in the beginning. I was doing it for my ego.
I wanted to feel a new excitement in my life . . . to feel relevant again.
It was a re-kindling of an earlier life in sports. I was moving, thrashing, and looking in the eyes of my competition. It fueled me like nothing had in years. And I think that’s natural.
But, it was just the beginning. After several months, and certainly after my first Ironman, the thrill wore off. I was staring at emptiness in the mirror. What now?
Well, “what now” was another Ironman that I felt obligated to do a year later. A lot of it had to do with the fact that I had a blog and created a monster I didn’t want to tame. The other reason was because I thought triathlon was the key to reviving my life.
Right before that second race I quit my corporate job of 14 years. I was finally free to pursue the life I wanted and triathlon was right at the center. And of course that was the problem.
Triathlon isn’t my life, but it’s definitely a vehicle for getting me to where I want to go. That’s the challenge, and today I had a great discussion about that topic with my coach.
It’s all in the new podcast embedded below. It’s a very open and honest discussion, which reminds me of something that would make my good friend Dr. Oz proud. (You can read the semi-hilarious story behind this Dr. Oz interview here, and read Dr. Oz’s response to my post here.)
Below is the podcast where Coach Robbie and I talk about how we started, how we’ve evolved, and how we believe triathlon will fit into our lives in the future.
The Good: Friends, family, Fitness.
The Bad: Ego, Arrogance, Excess.
The Ugly: Regret, lies, and suffering.
Triathlon: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly