Favorite Tri Memories of the Decade

With a fair amount of social media experience in my Insomniac Games work life, I know that when in doubt…make a list.

Especially at the end of a decade.

Or, when Ryan Lastimosa tags you in a social media post challenge :)

I started writing this blog in late 2009, early 2010. Here we are, 10 years later! I’m honestly very surprised by that. I figured triathlon, or at least an Ironman, would be a one-and-done kind of thing.

Since I fell in love with the sport, I’ve enjoyed too many memories to remember. I’ve probably forgotten far more than I’ve retained. In an effort to jar my memory for the sake of posterity, and as a gift to my children one day, here are my top 10 training or racing memories of the last 10 years.

I’ll list three today, three tomorrow, and four on the 31st.

10) We Come Full Circle: Earlier this year, one of my original Ironmadman blog readers, Jenny, inquired about me coaching her. That felt surreal to me. That we had gone on one journey together so long ago, and now we’d go on a totally new journey together…I still shake my head in happy amazement. Jenny and I had a lovely chat on the phone before she signed on, and even if she hadn’t joined Good Wolf, just reconnecting and sharing how our lives had changed the last 10 years was so special. Thank you, Jenny.

9) Couch to Ironman Course Finish: In 2013, my very close friend Kevin decided he wanted to complete an Ironman. There was just one small problem. He didn’t want to train for one. Like, at all.

(OK, he swam a couple times, ran a bit more, and I think did a couple 25-mile rides. That’s literally it.)

The idea was crazy, but I thought Kevin could actually cross the finish line. He was an experienced marathoner, and he would be the first to tell you he didn’t train for most of those either.

Kevin became my first unofficial client. Long before I ever considered coaching. We developed a simple plan. Kevin would swim as relaxed as possible, and when he needed a break he’d breast stroke or grab a kayak and float for a moment. On the bike, our plan was even simpler. Stop every aid station and every 25 miles no matter what. Get off the bike, stretch, drink, eat, pee. As for the run, we got even simpler. Just. Get. Through. It. Keep moving forward. One step at a time — whatever it took.

Even with nearly 30 minutes of transition time, Kevin crossed the finish line gleefully, if not very sore. He also had an hour to spare as well. Not bad for never having completed a triathlon, never riding more than 50 miles at once, let alone running at all after a bike ride.

Kevin is a knucklehead sometimes. But he’s MY knucklehead buddy. I couldn’t let him down.

The next time you think you can’t do something because you lack experience, think of Kevin. It may not be pretty…but it’s not impossible.

Unless it involves operating heavy machinery. In that case…back away from the machinery.

8) First Time to the Ski Lifts: I don’t recall the exact year, but I do remember a tri-team ride early in my training when a group of us met near Glendora Mountain Road to climb to the top of Mt Baldy. That’s nearly a three hour climb, especially to get to the ski lifts at the very top. I remember stopping for french fries at the ski lodge first. I then remember thinking halfway up the climb to the ski lifts, suffering on the switch backs, that I couldn’t make it. The hills were just too steep and seemingly never-ending.

I thought about quitting or pulling to the side of the road. Then, I firmly remember thinking about my grandparents. My grandfather had passed long before, but my grandmother was either in ill health or had recently passed. I just remember thinking vividly about them as if they were standing or even floating apparitions at the side of the road, and knowing how repugnant the idea of quitting would be to them.

So, I found what would have been a third or fourth wind, and gutted it out to the top.

Making it to the ski lifts was an early taste of being able to complete something I didn’t think possible. When you build enough of those in your arsenal, nothing ever feels impossible. Just difficult.

But difficult is (almost) always worth the extra effort.

More memories to come tomorrow…