A few years back, I was "just" a marathoner. And while I was confident in my ability to finish a 26.2 mile race, I had a lot of room for improvement. Despite several years of running and two full marathons under my belt, I remained a mid to back-of-the-pack runner of only moderately decent health.
The one thing going for me was a dogged determination to continue to run, regardless of how much I despised the actual sport. While I had little difficulty referring to myself as a marathoner, I didn't really think of myself as a runner. Trudger, maybe. Slogger, definitely. Runner, no. "Runners" were the eternally thin maniacs who put in 40 plus miles a week in training.
Then, a now infamous group of 8th grade boys challenged me to complete a triathlon. Really, they indirectly challenged me to complete an Ironman, but I only accepted the triathlon part. It was during this discussion that I realized that OTHERS did see me as a runner. The kids' response to my saying I was running the Chicago Marathon was, "So, you're a runner. You've run lots of marathons." They didn't see the me that I saw. They saw someone entirely different.
Six months later, I crossed the finish line and completed their challenge. I had added "triathlete" to the list that included runner and marathoner. And I added a few more things to the "needs vast improvement" pile. Namely swimming and biking. Being a triathlete did not make me a swimmer. At least there was cycling. I have a lot of experience on bikes, so it was easy to pick up the mantle of "cyclist," again.
Through the summer of 2006 and into 2007, the story continued. That's a story with which most here are familiar. The Ironman story. One more title to add to the stack. Somewhere along the way, I did become a swimmer. An admittedly weak swimmer, but a swimmer, nonetheless.
Along this entire journey, I have had another goal. Get others involved. Taking a cue from George Schweitzer, I've tried to get at least one or two new people involved in endurance sports each year. With marathons, it was extremely difficult. With triathlons, success has been much more frequent.
Since starting serious endurance training, one co-worker completed both a half and full marathon. Two other co-workers completed a half-marathon. One of them is now training for their first 26.2 mile race. Work has also been a good source for multisport events. Two co-workers have completed their first triathlons, and another completed his first duathlon, this past weekend. Next season, I'm hoping to have a team of at least six from my company complete an early season sprint race together.
Outside of work, I had the extreme pleasure of working with three youth as they pursued their first triathlon. All three completed that race in August, and did very well. Next year, we hope to expand that program and introduce even more young leaders to the world of multisport athletics.
Somehow, they all call me "coach." Though this was one title I never pursued, it is, perhaps, the most fulfilling. I have always said that helping others achieve their goals can generate as much, if not more, excitement and pride than my own accomplishments. That is a large part of what motivates me to encourage others to consider trying short, low-key events.
This has also led me to contemplate another journey (because I just don't have enough going at the moment). I'm throwing around the idea of pursuing USAT coaching credentials. One requirement for that certification is a section on coaching youth. That section is offered as stand alone coursework, and I figure if that much is done, the Level I certification only makes sense.
If you are an active triathlete, consider what you have done to actively share your lifestyle with others. And pay particular attention to how you have shared it with youth. We can give them an earlier introduction to multisports than we received. Then, we can watch as they surpass us and leave us in the dust.
RSS Feed