Fitz’s 1st Triathlon. Fitzness.com
Much like the recent half marathon I completed without training for it, I randomly decided last week to compete in a triathlon (without training for it) and did that too. My attitude has always been pretty silly and carefree, but trying out this “What the Hell” thing when it comes to endurance events, which are traditionally supposed to be “scary”, has proven to be a fabulous move. Here’s why: I’ve had no intentions on winning these events and for the most part, I could CARE LESS what anybody thinks of me. I don’t care if I don’t have the perfect racing swimsuit. I don’t care if I’m riding a borrowed mountain bike (thanks Debbie) when everyone else is on a fancy racing bike with uber shoes which click in to the pedals. I don’t even care if I come in dead last! I’ve been in the fitness industry for far too long to get hung up on nonsense like that.
Princess Half Marathon Finish Line
What I’ve cared about is spontaneously seeking out athletic adventures which make me giggle, feel genuine excitement and challenge my body. I was willing to tap out of that half marathon if I felt injury-style pain. Fortunately, that never happened and I left with a shiny medal and a fun memory of crossing the finish line holding hands with my handsome hubby. The triathlon I participated in all alone was a “super sprint”, which means it was really short. 250 meter swim, 3.6 mile bike ride and a 1.2 mile run. I handled each challenge without great strain and actually did laugh quite a bit during each length. Going through my mind? “Hooray! This is super fun and I can’t believe I’m doing this and … Hooray! This makes me feel like a kid and Hooray! I wish I could do this every day. What can I do next? I can’t wait to try something else!” I had lots of random and fabulous thoughts during both events, but mostly I just felt happy, proud of myself and eager to seek out even more athletic opportunities. Next up for me? A couple of mud runs.
If you’re struggling to find more motivation to become fitter, make friends or just have some legitimate “out of the box” type fun … pick a race and register. Try a dance class. Go water skiing! I took four “aerial dance” classes last year, which had me hanging upside-down from a trapeze and swinging on a “tissue”. It was a wonderful opportunity to take my focus completely off of both my family and my businesses for just a little while and focus only on me. Adults – we get too caught up with work, kids and impressing other adults. Just let it go for a while. Go be you. Be athletic. Be happy. Win a medal. What the hell?
