Part 1: Around the bases

We all grow up in different places, spaces, and times - but one thing is always the same - change. It happens regardless and whether or not we learn to roll and adapt to life its up to each of us to embrace that part of our journey in life. The reason for Tri 33-118, is to log the events, races, and training that I challenge myself with on my path to becoming a competitive triathlete.  


It's been an amazing time, creating the building blocks, all the way up until the day I decided to become a triathlete. I always felt like the decision to get into the career field I chose, had more purpose and meaning than even I was aware of at the time. From the time I was a kid participating in activities, I have always somehow been drawn to charities that support children and animals. I was a regular at the annual bike ride for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. I couldn't have imagined missing that event for anything, nor was I about to skip out on the annual trick or treat for UNICEF.  It's still one of my most cherished organizations. I guess part of my drive was natural to help others.  Something else that struck a nerve with me, was all of the kids I grew up with that had one form or another of a disability or illness. To me it was normal to have kids in my life who were different, no matter the source or reason. But the kids who were sick, the kids who would be here a lot shorter time than the rest of us, those are the ones that truly affected me as I grew up.

Those kids were siblings of my classmates, they were friends, and they were special needs children. Their lives weren't like other kids, and thanks to my friends I got an insight into how challenging it could be growing up with a brother or sister who may not even graduate like the rest of us were expected to do.

I received my foundation by way of college, work, and life experience.  I've been blessed along the way with a lot of luck, progressing year by year as being a trainer, turned into director.  As I began to grow into a smarter trainer, I also began evolving as an athlete.  I didn't realize the transformation that was taking place, until many years later, when I began to be cognizant of the need for growth.  I had a desire not only to be a less technical or traditional trainer, but I also wanted to think outside the box as a female athlete.  If I was going to compete with the boys, I needed to outsmart them, literally.  That was a simple decision.  I began to surround myself with the best of the best, and make the network connections necessary to spark the beginning of something special.  Thinking outside the box takes effort, and so does taking risk and opportunities that most would consider dangerous.  But not me, I thrive on those moments that help to set me apart from others.

I was always the risk taker according to others.  I've always been the one who made waves, had to be noticed, wanted to help those around me, and jumped into events and adventures.  My goal was not only to be a part of the experience, but to embrace the moment and growth with each new opportunity. As those chances grew, I began to see a positive pattern emerge.  That was the beginning of a inner fight to become more than just one of the boys, but to rise above them, and be a professional on all levels. I think it was a natural instinct to just do something on my own, just to have the satisfaction of being able to say, I did it solo.  The things I grew up learning as a kid, later translated into a stronger set of skills, courage, and determination.  That foundation alone formed the building blocks of a future that would always keep me in the mix of sports and athletics competitions.  For those reasons alone, I feel luck has always been in my pocket.

Luck is great when it shines upon you wave after wave.  It's like sitting at the ocean and waiting for the splash of the next tide to gather around your toes, it's so very cool.  Every attempt to improve or better my performance I've taken seriously.  Being brought into the industry by well known professionals, having numerous long time career athletes surround my early years in the industry, and making the best choices for my education have put me on a path of pursuing my goals as a triathlete.  Multiple times there have been moments I was blessed with the chance to be in charge of various competitions.  Each time I simply jumped into action knowing I could handle the responsibility.  I never questioned whether or not I would succeed, only how much fun I could possibly come up with making it all happen.  That is what inspired me to just go for it and learn by doing.  At all times being a pro means stepping up and getting things done.  That's one thing I always do, finish what I start.  So, time for me to start the next chapter of being an athlete.  Time to pick the next race!

Take off! Preface: the beginnings.

Hi,

this is a blog about my journey to become an Ironman(women). I've always been an athlete since the age of six. I remember the moment I started to waterski, play t-ball, and even start basketball, and track and field. I enjoyed all of my moments growing up playing or trying each sport. I can still look back and think about the time during swim lessons I found it very challenging to swim a straight line in the pool doing the back stroke. The real problem, as I found out years later through education and experience, was that the YMCA had no lap lanes, or real markers, lines. A true olympic style pool with all the amenities can make a major difference. But I was six, who knows at that age what a real pool is supposed to contain. And of course the instructors were only kids. They were junior lifeguards who had been thrown into the learn to swim programs. As far as experience, well they had minimal to teach. But in time I was a natural and really learned a lot of what I did on my own, swimming every summer in lakes, rivers, ponds, and yes pools.

From the start, I was always inspired by a cousin who was a lifeguard. I wanted to follow in her footsteps from the moment I learned what she did for part time work. Never mind the fact she was also a runway and print model. None of that even phased me at all. But the fact that she was lifeguard, that was something I knew one day I'd become. I didn't know exactly what that goal entailed, but I knew no matter what it was a no brainer. As I began playing sports in school, I was first introduced to coaches who had no business coaching a young girls basketball team. Why, because first of all, they went into the position forgetting we were a very small town school. Secondly, we were also small town kids without size and strength, unlike many of our future opponents. So, with that being said, we were introduced to the savage one. Yea I said it, the savage one.

She wasn't the coach any of us had dreamed we'd ever be given, let alone have to endure. And unfortunately, instead of making us better and smarter players through skill drills and proper basketball fundamentals, she punished us to not ever make mental mistakes by making us run. Yes, suddenly we were being asked to run as a form of discipline, and correction. And on occasion, we also had to do our fair share of what is known in sprint drill terms as suicides. Many people refer to them as gassers, but no matter what word you chose to use, anyone who has experienced them knows the real deal. Plyometrics are one form of drills many football and track players are commonly accustomed to performing. The difference in our running versus other types of conditioning drills, is that our coach didn't have a stop button. Her idea of being done, was for her mood to change from mad to indifferent, not even happy.

Many times the clock was set by future coaches, to make sure the running was mainly for conditioning. And even then the length was determined by the effort and lack of mistakes put forth in practice. Not this coach, she had to have the perfect temperature in her emotions to even think about letting us come to a complete halt. Unfortunately, this method of madness stuck with many of us for years after her time at our school. Instead of liking to run, we all learned to hate it instead. That bitter taste took a very long time to get out of my my mouth.

It wasn't until later in my high school, and college years, that I started to get into other activities like bike riding, hiking, softball, working out on weights, and even swimming. Eventually, college and work became priority. And being a part of a sports team, or even participating in any form of activity became a challenge. After some time, I learned to take classes that allowed me to participate in some sort of physical activity. From basic tennis and weight training to dance, I got into any and every extra sports or fitness based class I could fit into each semester. This strategy helped me to not only grow as a person, but literally grow physically. As I turned 19, I gained another 1/2 inch in height and dropped weight while gaining muscle. It was then I realized what I wanted to major in while in college. So, the rest is history and I've been in sports, athletics, and fitness ever since.

In the past few years, I've trained and trained in many facets of fitness and athletics, honing and sharpening my skills to become better and stronger as a personal trainer. Over the past couple of years, my career took another turn. Like many who have had to adjust and adapt in a struggling and weak economy, my career path fell into sports medicine. It's an avenue I've worked in functionally, though not as an actual career. But, this brought about a need for me to stay on track with my training and activities even more than before. A few times I became involved in making my own training website(still it's a goal to complete) and being a part of boot camps and hiking trips. After deciding to buy a new bike after years of being without one (definitely one of my favorite toys in life) I opted for a new mountain bike.

It was then, after having joined a gym and gotten myself in such good shape that I began to run outside, that I decided to also use my bike as a workout tool. When I was in the gym, the initial reason I joined was to swim in order to rehab a bad right knee. Yes you guessed it, I soon put all three together in the same sentence and it was then the lights were turned on in my head. I wanted to become a triathlete, in time an ironman(women). Now, for once I had a goal for me and only me. One that only I will be responsible for, and a challenge that brings me a great deal of joy and fun. Since then, I've also added on a fixie speedster to my resume. Next up, a real tri-bike. But until then, it's training time.

So, with the idea being brought to life, I have begun my journey. Please follow me as I post this blog each week. I can also be followed on Daily mile, Facebook, and Twitter. In time, I hope to bring this journey to an eventual time where I reach my goal. I also hope it continues past that point. Fingers crossed the word Pro crosses my lips on occasion. Yea I said it. And I'm ready to take on the challenges that are in front of me now. With a new found passion for a commitment to my training and events, here I go taking off on a new path along my journey. Thanks for tagging along ;-)