How did you get into triathlon? (Page 2)

While working in my first career following undergrad, I had become quite the couch potato.  Home from work every night and just found the couch and...  Weekends were much the same - football, baseball, basketball - on the tube.

In 2004, I would soon be starting law school and knew that I would need much more energy to survive the endless studying and reading.  So, I got off the couch and started to workout.  I have always "exercised" by swimming, running and cycling.  Then, I caught the Olympic triathlon at the 2004 Summer Games, and remembered having seen Julie Moss in the 1982 Ironman on Wide World of Sports when I was 12.  I started looking into getting into using my three favorite training/exercising methods to do something productive and give me a goal.  Then, soon after the Olympics - the World Championships in Kona were covered on NBC Sports. 

I really got into - started swimming more, looked for training plans (how I ended up on BT), started looking into getting a proper bike.  The rest is history...

I got off the couch, trained all through law school doing quite a few sprints and Olympic distance races, a 1/2 IM during third year, then IMWI last year after graduation and sitting for the Bar Exam.

And, now I am SERIOUSLY hooked and have become a triathlete.  I no longer identify myself as an attorney or lawyer.  Okay, I do, but I add... and a triathlete.  And, the seriously hooked part has led to working with a business partner to start my own triathlon related business so I can drop the "attorney" completely, and just be an independent small business owner and triathlete!!!

- Tim

Before I moved to Arizona, I was moderately active with running (about 2-3 miles a few times per week).  I had a mountain bike that sat in the garage.  When we made the decision to move, I promised myself that I would be more active when I could be outside 12 months per year.  

When we moved in August of '05, I sold the bike and decided I would buy a new one once we relocated.  Once in Arizona, I really took to being outside, continued running and added biking to my routine (on one short lived Target MTB and a decent Diamondback MTB that is still in the stable). 

In early '06, I was watching an episode of The Biggest Loser, and a couple who was participating completed an Oly race after they had shed their weight.  When I heard the distances for an Oly, I was intrigued - I knew I could do the distances on the bike and on the run already - maybe I could add swimming to my routine and give it a try.  I thought it would be really cool to be able to say I had done a triathlon. 

I looked into events and picked out the Soma 1/4 in '06 as my target race.  Swimming proved to be more challenging than I expected, and I decided the Nathan (then Timex) Sprint would be a good reality check leading up to Soma.  The OWS at Timex was a huge wake up call, as I had a major panic attack in the water and struggled to finish.  I worked on swimming over the next month and did the Soma race - the swim wasn't pretty, but it was better.  OWS is still the most challenging aspect of triathlon for me. 

After Soma, I was looking for my next challenge - I decided a 1/2 Marathon would be a good goal, so I trained for the R and R AZ in '07.  As the winter passed, I realized how much I liked biking and all three aspects of the sport, so I started thinking about the next full season - I was hooked.  I bought a road bike and started to look at increased distances and tougher races. 

Time and events passed - at this point, I have completed three 1/2 marathons, one full marathon, seven sprints, and four Olys, and I have a sprint, an Oly, and a 1/2 IM left on the schedule for this year.  If everything goes as I hope, I will be participating in IMAZ in '09. 

The sport has made a huge difference in my life - it has raised my confidence, made me healthier, lowered my cholesterol,  and increased my self esteem.  I have also made GREAT friends here.  Fitzy, riorio, standswithfist, and MikeG123 were the first BTers I got to meet in person.  I also met perkins_jerry, robot, and gamebothf on the course before I knew them on BT.  But that is by NO means a complete list of the great people I have met here.  I have met numerous others at subsequent training sessions and events.  Events keep me pretty focused and consistent - however, knowing that you all see my training logs every day definitely keeps me on track.  Thank you - for everything that you have meant to me since I started!  Whew - that got a little long winded (I guess that comes as a shock to no one)...                

Now that I can play again, I'll share my story.

I have am like others who are in the sport. 1) I had become inactive while trying to build a career and 2) I hated running.

I was pretty active growing up mostly playing basketball. This slowed down as I got older and started a family. I was tired of playing with kids who thought they were all stars and getting injured.

I originally heard about triathlons back in 81 or 82. My science teacher competed in the Ironman in Hawaii. He discussed it in class. I thought it as neat but did not give it much thought. Over the years, I had seen an Ironman on TV and heard about Julie Moss.

I was visiting my best friend in CA and he showed me his medal from the LA Marathon. It was impressive and after his urging agreed to walk/run PF Chang's if he came out to join me. Shelley and I were going to Hawaii in Sept prior to PF Chang's. I thought it would be fun to run a 5k while there to train. Well whadda know. The Maui Marathon was the same week that we would be there. So, we secretly decided to train for it (half). We figured we would run together and gain some experience. We had a great time. We were hooked after that. It is funny how athletics gives you confidence in other areas of life. Running gave me another outlet besides my career.

I saw some ads for Timex and SOMA and thought about signing up for one. By the time I decided to sign up they were sold out. I thought about going to watch SOMA but did not feel like getting up early to get down there.

Somehow, I came across info for the Chances for Children tri last year. I figured that I could do the distance. I signed up for it and borrowed a bike from a co-worker. The bike had this squeak on the front wheel and everyone laughed at me as they passed me. Some quietly and some out loud. I was nervous like everyone on their first tri. I went by myself with my family as spectators. I finished and instantly was hooked.

I decided to compete in Nathan's last year. While training for it, I was observing Tanya swimming at LTF.  I am one of the infamous weirdos at the gym. I told her that I admired her form and had hoped to become a good swimmer. During our discussion, I mentioned that I was looking for some training partners. She told me about BT.  I had visited the site previously and thought it was confusing, busy and disorganized.  She stopped by the class and provided me her phone # and instructions for BT.  I called her and joined my first OWS that evening.

Marathons, triathlons, BT and the Cool Kids have enhanced my life in many ways.