How did you get into triathlon?

It all started waaay back in 2000 when I watched the CA Ironman go through Camp Pendleton in Oceanside (it's now a 70.3). I said to my hubby "I want to do that one day". Well, it took a while. 2 years ago, a co-worker talked me into signing up for the Anthem tri I had ran track and x-country in HS and had been a "jogger" on and off as an adult. I didnt really enjoy running but I did it because it was the easiest way to stay in shape. I only owned an old wal-mart mtn bike and could barely swim. In the end, my friend baled on the race but I did the Anthem race in sept 2006. I had a great run, only to be passed by everyone on my mtn bike and in the pool. I remember sitting watching the awards ceremony and thinking that I wanted to do better next time. A few months later I bought a road bike and I've been training hard ever since

What keeps me interested in the sport are the great friends that I train with and you guys on BT

My college roommatewanted me to run the inaugural Disneyland Half-marathon with him back in 2006. I jokingly agreed (I was on the couch and not working out at all) - - but came up with some brilliant excuse to not do it. I promised I would do it in '07. Fast forward to Jan '07 and I decided I should start doing something about it, even though the race wasn't until Labor Day.  I started running a little. I'm the type of person who needs some vaildation or at least an not-so-far-off endgoal. I registered for a 5K (through the hill Phx Zoo). It was brutal, but I enjoyed the feel of the race.

I was a H.S. swimmer and started doing a little swimming to offset my running. While at my daughter's gymnastics class, I saw an ad for a sprint tri in Scottsdale. Earlier in life, Ihad always wanted to do one. I decided I would register - -even though I had no bike. I dusted off an old road bike that was stored at my parents house (I don't believe Peugeot has made bicycles for some time) and started to ride a little. I had no clue what I was doing on the bike - "I can ride 12 miles on a bike - - no problem." 

Race day came. Swim was great and I was feeling strong. The bike leg came and I went from 6th place in the Clydesdales (out of 17) to 15th. Oh, did I work my way backwards though the field. I thought I could bring it back some on the run, but I was exhausted and had to walk several times. I did, however, really like the encouragement that the other racers kept giving as they ran by. I think that is one of the things that hooked me on this sport. I finished the run, but dropped to 16th out of the 17 clydes.

I got hooked and signed up for a lot of events (6 tris, 5 5Ks, 2 10Ks, 2 Half-Marathons, and a few other events in '07).  BT helped a lot...both with learning how to train and meeting folks. I think the first BTers I met were StandswithFist, BHannahs, and Riorio.

I love doing this and wish I had gotten into it earlier. Not only do I enjoy the racing, the training, and the people - - I've lost a lot of weight .Back in the Fall of '06, I was probably around 220 (I'm 6'2", so I carried it okay). By Feb '07, I had lost a little. By my first race, I was 200 even (still a CLyde). I didn't think I had that much more to lose, but it kept going. I've been just under 170 for some time now. People at work used to ask me if I was sick - - but I think now they see a very healthy, active person.

Another benefit - I've gotten several other friends into running and another into tri's.

I've been a cyclist for years - I got into it when I got out of college. When I lived in Boston I raced a bit, and through some of my cyclist pals I ended up watching a few local cyclocross races and that looked fun too. I started running to train for that, and when I moved to California I did a bit of cyclocross racing, since it was much more laid back than road racing. At the time, I had an awesome roommate named Jesse who raced cross and also did triathlons. He was one my best roommates ever and one of the fittest guys I've ever known, even though he subsisted on a diet of $1 frozen pizzas, burritos, and steamed vegetables (he was vegetarian), did most races with some kind of hangover, and even won some races with some degree of hangover (this prep strategy never worked for me).

I moved to Tempe a few months before the inaugural Ironman here. Jesse came down to do it and it was really fun to watch. I hadn't been working out much in Arizona, since the roads around here suck for cycling compared to the Bay Area or even Boston, but I started riding and running again sporadically. I'm not sure what exactly happened after that - it was a combination of talking to a coworker who did tris (robin314159!), joining a gym with a pool, decided I should finally learn to swim, and finding a good workout log where I could fill a graph with pretty colors.

I did my first tri last summer while prepping for a mountaineering trip in Peru. To this day, my big goals are still more along the lines of wanting to climb big peaks rather than do an Ironman, and I still much prefer water in its mostly frozen, semi-vertical forms... but endurance is endurance, and tri training is a good way to get where I want to go. 

Damn. I fear this will become long winded. But really, what else would you expect from me?  Let me see if I can boil it down to bullet points:

Moved to AZ in Aug of 2006 and liked the weather

Tried a little jogging to help stay awake for two jobs

Was talked into first tri (Sprint at Tempe International Triathlon) and Met Bhannas and a ton of hot looking hard bodies.  Thought "self, you like the way these people look and they are somewhat accepting of the big dorky guy you appear to be - there could be something here!"

Bhannas talks me into joining BT - was PM'd by standswithfist and told to stop lurking and come to OWS with a local group.

Several race fees later saw me as a local celebrity (at least in my own mind) and made great friends that I could train and drink with as well as pull off century rides, 1/2 and full Mary's, and even travel to other states for HIM's with my BT gang.

Wow - I suppose I have done it all and now can retire after the next big event in 81 days!

I've gotten into triathlon twice now.

The first time had such a positive effect on my life that I came back to it as a last ditch effort to save myself.  Some people find religion. I've found triathlon twice now. 

After ACLreplacement surgery on one knee and the doctor wanting surgery on the second knee (one day I'll do it) I decided  I needed to play less soccer.  I've had a bike for a while, and I love swimming. This was a good fit.

Any other ACL'er out there?

It's great to get to know some of you better! 

One thing that still cracks me up is that I used to ride a bike (it was actually my husband's hybrid bike)  8 mph for four miles around my neighborhood and get whooped.  I had a friend that was into triathlon and he asked me "where" and "what" I was riding.  I didn't even have a clue I was so slow.  Isn't it funny to look back now at some of the progress? 

I got a call from my brother (oxofthedessert) and he said "hey man do you know anything about triathlons".  Well I did not.  I got a call a few hours later to tell me he was going to do it, and asked if I wanted to train with him.  So I said sure.  Deep down I thought this would be something that he will start and not finish. (Sorry brother).  So I trained off and on, not really taking it serious.  I was just waiting for him to quit so I could quit.  Well much to my suprise he did not quit.  I did.  He ran his first tri and I was there to see it.  I was amazed at how proud of him I was and still am. 

I was in a place where I was drinking very heavily.  I had always used the excuses of an Army accident that left me in pretty bad shape and ended my military career.  I saw people twice my size, and twice my age compete in the tri.  So I said no more excuses.  I am doing this!  I still hurt pretty bad from day to day, but I am determined.  After my injuries in the Army I was told that I would probably keep my limp for life, and would never be able to have a very active life.  When I cross the finish line at the Anthem Tri, I will be able to prove them wrong.  I make my future, not doctors. 

 The bonus, is getting to train with my brothers (Koachman and oxofthedessert).  As well as meeting some great people and getting to train and hang out with the cool kids.  Thanks gang. 

I quit smoking in September 2006 and then my mom died of heart disease a couple of months later. To keep myself out of depression, which both of those events would have triggered, and off anti-depressant drugs I started training in early 2007. I've always swum a lot, so that came easy. Then I dusted off the MTB and added a little jogging to the mix.

I had a BF in HS who did tris (in the early 80s!) so I knew about them and had always been intrigued. The goal was to "finish" a tri, the Mountain Man Sprint last year. Oh well.

I've not only found great friends and a wonderful community here on BT but I've learned so much about people and myself. Thanks everyone for putting up with me.

First, thanks to all for sharing the stories, they have been fun to read:

In short: 

June of '04, diagnosed with cancer, surgery, etc. to get rid of it...

March '05, woke up fat (185 @ 5'5" ), looked at my 50th birthday and said, I am a butt head for not being healthy for the rest of my life...

Now 145,  lots of marathons later, on my way to do an HIM to celebrate five years cancer free at 53 next summer.

I will feel this good everyday for the rest of my life.  My photo shows a "V" with my hand.  That is for victory of cancer for me and stroke for my wife.  Life is meant to be relished and what a better way then to feel as good as we do every day!

Like a lot of other triathletes I have an extremely addictive/obsessive personality.

A couple of years ago I was in a bad place mentally and I was drinking too much.  I decided I needed to make some sort of change in my lifestyle.  For some reason triathlon jumped into my head.  I signed up for the Blue Water sprint triathlon the same day.

If nothing else it has given me a more positive place to channel my obsessive/addictive tendencies.

I've been cycling since 1975, so I had a real good background there.  I'd seen the Ironman on TV, but thought that was the only triathlon.  I never knew there were shorter and more local events.  Then one day I stumbled upon a series of articles written by a Canadian woman named Alison Colavecchia and her quest to become an Ironman.  I was hugely intrigued, so much so that I emailed her for inspiration and then later on went to Lake Placid NY to cheer her on.  Reading of her trials and tribulations and then watching her become an Ironman was extremely motivating and I decided on the spot to do the same thing.  She inspired me so much that I named my bicycle "Alison" after her.  We've kept in touch via email over the past 5 years.  Now, 3 Ironman races later, I have her to thank for starting it all.

If you're interested, her series of articles can be found here: 

http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/beginner/alison.html

Start at the bottom of the list, as you'll see they are dated back to December 2000.