Motivation, Tri Camp and Creatures!!
By Nancy Bianchini
Darcey told me to do the Triathlon Camp this spring. He says it wasn't quite like that, he says he "strongly suggested it". I say I had little choice in the matter. This is the benefit to me for having a coach - I often need a kick in the pants to do what I know is really good for me. Like this morning for example, as i was on my second hill repeat up the hill leading out of Sikome Lake (I named it "Nemesis Hill") and I was thinking to myself...well I was thinking a LOT of things and some of them weren't very nice but, the thing I can share is that i was thinking, "I know i wouldn't do this if Darcey hadn't told me to." I think i've come to a point in my training and exercise that I could count on myself having enough motivation not to give up working out completely. When days go by and I haven't been able to work out, I miss it and I am able to get myself back on track relatively quickly. However, I'm sure that I'd go for a nice long ride or work at progressing in running and swimming but I probably would avoid the parts I dislike--you know, stuff like hills and well, more hills.
Another important thing you should know about me is that mornings are NOT my thing. I love my bed and I love my sleep. So the fact that I get up at 5:00am to complete bike time trials and running intervals really is saying something. I am more motivated than ever to see what happens as I continue to move forward in my training. So if i think about it, I've really made some huge changes and I have some thoughts I'd like to share about why i think I've done so:
By Nancy Bianchini
Darcey told me to do the Triathlon Camp this spring. He says it wasn't quite like that, he says he "strongly suggested it". I say I had little choice in the matter. This is the benefit to me for having a coach - I often need a kick in the pants to do what I know is really good for me. Like this morning for example, as i was on my second hill repeat up the hill leading out of Sikome Lake (I named it "Nemesis Hill") and I was thinking to myself...well I was thinking a LOT of things and some of them weren't very nice but, the thing I can share is that i was thinking, "I know i wouldn't do this if Darcey hadn't told me to." I think i've come to a point in my training and exercise that I could count on myself having enough motivation not to give up working out completely. When days go by and I haven't been able to work out, I miss it and I am able to get myself back on track relatively quickly. However, I'm sure that I'd go for a nice long ride or work at progressing in running and swimming but I probably would avoid the parts I dislike--you know, stuff like hills and well, more hills.
Another important thing you should know about me is that mornings are NOT my thing. I love my bed and I love my sleep. So the fact that I get up at 5:00am to complete bike time trials and running intervals really is saying something. I am more motivated than ever to see what happens as I continue to move forward in my training. So if i think about it, I've really made some huge changes and I have some thoughts I'd like to share about why i think I've done so:
- Coach! - I have a coach!: As i said earlier, i wouldn't do a hill if i didn't have to. Having someone tell me what i can do and that i can do it is inspiring! I will consistently underestimate my abilities and even if i know i can do it, i will likely avoid it if its difficult.
- Friends!: In my newfound zeal for triathlon, I've managed to find friends and acquaintances with the same interests - some of these people I already knew but it's really cool to be able to relate to them on a new level! They may not specifically "do triathlon" but their fitness oriented attitudes and conversations inspire me and help me feel a part of something really good, exciting and fun.
- Coach (revisited): Did i mention my coach? Having someone to problem solve my challenges and remind me of my successes has proved priceless! Especially the reminders of my successes, I"m good at forgetting those.
- Momentum: NO one wants to start slow. It sucks to be slow or be the last. I know this. However, each successive time i work out and improve over the last time helps me to keep going. Then I have more and more workouts entered in my log and I don't want to break the streak. I saw this quote on facebook "If you're tired of starting over, stop giving up." Enough said.
- Mood: I'm happier! Well maybe not all the time, but i'm certainly more resilient. Stress rolls off my back more and my confidence is increasing. This is probably the one main thing that keeps me going. It certainly hasn't been weight loss because that is small, slow and slower than that.
- Creatures!!: I said there would be creatures...its in the title! See the picture with this article? That's an OWL and I've NEVER, EVER seen one that close! So it appears that getting my butt out of bed for Tri Camp lets me see really, really cool things...like owls, an ornery goose ("quit hissing at me - we should know each other by now you small brained bird"), some of my favourite birds (Red Winged Blackbirds, Robins) and of course some deer. On my runs, i've also seen Trumpeter Swans on their migration path and some really cool ducks of all different kinds. I'm inspired and I hope to have many more creature spottings to share
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