Triathlon Is More Than Just Swim/Bike/Run, by Katy Walmsley
I am an athlete. From my earliest memories, I was running and joining in whatever game was being played at recess or after school. As soon as I was old enough I was on a team. Soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, softball and then track in the spring. I am also an introvert and the world of team sports allowed me to make friends and connections that would have been very difficult otherwise. Soccer was my passion and I continued playing through college and even for a few years’ post college but ultimately work requirements and the lack of women’s leagues in my area lead me towards running. Like most age group runners, I started with some 5Ks, raced a 10 miler with my best friend, decided we could definitely do a marathon and the seed was planted.
For the next couple of years, I would occasionally meet other runners but my training was largely a solo event. I wrote out training plans and followed them with the meticulousness of a girl educated by Catholic nuns. I started hearing about triathlon and since I could swim, owned a bike, and always loved a challenge, I knew it was something I was going to do. On occasion my husband and I would train together but I still spent most of my time on my own - and I reveled in the solitude.
As I started considering long distance triathlon, I knew I needed some support to manage all of the many logistics and to help answer all the questions I didn’t even know I had. I joined my local triathlon club, hired a coach, and continued doing the vast majority of my training solo.
Gradually a few athletes in the club pulled me out, encouraging me to join in some group rides. Having fellow athletes to share new routes and provide company on long 100 mile rides was a new and pleasant experience. I continued to fight against my natural inclination and agreed to start swimming with a Strava “friend” who had noticed we were similar speeds. As our budding friendship grew, she continued to push me out of my comfort zone, both in the pool and out, as she not so gently nudged me to join the local running group. It took over a year, but I finally started showing up at some of the track workouts and enjoyed the challenge of running fast in circles with a great squad of people. In a way, I had finally found my new “team” and was creating new bonds that I had not had since my years playing competitive soccer. I was prepping for my second Ironman, World Championships in Kona, and finding the balance of solo and group workouts was helping me to hit new targets.
And then everything came crashing down.
My husband and I started to notice some changes in our oldest child’s behavior. He dropped out of a sport he had previously loved. He wasn’t sleeping at night and he was shutting himself off from the family. His mental health was deteriorating fast and while he agreed to therapy, things did not seem to be improving. Not a day went by when I wasn’t concerned for his safety. Rarely did a day go by where I wasn’t overcome with the emotional load of caring for a child who was so lost and struggling, while also trying to maintain a semblance of normalcy for our three other children.
Athletics was my lifeline. Yes, I took many long solo runs fueled by tears but I also joined in more group runs and swims. Not everyone knew the challenges my family was facing and that was a balm in and of itself. To show up and have people expect you to perform, to laugh over basic running conundrums like where is the nearest toilet or water fountain, and to forget about life for a minute was a gift. Those who knew ALL the dirty details would track me on Strava, checking in if a workout was missed to make sure all was ok. Showing up day in and day out to listen during drives to the pool and the pond, sometimes getting so lost in conversation we literally go lost! These amazing women gave me the space to feel all of the very messy feelings and also held me accountable. They continued to push me athletically, knowing that the small pleasure of a workout well executed might be the only highlight of the day.
Life is better now. After an intensive summer of therapy my child is no longer in crisis and we have created some level of stability in our home. The community that I was reluctantly dragged into became my saving grace. So much is written about the importance of training with others because they will help push you to be better or faster. That is true. But while we all come into the sport of triathlon with different goals, most of us are age groupers, just trying to be our best, stay sane, and maybe have a bit of fun along the way. To those of you, I say, find your community. It might help improve your triathlon times but the stories that are shared and the connections that are made over 100 mile rides, drives to open water swims, and long runs are really what it is all about. These are the moments that you will remember more than what time or place you finished a race. These are the relationships that will stay with you long after you hang up your race belt.
I will still receive a text if Strava or Garmin are being finicky and don’t upload a workout when expected. And every day I go to the pool, I smile knowing in the (far, far) future my squad and I will still be checking each other's Strava to see who made it to their Aqua Aerobics class and who needs a little extra boost!