#peakereffect

[leahschier]

I might be crazy, but here goes! 2019 goals are taking shape - Zion half marathon in Feb, Full Tough Mudder in June, and who knows that the last half of ‘19 has in store. . @mypeakchallenge has fundamentally changed the way I mange my health and given me structure to support these crazy goals. At 41, I feel stronger than ever before. 💪🏻 . #peakereffect #mswarrior @ntxpeakers https://www.instagram.com/p/BrofeM2Hu40/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1buf2hz7e0vgu

[mymid-lifecrisis]

Dream…Believe….Achieve!

The “Dream, Believe, Achieve” Super Sprint TRI at Sandy Pines was a rather fitting name for my first Triathlon. I had toyed with attempting this event last year during my year of 5ks, but chickened out! I later completed my own “TRI,” but months later, I still couldn’t get this event out of my head and I knew that I would always feel like I’d left something “undone” if I didn’t attempt it…so when it came time to sign up for this year’s event…I put it off for several weeks! I had almost talked myself out of it…and that’s when the power of community stepped in and didn’t ALLOW me to chicken out this time! More on that later…first the details!

After weather forecasts that called for thunderstorms all morning, I wasn’t completely confident we’d get today’s event in, but we did! It downpoured when we were driving in, but once there, only a few sprinkles were felt all morning. It was muggy, but only in the 70s, mostly cloudy, but the sun did peak out a few times and the water temp was 82 degrees!

There were several distances at this event, but for my first TRI, I played it safe and chose the Super Sprint distance. The swim was 200 meters, then a 10k bike ride, followed by a 1.2 mile run. What I liked about these distances was that today’s event wasn’t so much about pushing myself for great distances, but rather pushing myself outside my comfort zone to do 3 disciplines back-to-back, an open water swim with lots of other hands and feet splashing around, biking in crowds and then of course the transitions. It was the perfect event to TRY a TRI and gain valuable experience and knowledge just by watching others and seeing how and why they attack the disciplines the way they do. Even though the lengths were not terribly challenging…I still ALMOST let my fears and excuses stop me from participating in today’s event!

I have come a ways with not letting fear keep me on the sidelines of life, but it doesn’t keep the “what-if’s” away…and with this race, I had a lot of what-ifs! What if I go out too hard on the swim and exhaust myself? What if another swimmer kicks me in the head and I am knocked out, what if I swim to the wrong buoys? What if I freak out? As it turns out, I did get tired…I did resort to doing some backstroke and side crawl…but the worst thing that happened to me was that I stink at sighting and the lifeguard redirected me twice before I went TOO far off course.🏊‍♀️ I even managed to not finish the swimming portion last, even though I (purposefully) entered the water last…and I wasn’t the one the lifeguard had to pull out of the water! (He’s okay…just couldn’t finish the swim!). I didn’t hit any trees or other bikers…my brakes didn’t fail and I didn’t get my bike stuck in a way-too-difficult-to pedal gear like I did in my training ride earlier this week! I should add that my bike is about 30 years old…it was a Wal-Mart special that my family gave my mom as a present. It’s a hybrid and has a granny seat. 👵🚴‍♀️ I love that it was my moms…and that’s about all I love about it! But….maybe most importantly, I didn’t get lost on the course! (There were only 28 Super Sprinters and most of them were so far ahead of me, I couldn’t see them …although I did manage to pass the 12 year old girl and her dad…yeah me!) I didn’t really have any fears for the run…I just knew it would stink after biking, but I had done several bike ride/run training (brick) seasons, so I knew I could handle it…even if it involved some walking intervals…which it did! 🏃‍♀️

My list of excuses was pretty lengthy too…too expensive, too time consuming to train for…too early (I got up at 4:15am this morning!). I’m heavier than I want to be, I didn’t train enough…blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…excuses…all of them!

In the end, I wish I had trained more…I wish I were 30 pounds lighter…but I pushed aside my fears and excuses and did it! I ended up 26th out of 28 people (Men, women, children). It took me 1 hour and 8 minutes. I honestly thought I’d finish last (and for once was really, truly okay with that!). I had hoped to be under an hour…but it is what it is! I did it…and I’m happy with that! I couldn’t have done it without my supportive community that doesn’t let me get away with using my fears and excuses for reasons why I shouldn’t attempt something.

Many times during my year of 5ks, I had asked my trainer to run one with me. The answer was always the same…“I don’t run!” Then one day, while mentioning that I really needed to put some time in at pool if I was going to think about doing this TRI, he asked me what the distances for a Super Sprint were (200 meter swim, 10k bike and 1 mile run). When I told him, his reply (after calling it a baby TRI…no, not even a baby…a placenta TRI!) was, “That one I’ll do!” So I suddenly had a TRI buddy…and not just any buddy…my trainer! Knowing he was only doing this because I was, is what finally prompted me to sign up. It’s amazing really, the things my trainer can get me to do…I guess that means he’s good at his job…helping people get out of their comfort zones so real growth (both muscular and emotional) can happen. Ironically, he had to cancel last minute because he was needed at the gym. He felt awful and wouldn’t stop apologizing…but honestly, I think his role in this was to get me to commit by signing up…because I’m Dutch…and if I’ve signed up and paid money…I’m doing it!

As I’ve mentioned before, I am part of a large, international, on-line fitness community called My Peak Challenge. Peakers (as we call ourselves!) are an incredibly encouraging group and once I dared mention my dream of a TRI, the #peakereffect took over and convinced me I could and should do this! Several Peakers with TRI experience offered up advice and helpful tips that allowed me to feel somewhat knowledgeable about TRIs... and knowing so many Peakers were cheering me on this morning was awesome!

And then my friend Kara. Kara ran my first 5k with me and serves as a powerful example of courage and fearlessness. Kara ran this race last year as her first TRI and was planning on doing the longer Sprint distance this year…but when she found out I was thinking about bailing again this year…she decided to do the Super Sprint with me. She invited me out to the lake last week to do a practice swim and drove me around the course we would bike, patiently answered my questions and calmed me down when I was freaking out…she even fixed my medal after the race so it would lay perfectly for pictures! I would like to think I would have participated in this event without her…but I know that because of her, I felt prepared and was even able to enjoy it!

And of course my family…who woke up at 5am after having crazy busy weeks (kids at camp…Jason providing leadership to a conference)…drove 45 minutes, and hung out in the Jeep while it rained. They were, as usual, the best cheerleaders and Jason was the calm, quite voice of reason during transitions. I am blessed with how much they love and support me!

So…will I do another TRI? Never say never! Both Anna and Will were asking when they could do one, so I can see where a family TRI might happen sometime. I think for me to continue with TRIs I’d need a new bike, to get in a little better shape and to have more time to train. Since those are all things I would LIKE to happen someday, I’m hoping another TRI will too! And if I write this much about a Super Sprint, can you imagine how long a Sprint TRI review would be?!? 😉

[leahschier]

Wiked Wine Run 5K yesterday evening. . It was HOT and also hot. Which meant not much running, but we crossed the final line running and with smiles. I met my first fellow Peaker (visiting from Maryland) and worked on a non-physical challenge with great laughs. Did I mention it was kinda hot? . So here is my happy, sweaty, tomato faced self with Marianne at the finish and few others t-shirts we loved. . Before #mpc2018 I would never have posted unflattering photos of myself, especially after a run or workout. Today, what I see in these photos is pride, progress, and fun. . That’s good stuff Maynard. 💪🏻🏃🏻‍♀️😎 . #runpeakerrun #peakereffect @mypeakchallenge @ntxpeakers (at Mitas Hill Vineyard)