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By Maryline, on June 30th, 2011%
Recently I managed to find again a bit of a groove — both in blogging and running.
What if these two ‘hobbies’ were much more similar than I thought?
Yes one is physical, the other one is more intellectual.
One gets you active, while the other lets you sit on a chair for hours… But:
9- Most times, it’s painful to get started, but the end results will almost always give you a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment.
8- It’s a lot more fun if you don’t do it alone — friends are the best reward on this journey! (Heck, why don’t you pay a visit to Jessica or Maureen!?)
7- Only VERY few make money at it — no matter how much the sweat.
6- Those around you who don’t share the same hobby simply don’t get it!
5- It does not take much money to get started but it can help transform you deep, deep inside.
4- A little bit once in a while is always better than nothing.
3- The barrier of entry is virtually non-existent but it takes hard work, strong will and commitment to stick with it. Oh yeah, and a great deal of motivation (see friends statement at number 8 above).
2- You try to stick with a routine but it does not mean it’s easy.
1- It takes a lot of time!
It's so good to have you back! Share your thoughts, I LOVE comments!
By Maryline, on October 2nd, 2010%
11- All the way through High School and College you take your abilities and accomplishments for granted.
10- As you get older you think it’s normal to ease up, but in reality you wish you could keep going strong!
9- You dread taking the initiative, but the “getting in the mood” phase is actually the hardest part.
8- Once you get started it actually feels pretty good! And you wonder all along why in hell it is so hard to get started…
7- The subsequent high lasts several hours and gives you a huge sense of accomplishment, so much so that as you meet other people later that day you doubt they got to do what you did. And that makes you feel invincible. Especially if you don’t get to it more than once a week (or less?)
6- You blame fatigue and work to get out of it on a regular basis. To the point that you have to mark your calendar or else you’d never do it.
5- If you are a woman who’s experienced childbirth, you may take 6 to 8 months post-partum to even think about it again. Those who resume normal activity at 6 weeks are the exception.
4- You must invest in the right apparel if you’re in it for the long haul.
3- It’s great cardio exercise and you can pick your own pace. Sweat optional.
2- Most people talk about it a lot more than they do it.
1- It’s not mandatory but it’s an enjoyable perk of life.
Just do it!
By Maryline, on August 29th, 2010%
Sunday morning, 10-mile running race.
I had signed up for this race several months in advance, as is often the case for popular running events — this one attracted 5,000 runners. Not bad for a 10 miler!
 Last event -- end of the swim in my latest sprint triathlon But several months in advance means you are planning to be ready then; but… there is a but… you just don’t know what the day might hold for you, or if you will stay the course with your anticipated training program.
It takes a lot of dedication to stick to the training. Lately I’ve put my time into blogging and my running has suffered. Something’s gotta give!
Today I ran despite the lack of preparation because…
- I had committed myself to (and paid $60 for the registration, I hate to waste my money!)
- I was looking forward to running with my friends and my husband
- It was a beautiful day, actually it was a perfect day for a run
However I should have run more in the weeks leading up to the event; I’ve let an old injury be the excuse for the slacking (I really did hurt my knees at some point) and I had not run at all since my last race, a spring triathlon two weeks ago.
I am not completely naive, I know I will hurt tomorrow!
But I wanted to share what helped me go through this run nonetheless.
- The shirts of other runners that read: “Pain is temporary, pride is forever” throughout the course. Well of course this motto is directed at marathoners, but I’ve been there, so I know how it feels. When you run 26.2 miles it helps to remember why you do it. However on that stretch of 10 miles I really needed that form of encouragement.
- At mile 4 a residence we passed on the course was blasting the radio with Bob Marley, but all I heard was “No running, no cry… No running, no cryyyyy…” It made me smile.
- Around mile 7 a reggae artist was singing with his eyes closed. So I closed my eyes to help me up the hill.
A little while ago, I wrote that anyone can be a triathlete, maybe I should have started with running, because the investment is minimal, and the pay off is incredible.
For me, the anticipation to go for a run isn’t always there.
I don’t just tell myself, “Great, if I wake up super early I can make the most of the next 45 minutes by changing into my running clothes, socks and shoes, then oh crap where are my sunglasses, and my visor, and my watch…” I won’t lie like that. Getting started is the hardest part.
Running actually does feel pretty good — it did not at first, but now it really does!
And the post run is the most enjoyable time, almost like a feeling of invincibility which lasts for much longer than the actual run, so it would be foolish not to do it.
About a mile before the finish a lady sitting in a chair was cheering the runners passing by her enthusiastically: “Great job runners, I’m sitting in this chair because I could never do what you do”. My friend yelled back in response “Oh yes, you can! You can!”.
I believe she is so right!!
For those who might still think they will never run because they have found a good enough excuse (too old, too tired, too busy…), I want to say: What if you tried, then see what happens?
“If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.” John Bingham
If you are just getting started, I’d recommend this book: Galloway’s Book on Running. Despite the dated cover, the basics have not changed. I still skim through the book every once in a while.
By the way? I will need to get on with my running training soon because… I’m planning to run the Paris marathon in April 2011!!
Some of my readers are big time runners some aren’t; so tell me, what makes you run? What prevents you from running?
By Maryline, on August 14th, 2010%
Have you seen the movie Ratatouille? The motto of French chef Gusteau (and name of his book) is Anyone can cook.
That’s how I look at triathlon. Anyone can be a triathlete. I’m not saying everyone can be great at it — not everyone has what it takes to become an all-star endurance athlete.
You may not look like the pros at first…
 photo credit: natellev
But anyone who is motivated, is not afraid to learn, … and loves to make new friends, can do it!
I mean it.
You just need to…
- swim– I learned the crawl a few months prior to my first scheduled triathlon! It was a looong road for me! And yes, I’m slow but that’s okay, I can go on for a long time!
- bike – sorry no training wheels allowed. You got that, right?
- and run – but fast walking is totally fine; however usually you want to try and do your best so you might at least do a walk/run until you can run the entire section.
Now what’s stopping you?
It also takes a minimal investment; some goggles and a swimsuit; a bike (commuter bike for starters or a hybrid are perfect options. No need to fork the money for a spanking-new road bike, see if you like it first!); a pair of shoes and some workout clothes — the kind that allows you to sweat and move without chaffing. Or else, ouch.
But the outcome for all the people around me who have gone through this discovery process is nothing short of a life-changing experience.
The satisfaction of pushing yourself to the limit, the fun times and the camaraderie in the triathlon community, the positive state of mind after you complete a workout or your first, fifth or thirtieth race… exhilarating.
The changes to your body are the cherry on the cake!
I participated in my first triathlon in 2006, a sprint event (short course: 0.62mi swim, 17.5mi bike – 3.3mi run) and enjoyed it so much that I participated in many more, and have pushed it as far as racing in a half-Ironman event (Swim 1.2 miles swim, 56 miles bike, 13.1 miles run).
Let me tell you something, no matter how long the event, and how much time it takes you, the pride when you cross that finish line is all yours — and nobody can take that away from you. You get a bit of a high, you really do.
I will not lie: it takes time to fit it all in. You don’t just wake up one day, and enter a triathlon. Of course it takes practice! If you want to enjoy it and push yourself, you need to better yourself in every discipline.
But life is a matter of priorities, and if you get hooked like thousand of other people of all ages, shape and fitness level, then you can do it too.
photo credit: Foto Iervolino
Tomorrow morning I will be up at 4:30 (yup, in about 5 hours) to race in a triathlon that’s an hour away… I only wish I had found more time to train. But working full-time, raising my family, blogging, and taking care of my friends has taken over lately!
I want to continue finding time for triathlon — that’s probably my only “me-time”.
Tell me, how do you make room in your life for what matters to you?
By Maryline, on August 13th, 2010%
Let me tell you a little secret.
I wasn’t that athletic until I came to America. It was only then, 7 years ago, that I found myself running, and a little later, embracing the triathlon lifestyle.
And surprisingly there are many, many more athletic events held in America than I know of in France – this is not a scientific study, I don’t have figures per capita, but I can just tell you there aren’t annual marathons in every large city of France or Germany — yet there is, here, in America.
photo credit: Gregory Bastien
How do you explain that?
Turns out America is the kingdom of contrasts, fitness included. I’ve figured out a long time ago that there are two sides to the “American coin” – one overweight-prone side that is fondly referred to as the “couch potatoes”; and one skinnier or self-conscious side that tends to be quite active.
I believe there is a problem with extremes on both sides of the coin.
Some within the ”self-conscious” population flirt with obsession — remember the 2009 debacle when model Kate Moss praised the motto of a starving diet generation “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”. Anyone with common sense should now understand that the best way to balance your weight is to spend all the energy you consume. Or prevent from consuming the calories you can’t burn in the first place. Otherwise? Be prepared to see yourself expand!
On the other hand, lack of fitness can crush people’s lives. Yes, I am talking about those 200-pound and over who did not ask to be that way. But now cannot fit into a single metro seat, let alone drive their own vehicle.
How does that happen?
I have my own opinion as to how this all started, and I will share it with you.
You see, back in France, when I was in school I ran a tiny bit of cross country and played some volleyball in high school, then some more in college; but school sports in France – and, as a matter of fact, in Europe in general – are not that big a deal; not like it is here in the US.
I’ve heard so many times my friends or coworkers vent about the coach who did not “select” their kid to “make the team”. Since when do you need to qualify? Who does not need to exercise physically and mentally? Sports prepare you for focus, endurance, team effort, dedication, and commitment.
If you take that away from many youngster, then what is left of their self-esteem?
You tell me.
Meanwhile I need to get ready mentally for the short-course triathlon I am entering on Sunday.
(By the way, no, America does not run on Dunkin Donut, America should run on the track or the pavement, like runners do)
By Maryline, on July 11th, 2010%
The hardest part of an early morning workout is almost always getting out of bed.
The best part is the feeling of accomplishment that you get from having worked out and showered before your baby is up (and my husband too, but that’s an easy one!), often between 7:30 and 8.
I only wish I had listened to my body. I was not ready for an 8-mile run today. But I had planned this run with my girlfriends and did not want to cut it short. My knees on the other hand wanted to so badly. As I lay in bed, Advil-ed up, and fully hydrated, I just beg for foregiveness and pray that I can still walk tomorrow. At times, you just need to learn your lessons the hard way.
I’m planning to resume my shorter 6am runs and listen to what my legs and lungs are saying. I have a few events on the calendar I’d like to get ready for. This is not the time to get injured!
Triathlon is an endurance sport, especially when it comes to training! I needed to be reminded of that.
By Maryline, on July 5th, 2010%
There is another reason for my blog, thought it’d be worth mentioning…
Over the years, I have gone through many headaches figuring things out, such as immigration matters (securing a H1B-sponsored job, then another, then applying for my Green Card — more on this real soon), becoming a parent (as in, what I really would have liked to know vs. all the crap that books and magazines feed first time moms) … and of course there is triathlon.
I would be so genuinely proud & happy if this blog not only helped me organize my “quest for happiness” — but also helped a few people along the way. Really. It means a lot to me to get people started or keeping them going.
A few years ago, before I had my son I was very involved in my local triathlon club, and volunteered to “recruit” members, and get them on their way. I’m a very upbeat person, to say the least… The point it, still to this day, I have people come and tell me how I motivated them to become triathletes. My fellow club members never fail to thank me for my cheering as they swim, bike, and run through their first or 99th event. Just the feeling that I was able to better their experience brings me immense joy and motivation to do even more!
(My tri club, by the way, allowed me to meet some of the best people I know. There is more to the sport than fitness and podiums. I’ll show you!)
Reaching those goals we all set for ourselves. It’s priceless. And if I qualify, I’d love to be a part of that (Ya know, leaving your imprint in this world, beside growing the landfills).
So read on, and keep me posted…
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