It's no secret, since I constantly blab about it, that this year I have been sort of in a mid-life crisis. These last few weeks the crisis has been rather acute. I feel like a teenager--and, well--I've sort have been acting like one. But one good thing about the teenage years is that the desire to live life to the fullest and have fun is sort of a constant. I want to tap into that more. I know it's the reason I train and do triathlon. Triathlon is a game. It's play. It's a social outlet. It's a release. It provides me with a goal and a purpose.
However, triathlon can become, like everything else if you let it, a chore.
For me it becomes most chore-like when it's all about the training and the end result of one big race. It's generally fun to get caught up in the how-to's of training and the big race. We work on nutrition, on mindset, on the key workouts, on racing at the right time, for the right reason, at the right intensity-- all in service to the mother fucker of all goals that particular season--the A Race.
And that's fun.
Until it's not.
I believe I am a great athlete with a huge appetite for hard work and an ability to excel. (Well, I believe that usually. or maybe sometimes. okay, in theory I believe it.) I believe that if I execute my season as I should I will come out on top--whatever that may mean for me.
But I won't/can't/don't want to totally sacrifice the fun for the ultimate goal. I love to race, and NO, I'm not going to give that up because I may be a 1/2 hour faster at IM if I do. I also love food and drink (like cake, and pizza, and beer, and a nice stiff drink every once in awhile), and I also love to just take the day off sometimes and sit on my ass, and I also love to chit chat in the pool sometimes instead of moving on immediately to the next set, and sometimes I'd rather just run with my buddies at an average pace then do the workout as prescribed.
But here's the rub.
I need to have fun. I deserve to have fun.
I can't be a total and complete slave to a goal that doesn't allow me to suck joy out of every part of life--the training buddies, the racing, the food and drink, the party, sitting on my ass watching movies with my kids...
Working hard and committing to a killer goal like doing IM and doing it well is a form of sucking joy from life. But if you let it, I believe it can also suck the joy from you and leave you empty.
This is what my mid-life crisis has taught me so far.
Among other things.
9 comments:
Wow, it's like you've read my mind. As I'm increasing the intensity of my training and setting bigger goals, I've been wondering how much I have to change myself. Glad to know there are others who aren't afraid to keep it fun and not become a robot for this sport.
as you increase your training intensity...simply concentrate on increasing the fun-tensity...
sprinkle in activites you never would have done before..rock climbing(example, maybe you've climbed Everest, I don't know)
touch football... indoor mountain biking... so what if you miss a hard workout... the fun you have will keep it fresh....
maybe it won't seem like a chore...
happy new year mary!!
um exactly how i feel. although SOME people we know do not agree or approve of my pizza eating/beer drinking habits. GRR!! happy new year mama!
Happy New Year. If it isn't fun most of the time then why do it! I train hard so I can play hard. I think that some of the best races come from training periods where you were allowed to have a little fun. Have a stiff drink tonight!
I agree - especially the pizza part!
If you don't have fun doing something that's for you - for fun, it's not worth doing.
Happy New Year!
Hmm... I hear you. I have felt that way about marathon training before. It can become un-fun to constantly strive for a PR. I guess one has to decide the level of committment one is willing to give to the goal. The level that brings the optimal balance to one's life. I suppose if you were a professional triathlete there would be no choice to the level of committment needed. So, maybe being an age grouper has it's benefits of allowing some wiggle room.
well as the crazy psycho college guy in here the enjoying the occasional beer, red meat, large pizza and other not so peformance enhancing fuels I agree with you.
You have to keep it fun because with everything else going on in life racing shouldn't stress you out.
On the rev3 front I'm still in the air about entering. I'm probably going to have to throw down for an apartment this summer so I'm going to need to save some cash. That and I have the Patriot two weeks after that ( got to keep my finish streak alive.) Although if I'm not racing I'll probably be volunteering. One thing though rev3's bike course is going to be very similar to Lake Placid ( hilly as hell with scary as hell descents.)as it uses the route one of the local ironmen uses to prep for it. Should be a good test run for your "A"-priority race.
Fun it is! I'm with you all the way!
Damn, woman, I wish you lived in Boston. I think we'd be BFF's. :) Glad to hear that you can recognize when you cross that line from fun into not-fun, and here's hoping that you can stay on the fun side, forever!
Oh, and on the mid-life crisis thing? Get a sweet car. It's cliche, it's male, it's expensive, it's ridiculous, but it works. Trust me on this one.
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