“Yeah, I’ll do it!”

That was my answer when my former personal training client-turned friend asked me if I wanted to do a triathlon.

A few seconds later, I thought, “Am I crazy?”

In an instant, I’d committed myself to training for and entering The Austin Triathlon, which will be held September 7, 2009 in Austin, Texas. My rationale? I was already planning on being in Austin for Labor Day weekend, so “why not?” In addition, I have wanted to do a triathlon for over 12 years. There’s always been something that’s held me back, but at this point in my life things are different. Things have changed. I’m at peace within myself and this is reflected in the numerous positive things that are going on in my life.

I am two weeks into training for the race, and I can’t believe I didn’t do this sooner! I am enjoying the process of training, and I have a renewed excitement for my workouts. Of course, I don’t really have a choice…I mean, I have to train if I don’t want to fail miserably during the race! My goal isn’t to win, and to be honest, at this time I don’t have a specific goal as far as how long it takes me to finish. My goal is simply to finish!

As I was running early Monday morning, I was amazed at how much easier it felt. I have always been a runner, but I had cut it out of my routine back in the fall because it would completely exhaust me. I will forever be learning to find balance in my life, and my workouts are no exception. I tend to want to do more than I should, but I know better! My confidence in my physical abilities has shot up as I’m seeing improvements in my conditioning. I am loving my swim workouts, and am already obsessed with cycling!

As a complete newbie to the sport of tri, I am ready to learn everything and am determined to train smarter, not necessarily harder. I am learning to push my limits, and it feels good! So many times, we feel physical discomfort and tell ourselves it’s time to stop. In training for endurance sports, you must not only condition your body, but your “mental muscle” as well. What am I talking about? In regards to myself, it’s the voice inside my head that replays all sorts of dated rubbish like “you hate distance running,” “the most you’ve ever run is five miles,” and even “you’re going to look like a fool.” Through the process of training for this race, I am figuring out how to erase those lame thoughts. I am replacing them with things such as “I’m improving” and “I can do this” as I’m feeling my body improve. Notice the difference between my old thoughts and mojo-filled new ones? Not only are they positive, I am OWNING my self-talk. I no longer refer to myself in second person point of view. I refer to myself in FIRST person, and it feels amazing!

You see, as a Fitness Professional, I extremely focused on the goals and workouts of my clients. I tend to let my own workouts take a back seat, as my nature is to focus on others more than myself. Although I will never lose this aspect of my personality, I now realize just how important it is for me to place emphasis on my own training. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no slacker, but I now realize that if I want to stay on track, I must have a specific goal. I talk to my clients all the time about setting goals, so it’s nothing foreign to me. I have just been remiss in applying this information to my own workout life! So, if you are feeling “blah” in regards to your workouts, maybe training for a race is the answer!

How do you get started?

I would suggest doing a search for local running, cycling, swimming, and triathlon clubs. In addition to a friend who is a competitive road racer, I am finding that there are many people in my city who are willing to help a newbie out! Often times, people will meet on a regular basis for training runs, rides, etc. I am a big believer in accountability, and getting to know people who are involved in the same activities will definitely create accountability. In addition, tell everyone you know that you are training for a race. Let them know how much this goal matters to you. This will not only make your goal more “real,” it will boost your self-confidence. Also, you will discover that you have quite an amazing support system of friends and family as I have! Even better, your training may positively impact the lives of those you love. Not only do I have my friend in Austin training for the same race, but I have gotten several of my friends in Baton Rouge back on track with their own workouts. Being a positive force for healthy change in the lives of others simply by aiming for your goal? Now that’s awesome!

A few great tri-specific sites for beginners are Tri-Newbies Online (http://trinewbies.com/) and BeginnerTriathlete.com. If you are interested in making a specific race your goal, but aren’t sure if you’re ready to jump into tri’s just yet, I would suggest you start with running. Why do I suggest running? It’s a relatively simple activity that most people can do, and it’s also very convenient! Visit Active.com and you will find a wealth of information regarding upcoming 5k’s, 10k’s, and fun runs in addition to race schedules for other sports.

Here’s a peek inside this past week of training:

*Note: I just finished my second week of training and am in a three-week adaptation stage.

Thursday – 45 minute bike ride at Level 1 intensity (using trainer)

Friday – 30 minute strength training workout (emphasis on mobility, core, and single-leg training)

Saturday – 600 yard swim (using tether, performing 2 minute stationary sets and 100 yard final swim)

Sunday - OFF

Monday – 3 mile run

Tuesday – 5.25 mile run; 30 minute bike ride (outdoor)

Wednesday – swim sprint workout (60 yards x 12 sets)

Thursday – 30 minute mobility/core workout; 45 minute bike ride (using trainer)

Ladies, you can do it! Discover just how much you are capable of through training for a specific event. Learning to push your limits and replace self-defeating thoughts with positive ones works wonders for the soul! In focusing on your physical health, you will most definitely notice some amazing changes. Better yet, these positive changes will translate into other areas of your life. Your life is YOURS…LIVE IT!



With mojo running,

Sarah

UPDATE- I am almost two weeks away from race day. A lot has happened since I wrote my post. I can honestly say that the process of training for this race has changed me. Each and every workout is a test, and i'm realizing just how strong I am, physically and mentally. Also, for someone who had basically convinced herself that she could never do endurance training, this is a major accomplishment. I am erasing all those "not so supportive" thoughts and replacing them with "you're doing this!" type thoughts. I have the support of some amazing people, which means the world to me, but there is no way I'd be doing this if I didn't WANT it. If I didn't believe in myself, I would have quit a long time ago. I'm expecting a few snags, and i'm excited about getting this first race under my belt because I know I will learn so much! My goal is to make it through the race, have a good time, and FINISH!

Best of luck, Sarah! We'll all be running/swimming/biking alongside you in spirit. Much love from the Pink Posse.
 

Hey Pinkies! Introducing fitness trainer Sarah E. Rippel, a member of the Pink Posse who is the epitome of Owning our Bodies and our Health. Sarah wrote this piece in June, when she was two weeks in to training for a marathon. Now the race is two weeks away, and Sarah needs all the Pink energy around her she can get! Enjoy her Pink tips on reclaiming your Mojo by testing the limits of your beautiful, capable bod. The talented Sarah breaks it down and makes it sound almost ... fun. Actually, quite fun. Thanks, Sarah, for the Pink motivation, and good luck in September!

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“Yeah, I’ll do it!”

That was my answer when my former personal training client-turned friend asked me if I wanted to do a triathlon.

A few seconds later, I thought, “Am I crazy?”

In an instant, I’d committed myself to training for and entering The Austin Triathlon, which will be held September 7, 2009 in Austin, Texas. My rationale? I was already planning on being in Austin for Labor Day weekend, so “why not?” In addition, I have wanted to do a triathlon for over 12 years. There’s always been something that’s held me back, but at this point in my life things are different. Things have changed. I’m at peace within myself and this is reflected in the numerous positive things that are going on in my life.

I am two weeks into training for the race, and I can’t believe I didn’t do this sooner! I am enjoying the process of training, and I have a renewed excitement for my workouts. Of course, I don’t really have a choice…I mean, I have to train if I don’t want to fail miserably during the race! My goal isn’t to win, and to be honest, at this time I don’t have a specific goal as far as how long it takes me to finish. My goal is simply to finish!

As I was running early Monday morning, I was amazed at how much easier it felt. I have always been a runner, but I had cut it out of my routine back in the fall because it would completely exhaust me. I will forever be learning to find balance in my life, and my workouts are no exception. I tend to want to do more than I should, but I know better! My confidence in my physical abilities has shot up as I’m seeing improvements in my conditioning. I am loving my swim workouts, and am already obsessed with cycling!

As a complete newbie to the sport of tri, I am ready to learn everything and am determined to train smarter, not necessarily harder. I am learning to push my limits, and it feels good! So many times, we feel physical discomfort and tell ourselves it’s time to stop. In training for endurance sports, you must not only condition your body, but your “mental muscle” as well. What am I talking about? In regards to myself, it’s the voice inside my head that replays all sorts of dated rubbish like “you hate distance running,” “the most you’ve ever run is five miles,” and even “you’re going to look like a fool.” Through the process of training for this race, I am figuring out how to erase those lame thoughts. I am replacing them with things such as “I’m improving” and “I can do this” as I’m feeling my body improve. Notice the difference between my old thoughts and mojo-filled new ones? Not only are they positive, I am OWNING my self-talk. I no longer refer to myself in second person point of view. I refer to myself in FIRST person, and it feels amazing!