SubscribeTriumphTriathlon.com today asks the question:
How has triathlon and being a triathlete helped your perform under pressure in your life?
For me, this is a challenging question, given that I’m new to triathlon but very experienced in high pressure life. I’ve been in software development for almost 30 years, and I’m a technical, cave, and rebreather scuba diver. Pressure, crisis management and keeping a level-head when the sky is falling are characteristics that I’ve lived with and thrived on for decades.
For me, triathlon is an extension of the journey that I started on in August of 2009. Then I was 250+ lbs. My hips hurt, my knees hurt, I had no energy, stairs would wind me, driving was preferable to walking – even short distances. I looked in the mirror one day and, facing my 42nd birthday in a few weeks, decided I really didn’t like what I saw, that it was only going to get harder to fix and set my mind and spirit to rehabilitating my life.
Sold the car, and bought a more serious bike (no more slow pedal pusher), started rock-climbing again. Climbing led me back to the gym to become a stronger climber. The gym led me to the pool to improve my cardio. The cycling, past running, and swimming led me to triathlon. It just seems like the next logical evolutionary step.
For me, I’m bringing my life, my disciplined mind and spirit, to triathlon. I hope, and expect, triathlon to reinforce and build upon those existing life skills.
by Barry Phelps, on January 24 2011 @ 7:40 am
My life continues to change daily, with my daughter just turning 18 (plus graduating, college on the west coast)… my son just turning 15… the challenges of them constantly pushing the edges of adulthood and battling our patience as parents. I constantly leverage the knowledge I have learned from triathlon… be focused and calm, be consistent and supportive… and never give up on your goal, the only time you lose is when you give in / give up.