My Dad and I have been racing for several years now. We started racing in local 5K’s with my sister, Annie, and I really loved it! We were slow (still are) but it never mattered to us how fast we went….just that we went. For us, it was about being outside, getting some exercise, and being together with the family. Very rarely did we medal, in fact, in one race early-on, an eighty-year old power walker passed us on the right! That was about the same time my dad realized that if we were going to continue to race, we had better train a little more!
We increased our repertoire to do longer races like 10 and 25ks, and eventually decided to tackle a marathon. It took us a lot of hours to complete, my dad’s legs almost gave out, but we did it. He said at that moment that was it for him….then we did another one, and another…and another….!
I participated in a triathlon with some friends of mine from a fantastic organization called myTeamTriumph. I was the “Captain” and had two “Angels” pushing and pulling me through the course. They are called Angels, but they really were. Bev and Donna were their names and they, along with myTeamTriumph (mTT), are the ones responsible for getting my dad and I involved in triathlons. We love the energy and optimism present at those races. It is infectious and motivating!
A triathlon consists of three separate events: swimming, biking, and running and there are four different distances you can choose to do: Sprint, Olympic, Half, and Full. Our very first triathlon was a Sprint distance with mTT. This time my “Angels” were my Dad and Annie. It was challenging, but so extremely rewarding to finish. We had been bitten by the triathlon “bug”.
Competing in races has not only been a great way to exercise, but it has also been a way for us to do more things together as a family, to challenge our bodies and our minds, and to make some great friends along the way.
Taking On Life One Step at a Time,
Johnny