Lessons from a Try A Tri

A few weeks ago my colleague Trevor Krikst and I had a conversation at lunch about fitness.  Claiming we were both very out of shape, we decided to do something about it.  "Let's do a mini triathlon before work one morning!" we said. (Editor's note: we were at an in-service and now wonder if they had spiked the water.)  We did some research and found we could run to a local pool (2.5km away), swim there, and then bike back to our office.  We invited the rest of our team and about half said they were in.

This past Thursday morning, we did it!  We ran 2.5KM, biked 8.75KM and swam 400m.  I am proud of what we did and want to share five things I took from the experience.

Our DLRT Try-A-Try Team

1. PLANS CHANGE AND THAT'S OKBefore the day of the event I had mapped out a route for our bike ride.  I made a custom google map, created a turn-by-turn map in the RunGo app, all to keep us all together.  The morning of, some of the team suggested that we change the order or the events so we would end at the pool so we could shower.  I wanted to end at the office - I had these romanticized visions of our other colleagues cheering for us.  Brushing my romanticized dream aside, I agreed - and I am glad I did.  It turns out  that swimming at the end was a great cool down and I am pretty sure it was the reason I was not in total pain the next day.
   
2. IT IS IMPORTANT TO SHARE IDEAS WITH OTHERSTrevor and I could have easily kept this to ourselves, but we decided to open to the team to spread the fun.  I am so glad we did.  There is something magical about the communal release of endorphins.  We cheered each other on and created bonds different than we had had all year.  Sharing deepened our sense of community.
   
3. SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO LIVE IN THE PRESENTDuring our bike section, I realised that I don't know how to use my gears.  I also realised that the path I had planned was VERY uphill.  I actually had to get off my bike and walk it up one hill.  When I reached the top of it I saw that there was a level off for a couple hundred meters and then another hill.  #Yikes.  I got back on my bike, started to pedal, and just kept my head down.  I concentrated on my legs moving and a few meters in front of me.  It was a bit of a struggle, but I made it up that hill.  I swear it was because I did not look too far ahead and thus didn't get overwhelmed.  BY staying in the present I could focus on what was needed in the moment - and that made me successful.
   
4. LITTLE GESTURES CAN MAKE A BIG IMPACT
   I was by far the slowest one on the route.  I came in last in the swim and the bike sections. About 3/4 of the way though the bike, my colleague and friend Royan Lee circled back to check on me.  I had told the team to go ahead and not let me hold them up.  (While most people do this sort of thing to beat or meet a time, I had a goal to just finish, preferable uninjured!)  It meant a lot to me that he came back for me.  Even more, when he realised that I was struggling with the hills, and when we faced the last hill of the route, he made me switch bikes with him - his was much better and I could switch gears for an easier ride.  It was no big deal to Royan, but it meant a lot to me that he wanted me to feel part of the team time and took measures to help relieve my struggle.  Thanks Royan 😁
   
5. TAKE TIME TO TAKE CARE OF YOU
   I am proud of what I did on Thursday.  I took time to do something for me.  As a busy, full-time working mom of three boys, that's not always easy.  I have a lot of fun memories from that morning - not the lease of which was having Siri tell me not to curse at her when she couldn't figure out how to call my husband when I needed a pep talk.  We have also had other people in our office express an interest in doing it with us if we did it again - self car is contagious.
   

The team is talking about doing it again this coming Thursday, but unfortunately, I will be at ISTE.  Maybe next year.   😉