If I Can Do It - So Can YOU!

I thought perhaps last week was to be my last installment of my triathlon blogathon, and then two things came to mind. Firstly I need to do a little reflection, a recap, an evaluation, and secondly I am not going to stop training. Now my focus is on the upcoming trail 1/2 marathon!

The Catch Your Limit credo has been on our minds lately. And it occurred to me that in my pursuit to train for my triathlon I was also in pursuit to catch my limit. On reflection, my training has challenged and encouraged me to work harder and motivated me to what I feel was a very successful end result. I finished 6th in my age group. After a very fast swim I slowed a little on the bike, but fell into a great rhythm for the run finishing in a respectable time of 3:10:28.

There's room for improvement of course, but I discovered my capabilities and strengths and I am thoroughly celebrating my success. I also had fun and had a smile on my face even at the finish line.

One of the best parts of the triathlon experience for me is when the athletes gather on the beach at sunrise, and you embrace the idea that everyone standing there is your team mate. Everyone who has aspired and trained for this race has been on your team all along, supporting each other every step of the way. How? Because our story is the same.

During the swim, as I reached the last buoy, I pushed myself towards the beach by telling myself this is why I, and we, got up at 5am three times a week to endurance train. Then those last 2miles on the bike, when the sign at the last water stop asks how much your bum hurts and when you really want to just get off the bike, place it gently next to a tree and start walking but determined to reach the transition area, you continue. Then you find yourself running 6.2miles with wobbly legs, burning quads and a bottom that is numb. I fell into a trance of sorts and found myself re-living conversations I have had with my running buddies: Robin, Vicky & Shelby. I think I even giggled out loud at one point to the conversation I was having in my head with my absent running buddies.

And then there it was, the finish line. Allan, the amazing boyfriend, was waiting ready to take that finish line photo (not too bad as it turns out). With a medal around my neck, my good idea to complete an Olympic distance triathlon was achieved.

So the Catch Your Limit logo at least has swam a mile with me, rode 25miles on a bike and ran a 10k race, what a team!

><((“> Emma

Emma is a ><((“> Team Member at Catch Your Limit Consulting, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, Florida and Richmond, Virginia. Emma is a keynote speaker, facilitator, blogger and contributing author for international, national and regional publications. To learn more, visit http://www.blogger.com/www.catchyourlimit.com.