Good Will Hurting

There are a lot of things about triathlon that hurt. First, training. My calves have been screaming at me since yesterday's 16 mile run. However, besides the obvious, the fact that physically, training has a way of breaking you down and the process is painful but socially,the more hidden part of a hurtful training period is the loss of time. My wife loses, my friends lose and even I lose! I miss the casual over the radical. So why not quit?

Never!

Next comes racing... that too hurts. You've short races (sprints/olympic) which hurt like heck while you're doing them because you go all out! And you've long distance races (70.3 and Ironman) which also hurt while racing but can have a residual pain for several days afterward. This kind of pain is somewhat emotionally eased by accomplishment: It's the kind of pain that "feels good."

Finally, there is another pain in this sport that is unspoken or rarely acknowledged. It's called retirement.

Several years ago I received a call from my friend and fellow triathlete Bill Bell. Bill is known in the triathlon world as the IronGent. He was the first person ever to complete an Ironman at the age of 80! Confidentially, he would describe how difficult it was to get through certain parts of the race (the run was especially painful due to shot knees) yet publicly was the most enthusiastic good-will ambassador for the sport. I loved his comeback when people who were in their 20's and 30's would say to him, "I hope I'm doing what you're doing when I'm your age." Bill's reply was classic... "I hope I'm still doing what I'm doing when you're my age too!" So, when I got that call asking me if I wanted his already and yearly reserved condo in Kona for Ironman I asked, "What's up?" His reply... "I have to give it (Ironman) up." He then told me how a heart medicine he was prescribed was causing him vertigo while swimming... "Ahhh, It's okay." he said confidently, "Who am I fooling. It's a young man's sport anyway!"

When we say triathlon is a lifestyle, those who live it know it's hard to retire from a way of life. This is why for many of us who do this sport we can not only relate but hurt for Jamie Whitmore if racing is no longer in her future. However, we also understand, it is this relentless unwillingness to retire and in some ways "give up" that will push Jamie back to the start line in some fashion or another.

We are triathletes... we hurt. It's part of our lifestyle. We overcome. It's part of our lifestyle. We finish. It's why we started in the first place. Therefore a little bit of hurting, as they say... never hurt nobody!