Friday, November 23, 2012

From Triathlete to Trail Runner?

I’ve found myself looking ahead a lot to next season and feeling both excited and nervous for what I am about to embark on.

I think I mentioned in one or two of my earlier posts that Kirsten and I have officially signed up to take part in the TransRockies Run in August 2013. We actually signed up before Ironman Canada this year, as the early bird rate was too good to pass up. At that time, I wasn’t really sure I wanted to do this race/event and was in a bit of denial – refusing to really talk about it or think about it until after Ironman and Age Group Worlds in Auckland. It isn’t a secret, running is not my strong point, nor is it my favourite sport.

So, why would I shell out the big bucks and commit to something that I wasn’t super keen on?

Well, obviously no one was holding a gun to my head. I am an adult, so I do make my own decisions (most of the time), but this decision was made from a very different place than most of my other sporting and triathlon goals.

When I first got into triathlon, the goal was to get in shape while trying something new. When I signed up for my first Half IM it was to push my endurance limits and see what I was capable of. When I decided on a full Ironman, it was to prove the doctors wrong and redefine my version of moderate.

As for TransRockies, well, there was a different motivation…

Kirsten has been talking about wanting to do TransRockies for a long time – probably since 2010 when we trained for our first Ironman together (which I kind of dragged her into). Running is Kirsten’s passion. She’s been a runner a lot longer than I’ve been a triathlete and even though we may not have been the best of friends growing up, as we’ve become adults she truly has become my best friend (not to mention one hell of a training partner).

So, my main motivation in August when Kirsten asked me yet again about TransRockies (aside from the huge money savings of signing up early) was not wanting to disappoint her. I didn’t want to be the person standing in her way of getting to do something she’d been dreaming about for years. I didn’t want to stop her from putting a big check mark beside this item on her bucket list.

Also, selfishly, after two Ironman training cycles together, I didn’t want her to share this 6-day, 120-mile adventure with someone else. I knew it had to be the two of us.

So, with the 2012 season behind me, I’m ready to think about TransRockies. I’m even ready to talk about it.

2013 will no doubt be a different year. I’m going to have to face some fears and really focus on running (maybe even a marathon?).

When I first started thinking about TransRockies, I was really afraid of leaving triathlon behind – that probably sounds weird, but it has been a huge part of my identity for the past 6 years or so. When people ask me if I’m a runner, I always kind of shrug and say, “Well, I do triathlons, so I guess I’m a runner.” This year, whether I like it or not, I will truly become a runner.

That said, I’ve come to realize, I’m not really leaving triathlon behind, I’ll always be a triathlete – it will simply be taking a slight back seat to trail running for a short period of time. It definitely won’t disappear off my calendar all together; as I’m pretty sure I need swimming and biking to keep me sane!

However, I am not going to put pressure on myself to achieve any crazy triathlon goals. Any races I enter will be purely for the joy of it. No secret “get faster” goals. No secret “try and qualify for Worlds” goals. The goal for triathlon in 2013 will simply be to experience the joy of swim, bike, run.

As nervous as I may be about this change in focus, I think it will be kind of cool to start on a fresh new adventure.

Watch out Colorado. Two girls in sneakers are heading your way!

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