Motivation Tuesday! (Because there was not enough Monday…)

Joel here – I have 2 motivations this week.

Motivation 1:

Getting friends into Triathlon. So, I think most of our non tri friends think we are just absolutely crazy. We wake up early we do long runs, long rides, and swim multiple times a week. We talk about “zones”, “aero”, “fuel” and we wear spandex on purpose. So, its rare when one of the friends from outside the tri group decides to jump into it. It also is motivating in the way that not only will we be able to help create a fun experience for training and racing and they’ll have a blast, but maybe, they will become hooked too and we will get yet another tri friend that we can dork out with and not get shifty looks.

We are going to get to share that crazy of being up at 4am, at the race start by 5:30, set up by 6am and then racing at 7. Having someone else share the strange and crazy energy that inhabits a transition in the morning. Watching other athletes go through their checklists and pre race rituals is strangely always a ton of fun, but its not something that is easily described to other people. Last year we were able to introduce it to our friend Justin, and this year we get to share it with Manu.

Motivation 2:

Doing non tri activities can sometimes unintentionally make you better at tri. So, really, this comes down to us doing our SCUBA certification dives over last weekend. We had a decent amount of “bottom time” where you’re just chillin’ and weightless, but we also spent a good long time at the surface doing drills and exercises. So, you know, swimming on the surface of the water with a good 50 to 60 extra lbs of weight on your back and having to swim a few hundred yards without using your arms. Also, the drills where you try to stay in one spot of the water by being neutrally buoyant, I think helped with the way I was able to keep my legs and butt up while swimming.

When I got in the pool last night I believe my kicking was doubly effective compared to what it was last week. I felt like I was flying.  My form felt awesome.  So, don’t discount a “sport” that is not related to tri when it comes to your extra training activities. You never know what will help you improve some aspect of your triathlon performance.

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