Superheroes in Spandex: How the All Army Triathlon Team Inspired Me to Get Off the Couch

I have been in a bit of triathlon rut this year. Trying to figure out how to balance triathlon and work is difficult, especially when work doesn’t care about triathlon nearly as much as I do. I had planned five International Triathlon Union (ITU) races, and I only actually competed in one very early in the season in March. I didn’t race again until the Armed Forces Triathlon Championship in June where I competed for the All Army team. Honestly, this race had been planned as sort of a “B” race in comparison to the ITU races, but it quickly became my only race all summer after I learned I would be Torch* for my Battalion’s mission to Ethiopia. I am so incredibly grateful that I was able to do this race. It rejuvenated me at a really low point in endurance sports for me, and it’s really thanks to my amazing competitors at this race.

(Photo by Mark Juliano)

Before this race I was feeling very unmotivated for triathlon, which made me feel guilty, which made me want to do it even less. It was a depressing cycle of not wanting to do a workout, feeling guilty about it, and then having an unproductive workout. This race, or more importantly, my teammates in it, made me realize that it’s okay that I was feeling a little blasé. It happens to everyone, and it’s largely due to the fact that doing triathlon and a very time consuming job is really difficult, and this shouldn’t be underscored. I am not trying to make myself sound superhuman. I am just pointing out that those of us working full time (most of us) and trying to do an endurance sport should give ourselves some credit. This is particularly true in the military where you have very little say in what your day to day looks life. It’s hard to train when workdays are not consistent. It’s hard to plan around time spent in the field where there’s a triple whammy of no training, poor nutrition, and lack of sleep. People in the Army can expect to spend at least a few months of every year not training due to some rotation or mission or deployment. For example, I spent nearly two months this summer in Ethiopia without a toilet, let alone a pool and a bike. So, consistency, which is key for endurance sports, becomes tricky, and this is demotivating, and it’s completely okay to feel that way. However, the key is not to stay in this rut for very long.

Becoming unmotivated is understandable and okay--what is less excusable is staying that way. The Armed Forces Triathlon helped me out of my slump by inspiring me with all the incredible people who compete at this event. The majority of my teammates were active duty Army in very demanding jobs where they have a lot of responsibility. One of my mentors on the team is dual military** and had a baby eight months before the race. If that doesn’t make me stop feeling sorry for myself, I don’t know what could. Everyone was also really humble about their training. They didn’t view themselves as the impressive people I saw. The majority really use training as a release from work--an enjoyable hobby, just one that requires a lot of time and discipline. Several people on the team do Ironman Triathlons, a training volume I could not imagine committing to with the inconsistencies of my job. I realized while my slump was completely understandable, at a certain point it’s entirely possible that I was being wimpy. I am not alone. I am not even unique. There are plenty of people balancing triathlon, or some other crazy hobby, and their career and excelling at each. Everyone at this race showed me that balance, or at least some semblance of it, is possible. Some years will be better than others--less busy, more time for training, etc, and accepting that is part of life. There will be ups and downs, but that’s not a good reason not to do it. Racing my competitors at this race was truly an honor. I have raced against a lot of really talented people, but racing against service men and women who just crush it at both their intense jobs and intense sports was a whole new experience. It added an attitude of civility and respect that is sadly often absent from races. The cattiness I typically find in an ITU race simply was not there. All of the women were strong, mature service members who were capable of racing in a way that dignifies their competitors rather than tearing them down. For the majority of the bike I rode with one other woman, a Marine. The whole time I thought that she must be upset because I was obviously the weaker biker, and I was slowing us down. But, after the race she congratulated me on how strong my bike was and told me how much she enjoyed racing me. I was astonished and touched by the compliment. Even more compelling, though I hate to admit it, was that I couldn’t use my typical script of excuses about how all the other girls have more time to train than me, I work full time, blah, blah, blah. Every single one of my competitors had a similar service obligation. The experience inspired me to go home and try to rethink how I was approaching training.

(Photo by Justine Emge)

I learned fulfillment in both endurance sports and work is doable, but how? For me, it’s a work in progress. These are some solutions that are working right now, but may not work for me six months in the future. I’m just trying to create a system that works for me, and hopefully for others out there as well.

1. Make a Plan. Know what key workouts you really need to hit this week.

2. Throw Plan out the Window. This is an overstatement: just be flexible. If Tuesday is supposed to be your track workout morning but you have an early meeting, swap it with Wednesday and don’t sweat it.

3. Take advantage of the good days. If you have extra time and you’re feeling good then lean into it. Follow the good stuff. Last week I got out a little early so I made my 60 minute trainer ride a two hour tempo ride up a nearby mountain. It was wonderful. If you have the time, use it. Don’t let your meticulously planned schedule make you inefficient with your time.

4. Don’t obsess over the bad days. You took advantage of that afternoon off, so when you have to work late, it's okay. Prioritize the key workouts.

5. Balance being disciplined with being a good self-coach. There is a time to push through and knock out that aerobic bike even if it means doing it late at night or waking up crazy early. There is also a time when that’s just dumb. Try to figure out the difference. I am particularly bad with this, but having a third party to help, whether a coach, spouse, or friend, helps a lot.

These are the practices I am trying to institute in my life. Ultimately, I have been struggling to find a sustainable balance between work and training, but the people on the All Army team showed me that while it is a struggle, it’s a worthwhile one. I may have had a bit of a lull, but I am excited to get back to work.

(Photo by Mark Juliano)

* Torch means I left before everyone else did

**Dual Military means both spouses are in the military