An Endurance Athlete - Why? What Drives You?

The other day...last Tuesday, January 6 to be exact, I was sitting in french class....yes I am taking second language training....and the teacher asked us to tell the class about something big we had planned for 2009. Well, I debated with myself on what big plan I would discuss: a) trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon; or b) finishing an Ironman Race. Of course our response to the question would have to be in french so I figured I would get the most mileage out of the Ironman goal ;-).

So, we got into the french discussion about my Ironman goal and my classmates seemed quite intrigued. During the discussions the teacher seemed to be very interested in understanding why I wanted to do this and what drives me to do this. To be honest I really couldn't articulate a response, not even in English. My lack of response on that day has stayed with me. So here we are......I need closure.

If you ask my better half....that would be Denise, the old girl.... this question she will tell you that he trains and does events as a means of running away from his problems. What I think she is really saying is I use training as a coping mechanism for life's stresses...I suppose there is some truth to that because when my head space gets filled with crap there is nothing better for me than a workout. Also, when I haven't worked out for a while I get cranky and basically turn into Jack (AKA Jackass). Is that really it? Is it that simple?

Not so fast Spanky, if I trace my steps back to 2004 when I started my Endurance Sport Journey, it was after losing 48 lbs.....I went from 218 lbs down to 170 lbs. The reasons for the weight loss was for life longevity reasons and I did it without exercise. At that point, I thought that I would need to exercise to keep the weight off, at least it would help. Now I am not one to exercise with no goal and keeping the weight off wasn't enough I needed more of a purpose to exercise. I always wanted to do a triathlon, so this was intended to be a one time exercise purpose. I set-up my own 8-week triathlon training plan and completed the Parlee Beach Sprint Triathlon and the Sackville Sprint Triathlon the following week.

I really enjoyed the training and how good you felt after a workout, I enjoyed the time to myself unplugging from everyday hustle and bustle (coping again) while in the pool doing laps, on the bike or out on the trails running....it felt so natural to me..it felt so right. I enjoyed the recognition of my peers for accomplishing my goal. I was bitten by the endurance sport bug. As time has gone on I have learned more about endurance sports and the deeper my passion has become. I enjoy trying new workouts, pushing my limits, helping others reach their goals etc.

Why? Because it is a natural part of who I am today on my quest to push my longevity.

What drives me? The passion for: being fit; feeling good; seeing others feel good; pushing my limits on fitness and mental toughness and seeing others do the same; recognition from my peers on goals and achievements; sense of pride for other reaching their goals and accomplishments; learning and trying new approaches to push fitness to new levels; and oh yeah most importantly.... keeping my head space balanced.

Simply said, "It just feels right!"

Stupid french class!!!

Mikey