Honesty is always the best policy....

Well, another season is behind me. I’ve had about three weeks to sort out 2010 and examine my motivations for 2011. One of the thoughts that have been running through my head lately is why I do what I do? Why do I spend the time and money on triathlon?


After about a ten year lay-off, I restarted training on Thanksgiving Day 2004. Even then, my primary goal was to see how fast I could go in a Triathlon. Over the years, nothing has changed. That is still my number on goal in the sport. Is that a healthy motivation.. I’m not sure.

Here’s my attempt to sort out why I do what I do. It is what it is.

If I’m being totally honest with myself, I don’t do the sport to maintain a healthy lifestyle, although that’s one of the advantages, it’s not what gets me out the door. I do Triathlon to try and crush the dreams my fellow M50-54 competitors in races.

If I’m being totally honest with myself, I like the way Triathlon has changed my body.

If I’m being totally honest with myself, I’m probably addicted to working out. If I miss a scheduled workout, I’m crabby. After a good workout, it feels like I’ve just consumed 20oz of Coke Classic…the elated feeling from the rush of caffeine…probably not unlike what a Heroin addict feels like after injecting himself.

If I’m being totally honest with myself, I love the competition of a good race and I base my satisfaction on where I placed and who I beat.

If I’m being totally honest with myself, I’d talk about my training and racing all day, every day, if I could. Thankfully, Dottie doesn’t let me get away with that.

If I’m being totally honest with myself, my goal is to be the number one ranked triathlete in the country.

If I’m being totally honest with myself, I probably don’t have the genetics/skills to be the number one ranked triathlete in the country.

If I’m being totally honest with myself, when I finally realize my competitive ceiling, I’m not sure what I’m going to do. Will I refocus my energies on a single sport? Will I quit?

If I’m being totally honest with myself, I don’t think I’ve pushed myself to my physical limits in a race yet. I don’t think I’ve ever “left it all on the course”. I want to, I just don’t think I’ve got whatever it is that will let me do it. I need to figure that out.

If I’m being totally honest with myself, I race scared.

If I’m being totally honest with myself, I haven’t figured out the recognition thing yet. I like the recognition that comes from winning. I don’t like to beat my own drum.

If I’m being totally honest with myself, I did not do a good job coaching myself. Until this year, I was in charge. I used input from a variety of sources, but I was the one who decided what to do, when to do it and how hard to do it. In 2010, I gave up the job to Daniel Bretscher, a pro Triathlete from Greencastle IN. I’m still not 100% sure why, but I was faster this year and never really felt the fatigue I had in previous years. He worked wonders.

If I’m being totally honest with myself, I still really, really like the training, the racing, the technology and the people involved with Triathlon.

If I’m being totally honest with myself, I’ve over achieved in the marriage game. If it wasn’t for Dot, I’m not kidding when I say this, I’m sure I would have self-destructed long ago. She is the rudder on the USS Gierut and has kept this ship on course.

Goals for next year. Swim faster. Ride faster. Run faster

If you’re being totally honest with yourself, you’re asking yourself why did I just waste 5 minutes reading this…

Ron