Mauer - A Woman’s Guide to Triathlon: The Things Men Will Never Tell You About the Sport

Right now, you have an idea youd like to race a triathlon. At this point, a triathlon might feel like an impossible feat, and you might feel a little overwhelmed even thinking about it. Believe it or not, you can successfully complete a triathlon no matter what level of fitness you are starting from. Give yourself enough time and proper training, and triathlon might very well be the sport for you.

It is important to note that an idea is not going to give you the motivation to get up and go for a bike ride on a Saturday morning when you could very well be sleeping in. Youre going to need something a bit more substantial than an idea. Simon Sinek, a renowned expert on motivation and success, suggests that the key to achieving your goals is to be very clear about your why. This means it is important to be cognizant of the reasons behind the things you are doing. If you want to follow through with your goals, you need to know what is going to motivate you when everything in your body and mind is telling you to stop.

Why is it so important to have a reason to sign up for your first triathlon? In short, training for and completing a triathlon is not easy. Your body will tell you to quit. Your brain will play tricks on you to convince you to give up. Doing difficult things like a triathlon is hugely rewarding, but it is going to require grit, determination, sweat, and probably tears. There will be sacrifices; there will be days when you just dont want to try anymore. Right now, before you start this process, is your chance to be perfectly clear with yourself about why you are doing this.

Humans can do amazing things with enough motivation and a strong why. Kyle Maynard climbed to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro. What makes this even more impressive is that Kyle has no arms past the elbow or legs below the knees. How was Kyle able to keep pushing onward toward his summit? He had the ashes of a fallen war hero around his neck. He had promised that heros wife and child that he would place those ashes on the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Despite constant pain and suffering, doing something that felt impossible, Kyle was able to tell a grieving woman that her beloved husband would forever be on top of the world. Kyle took his goal to climb mountains and gave himself a reason, and during many moments of that climb, those ashes were the only thing keeping him going.

When it comes to this wild idea of completing a triathlon, ask yourself, What is my why? Figure out the answer now because you will need it. Your why needs to be something you are willing to suffer for. Your why should not be a trivial matter that wont be important to you in a few weeks. Anyone who tells you that training for a triathlon is easy has clearly never trained for one. Make sure you have a bigger reason to hold onto when the initial excitement of your new idea wears off. If youre unsure of your why, Ill give you some ideas that have been a source of motivation for other women. Maybe some of them will resonate with you.

There is no need to wait until you are suffering from health concerns to start finding a sport that you love and that will keep your ticker ticking. Triathlon is a great way to strengthen your muscles, including your heart. Endurance sports make your heart and lungs more adept at providing oxygen to your muscles. This is referred to as your VO max. This is the value of how much oxygen is absorbed into your blood from every breath you inhale. As you become more fit, you increase your VO max. In turn, when your body knows how to absorb more oxygen, every action seems a little easier. For example, you wont be winded from making your bed in the morning or walking up stairs. Youll feel more rested because your brain is getting more air. Cardiovascular training improves more than just your heart health it improves your whole health. You can lower your risk of heart attacks in the future while also improving your quality of life right now.

We live in an era when it is, unfortunately, more important than ever to look healthy, not just to be healthy. Lean, strong bodies are valued, and looking too thin or too thick becomes a fear for many women. This is unfortunate because true health cannot be measured by appearance. However, it is impossible to hide from reality and pretend that most women dont want to look amazing. Triathlon not only helps you shed any extra weight, but it also builds strength and helps tone your muscles to sculpt your body. Yes, this seems like a selfish why, but I would be lying to say it is not important for many of us women. I know how important it is to feel good about your body, and the hunt for killer abs is often a great motivation to get out there and train. Just remember to eat well in order to fuel yourself for the training and be patient a six-pack doesnt appear overnight.

How many of you have ever been told you cant do something? When someone doubts you, it spurs you to try even harder to prove them wrong. Completing a triathlon (or many triathlons) is a perfect way to show the world exactly what kind of woman you are. You are a woman who does not back down from a challenge. You are the kind of woman who powers through the suffering of training to make yourself stronger. Use every moment of training, every healthy bite you eat, every mile you log, to demonstrate the strength youve possessed the whole time. To all the doubters you can confidently say, Ive always known I was strong enough, even when you didnt.

Proving your inner strength is amazing motivation and if you dont believe me, try it. Something fantastic happens when you exceed the limited expectations of others. Prove that you can surpass the barriers that others think might stop you.

Some women are inspired to become mothers. From the first moments of motherhood, they are driven to inspire their children. Mothers want to lead by example. We want our children to see what is possible, and the best way to do that is to do what seems impossible. If you are a mother, a sister, an aunt, or in any other role in which the next generation might look up to you, inspiring others is a great source of motivation. Let young girls see you working through obstacles and rising to meet a challenge. Become the person you want them to be. By doing the things you want to be remembered for, you can show them a strong, inspirational woman, tackling the impossible.