So last night, nicely rounding off another year were the Absolute Tri Club awards.
Absolute is a Nottingham based club, and open to all.
I came to triathlon from martial arts, because I wanted a change. I had become disillusioned with my routine, I was fed up of repetition, and was looking for a challenge. I was actually in WHSmith one day, looking for a magazine, and saw triathlon plus. I'd never heard of it, had no idea what it was. I picked up the magazine and leafed through it, which was followed by, 'Jesus, these people are insane! Who the hell would want to do that?!' I put it back and bought something ridiculous like 'card crafting' and went on with my day. Yet my mind kept wandering back..... WOULD it be possible? COULD I contemplate trying this triathlon malarkey when I hadn't swum, cycled or run since school?
On my way home I bought the magazine. The rest, to quote a famous line, is history.
After reading through I looked up a club in Nottingham. It actually took around 6 months of procrastinating, looking at the website, and writing 'go to new tri club' in my diary before I actually got there. I eventually went to a ladies only swim that was being aimed at beginners. Walking out onto that poolside I was crapping myself! I mean, I'm very shy anyway, so being shy, not really swimming unless water slides on holidays count and feeling completely out of my depth being at an actual club, it was all quite an overwhelming experience! I got in and could barely do 2 lengths. And my technique was basically around not drowning. I got out absolutely knackered that day and wondered what I was playing at. But, I'm lucky enough to have been blessed with a don't quit mentality. I become very stubborn, and very determined that I won't be beaten. In this case it was about swimming properly. So even though I felt silly for being there, thought everyone was looking at me, all the usual fears, I kept going back. Each week the coaches pushed me a bit more, and a bit harder. Sometimes I really just wanted to just give up and go back to my comfort zone and what I knew.
It all started to pay off though... I remember clearly when I got moved up a lane. I was so excited that I went and told everyone I could the next day!
I did my first sprint with hardly any proper training. I think it was just around my base fitness that I already had. I'd done hardly any cycling, or running. I had no idea what I was doing, I even glugged an energy gel as I was starting the 5k run, what with it being SUCH a long way... clueless. But crossing that finish line, I was grinning and raised my arms and jumped and whooped like I was winning the thing. I was on a high the whole day... I had done it!
From there I became more and more involved, I'm now a coach at the club, I organised the fabulous one of a kind club naked calendar, and have entered my first iron-distance.
I think there are many real and sometimes valid fears that tri is all for the super fit, and is elitist. Some people are. Some clubs are. But there are also many who aren't.
Absolute is one of those clubs. All are welcome, irrelevant of ability or experience. And that is why I love my club so much. I've met people who are just there to make friends and keep fit, I've met people who are aiming to finish their first Ironman, people who are going to the world championships, so many different people who have such different goals. And each person inspires me in different ways. I admire them all, from the dedication and grit needed to get to the top, to the nervous person, as I was, who takes the first step into something new and scary.
When I'm coaching and people get in the water and I say right this this and this, and I see the faces of horror and hear the protests, I smile to myself. Because I know they will do it. The same as my coaches knew I would. One of the most rewarding things for me is seeing that. The focus, the commitment, and the surprise that they've actually done it. And obviously that leads to 'what now?' (ooh, and before you know it you've entered the Outlaw Relay team!! You know who you are) ;p
Last night at the awards, the Female Triathlete Of The Year was a woman who has been in tri around 2 years, and in that time has competed and come in the top female rankings at the outlaw, and in the same year qualified for the world championships and raced for GB. The Male Triathlete Of The Year was a 60 year old man who through sheer determination and hard work, also completed the Outlaw this year.
The differences between the two are huge, but also the same. Commitment, dedication, outstanding achievements.
People are rewarded for their own goals, and sometimes it just isn't about winning or being faster than the person next to you, it's about what it has taken for you to be there, where you came from and where you're going, what you've achieved and what you personally have to be proud of, whether that's pulling on the GB kit, or running your first 5K.
I'm proud to be part of a club who recognise and encourage that. The future's bright....
Here's to 2013!!
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