It's not often that in any given group I'm the worst at whatever we're doing. Admittedly I tend to choose things I'm good at, if I'm going to do.... well... anything. So being the worst is new experience for me.
About four weeks ago I joined a triathlon training group. On the face of it, it might seem a little crazy, considering I don't actually do triathlons. My partner does, for a few years now and she started training a couple of weeks before me.
I was just getting up with her at 5am to give a little moral support before getting stuck into some work.
A couple of weeks in tho, after realising the quality of work done prior to 9am isn't great, that I might as well start exercising too.
So 6 mornings a week we swim or ride or run. Saturdays we do all three. And every few Sundays, there's a full-on tri - which I don't yet do.
5am wakeup, 6am start to training.
There's about 30 of us and I'm the worst.
The absolute, deadset, so far behind it's not funny, worst.
I've got good swimming technique, but zero stamina or strength. I've got poor riding technique, a tiny, tiny amount of strength and zero stamina. I'm the worst runner you've ever seen.
And I have no stamina.
And these guys are fit, super, super, fit. Fit was a very long time ago for me.
And we wear tight clothes most of the time and 'budgie smugglers' the rest. It's not pretty.
But you know, there's a fantastic humility in just accepting how bad I am and how much work I've got to go, in wearing the clothes (or lack thereof) in front of all these fit guys and girls without trying to hide my desperately out of shape bod.
It's almost zen in the calmness and quiet determination it's awoken in me.
It's four weeks since I've started and the changes are starting to really get addictive.
The guy in my lane who was so many laps ahead just a week ago is now looking over his shoulder as I play ankle-tag for the entire session. I'm no longer the slowest swimmer. Still in the bottom three tho.
I've got muscles now. My goals have changed, getting slim just isn't enough anymore. There's a community of sportspeople that I'm slowly becoming a part of. I was invited to coffee today for the first time, after a gruelling 26k road ride. Everyone else did nearly double that, but they're starting to joke with both of us now, include us a little in the team. Maybe we've just stuck it out longer than other newbies.
But still, I'm very very bad. There's such a long long way to go.
But that's ok, I'm at peace with that, I just look forward to getting better bit by bit. It's cool.
[edit to add photo] BTW - just thought I'd add this shot I took at around 6am just before a recent tri. That's Jus in her corporate gear. 5000 people competed that day over a 400m swim, 16km cycle and 4km run. Long exposure shot with just a small amount of saturation changes, but yeah, the clouds really were red.
I admire your perseverence and am sure you can make it! Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Posted by Euripides (Member # 9315) on :
Truly Australian.
(love the photo; what camera did you use?)
Posted by MidnightBlue (Member # 6146) on :
My senior year I was the absolute worst person on the distance part of the girls track team. I was the last one to finish every time in practice, and because I wasn't very familiar with the area we were running in (after 4 years, I know that's horrible) I would often be afraid of getting lost or would actually make a wrong turn, and end up doing less distance than the rest of the team. My attitude wasn't quite as good as yours, and I really admire the way you handle it.
When will you do your fist tri?
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
I swam competitively for years, and I was almost always the worst swimmer on the team. At least, I was the worst regular.
It just pushed me to get better.
Posted by Will B (Member # 7931) on :
Humility for fun and profit! I like it!
Posted by Miro (Member # 1178) on :
That's a sweet shot. Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
I have a ton of experience at being the worst athlete in a group. Posted by Hank (Member # 8916) on :
That's a really sweet picture.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Maybe I should do somthing I'm bad at. I don't usually. I run in the mornings, but I do it alone. Hmm.... maybe I need a little worst.
Posted by Dead_Horse (Member # 3027) on :
Somebody has to be the worst. Think what a relief it is for #29 now that you are there. It's very sweet of you to sacrifice yourself. And with all that practice, you're bound to get better. ;D
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
I'm totally impressed with your sticking with it. And that is a great photo.
Posted by Troubadour (Member # 83) on :
It truly becomes addictive, not just the exercise, but the pushing yourself.
This morning we started with about 300m warmup swim, then this set:
The above made up about 1/4 of the training for the morning. I was last in my lane to start, blazed off the block and passed every single other swimmer in my first 50 metres. But obviously 100% was too much for me. I totally died and barely managed to maintain my lead - the remaining 2kms this morning felt like swimming through molasses.
But I got out of the pool feeling great. Faint, but great. My point being that it's not just the pushing myself to get out of bed and just do it, but to throw myself into it as fully as I can.
@Euripides - I'm using a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20. I don't mind the lower megapixel count because it has a great lens and lots of good manual settings that are laid out quite well. It's been superseded now, but it was very good value for money. My next camera will be the Canon 400D.
Posted by PrometheusBound (Member # 10020) on :
I was the worst male varsity swimmer in my entire city for a year.
Posted by Troubadour (Member # 83) on :
I knew that I'd progress the fastest with swimming. I was in squad for a dozen years and competitive through high school.
It's the riding and (even more so) the running that I really really suck at.
But my god I have bike lust now. Here's the one I want: Felt T23 Posted by Omega M. (Member # 7924) on :
Is that your wife in the top photo? I wish I had a girlfriend who was athletic; I like to work out but lately it's been boring for me, and I think it's so romantic when two people can push each other to do better physically than they could on their own.
Posted by Troubadour (Member # 83) on :
She's my girlfriend of four years. She doesn't know this, but I also dropped $2k down on a deposit for an engagement ring this week. So she'll be my wife later this year, probably.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Congrats and good luck! Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
Congrats Troubadour. Both on the proposal and finding a training group that welcomes you even when you lag far behind. As someone who is commonly the worst at athletic events I can assure you that such groups are way too uncommon.
Posted by Euripides (Member # 9315) on :
Congratulations! Posted by Irami Osei-Frimpong (Member # 2229) on :
I have to tell you, Troubadour, I've been the worst before, but the coolest thing about your story is that you get to be the worst and retain the girl. It's the best of all possible worlds.
Posted by Troubadour (Member # 83) on :
Thanks Irami, that was cool.
Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
LOL at Irami's post, too.
Way to go, Troubs -- keep it up. And good luck with the proposal!
That picture is awesome -- is that sky for real, or did you doctor it up somehow? Wow!
Posted by Troubadour (Member # 83) on :
The sky is pretty much for real - it had a lot of red tinge to it, and the stuff that wasn't red-tinged was dark and roiling. I played with the saturation and levels very slightly, but it's a fairly subtle change and I didn't add anything that wasn't already there.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Congratulations!
(I have no doubts.)
Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
That sky makes me want to pick up oils and paintbrush and actually paint again . . . nice job! There's something about skylines and color and the power of them that just . . . well, shucks, I don't know . . .
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
My point being that it's not just the pushing myself to get out of bed and just do it, but to throw myself into it as fully as I can.![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
Thanks Irami, that was cool.