Swim, bike, run

Did my first triathlon yesterday! It was an amazing experience that, as a first-timer, I'll never forget. Technically, I didn't actually swim...or bike...or run...but I cheered from the sideline like nobody's business. Truth be told, it was my husband who competed and the only thing I did was show up.

From a spectator's cheerleader's perspective, the event was really incredible. I learned quickly where to position myself so I could see my husband running out of the water, whizzing past me on his bicycle, or coming in for the last 1/2 mile of the run. Basically, it amounted to a total of 45 seconds of cheering for my husband and 2-3 hours of waiting. With all this downtime, I didn't park myself on the beach to gaze out at the ocean, didn't read a single page of the "Real Simple" magazine I had slipped into my backpack, I didn't even play a single word on "Words with Friends" the whole morning. The thing that captivated my attention was just watching the other athletes in amazement and wondering how their bodies could do what my own body couldn't even dream of doing. But is it fair (or healthy) to compare yourself to others in that way? I mean, is it a bigger accomplishment to master a 1.5 swim, a 40K bike, and 10K run than it is to, say, assemble 100 blinged out invitations in under an hour? I think the answer's obvious, don't you? Ha, ha...nevermind.

The Honolulu Triathlon is actually just a stepping stone in my husband's formal training for the Tinman Triathlon later this summer (which could be a stepping stone to the Ironman at some point). I've seen an amazing transformation in him as the weeks have gone by. There's the physical aspect, of course, but it's also been a mental victory in that he challenged himself to do something he's never done before. To bear witness to someone fulfilling a lifelong dream, discovering a true passion, and embracing something that fills their soul is such a beautiful thing.

A big congratulations to my husband on his first triathlon!