What I never thought I'd know 12 months ago!

Inspired by Tri Fuel's "So you wanna be a Triathlete", which I blogged about some time ago, here is my personal list of what I never thought I'd know 12 months ago. I hope it'll teach you something, make you laugh or inspire you to reflect on your past 12 months, as another year comes to a close and the New Year begins.


What I never thought I'd know 12 months ago:

1. Triathlons are EXTREMELY ADDICTIVE;
2. You will plan your weekends around your swim, bike and run;
3. You will spend your wage on new gear, race entries, training camps and pain and suffering instead of new dresses and alcohol;
4. You will hate swimming more than you like it for the first year; 
5. A quick release does not need to be fully removed to access the tyre (who would of thought?!); 
6. You will learn new words such as A-race, brick and double-knick;
7. You will set your alarm starting with the number 4 - all because you want to fit in a longer ride before work; 
8. Triathletes clean their bikes weekly, not annually (whoops!!); 
9. You can ride in the freezing cold and survive the headwind of the year - it just makes you stronger and those less than ideal race conditions seem relatively easy!;
10. It will take you a full 12 months, but you will finally find swimming meditative;
11. No matter how much you don't want to, when your Coach tells you to take a gel to get you home, you will take a gel to get you home;
12. You will be passed and dropped on the bike many times - but it doesn't matter unless you make it matter;
13. You will never be the fastest runner, but as soon as you stop competing with others, you can compete with yourself.......and more often than not, you will win!; 
14. You will learn the meaning of and love nothing more than a post-training LLD*;
15. You will start using acronyms!;
16. You will look forward to your swim sessions;
17. Some old friends will drift away and your tri-friends will become like family;
18. You will find happiness in the simple camaraderie that is a tri-squad;
19. You will voluntarily take part in "Hell Week";
20. Triathlon will change your life.

* the infamous Tri Alliance "Little Lie Down".


Has triathlon changed your life? I'd love to hear your comments...x