Then I went to Kona.
Watching two thousand people of all shapes, sizes, ages,
nationalities, disabilities, and professions cross the finish line of the
Ironman World Championships hammered home for me the most valuable lesson that
triathlon has taught me: your limitations are only what you allow them to be.
True, I’m not a classically built athlete or a naturally fast runner, but
certainly if an 84-year-old woman or a man with an amputated limb and a history
of cardiac cancer can do it, so can I. Too busy? The head of a surgery
department who has 3 kids under age 8 did it, so what’s my excuse? It lit a
fire in me, and I remember the moment when Sean and I looked at each other,
standing on the sidelines at the finish, and said, “do you want to do this? I
want to do this.”
Well, now is the time. I am officially registered for
Ironman Coeur D’Alene and on August 27th, 2017 I will (if all goes
according to plan!) become an Ironman! This means a year of intense and focused
training with little room for laziness or complacency. Since I’ve been mulling
this over in my mind for so long I’ve already picked out a training plan and for
the past few months have been familiarizing myself with it and its demands. It
covers 36 weeks, so I will begin my dedicated training on December 19th,
although I plan on doing maintenance training consistently until then to make
sure I’m ready once it’s go time. I’m scared and excited and since triathlon
has already given me so much, I can’t wait to see what the next year brings.
I am also excited about another project that I’ve been thinking
about for a while but finally want to see take shape: I would like really like
to share with others the joy, confidence, and sense of strength that endurance
sports has given me. Triathlon has completely changed my body image and how I
look at myself mentally, emotionally, and physically. Whereas before I felt
like I was always in a battle with my body, I now see it as an amazing and
beautiful vehicle capable of carrying me through the incredible challenges I’ve
given it. I am grateful for it in a way I never was before, and the benefits
are not limited to the physical domain: the discipline of learning to feel
pain, push yourself, and expand your boundaries spreads into life outside of
the sport. Because of this I feel a kind of strength in my body and mind that I
never knew I had. I feel happier, more energetic, and less anxious because it
has taught me to accept moments of physical and emotional discomfort and
anxiety for what they are, quiet my mind, and keep moving forward. I truly
believe that endurance exercise is an amazing tool to manage anxiety and
depression.
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| First sprint triathlon: look at that awkward run! |
As I’ve navigated this journey, I’ve had a lot of friends
tell me things like, “That always sounded interesting to me, but I don’t know
where to start,” or “I’ve always wanted to do a marathon, but I’m not really
the athletic type.” Or, the most common, “I’d really like to exercise more, but
I’m just so busy.”
So, here is my offer: As I train for my first Ironman over
the next year, I would be honored to help anyone who would like to register for
a race happening any time between now and August 27th, 2017. If you
have ever dreamed of doing a triathlon, considered running a half marathon, or
a 5k, or doing a swim or bike race but you don’t know where to start, let me
tell you with absolute confidence that you can make it happen and I would love
to help get you started and keep your training consistent. I will help you find
or create a training plan tailored around your specific race, I’ll help you
navigate what type of gear you need, nutrition and fueling for longer races,
and I’ll be here to help you stay motivated and on track throughout your
training. If you’re a total beginner, even better. I’d be happy to help you
with any running, cycling, swimming, or triathlon race up to a marathon or
Olympic distance. If you already have experience, I’d be happy to assist with a
half-Ironman as well (I’m not comfortable encouraging beginners to do a
half-Ironman – better to start with a more manageable distance and go from
there!)
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| First Olympic distance triathlon -- showing some improvement |
I don’t want to call this “coaching” because I don’t feel
like I’m even close to accomplished enough to provide that for anyone yet, but
what I do have is a ton of experience in is starting from scratch, learning all
of these sports from square one, researching and learning and finding the right
resources to help, finding ways to stay excited and motivated, and figuring out
what works for each individual person, and I would really love to help you navigate
the logistics of the sport to reach your goal. I am also happy to share what I
do know about running form (which has taken me from miserable, tortured, and
slow on the run to happy, energized, and average!), swim technique, training
strategies, etc. but only with the understanding that my advice in these areas
is from personal experience and shouldn’t be taken as cut-and-dry coaching.
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| First 1/2 Ironman -- practically a real athlete! |
So if, like I did, you have that little voice in the back of
your head wondering if you can do that certain run, swim, bike, or triathlon
that caught your eye, comment below, email me at crystalmbanning@gmail.com, send me
a private Facebook message, and let’s figure out how to get you started!
Here’s to a great upcoming year of training, learning, and
growth.
