I’ve been doing a lot of walking lately, sort of forced into it thanks to overall muscle soreness and some pain in my knee area from overtraining. I’m trying to keep my mileage up by walking in lieu of running and it seems to be going well. I hope to be back to running soon. As a long-time runner, my attitude about walking was that having to walk was failing, and a cop-out of sorts. Training for and running ultra marathons has taught me differently, as walking is almost a necessity to getting through the numerous miles. I was always about never having to walk to now building walk breaks into my pacing plan. But as I have put in some miles, I’m starting to see how walking can benefit me. And some things have changed – my running clothes have been swapped for comfortable clothes and a floppy hat instead of a visor. I have been listening to music too (mostly 60s Gold on SiriusXM) which I would never do while running. I haven’t needed a vest full of water and gels to get through the miles. It’s been kind of nice.
Since becoming a triathlete and doing swimming and biking in addition to running, it’s interesting how my attitude about the different disciplines has adapted. I always thought triathletes were a little weird, with their tight outfits and crazy-looking helmets and bikes. Then I became one and fully embraced that lifestyle. As a runner on the local path, I hated it when a biker rode by me at a high speed with little warning. But as a biker, I became that guy whizzing past others at high speed. It eventually dawned on me that I was being the athlete I was hating when I was doing that activity. I learned to slow down and give plenty of warning to those I was about to pass. And the culture of biking can be interesting. Road cyclists tend to wear flashy kits, a road-only helmet, and gear, and look down on the others. Mountain bikers have their own set of characteristics. They are the ones who think that everyone should yield to them when on the trail. And they all dislike triathletes for some reason. I try my best to fit in whenever I can.
Swimming has its own craziness to it. Believe me, when I first appeared at the local pool with my dad bod squeezed into some tight swim jammers, it was something I had to learn to be comfortable with. But soon modesty went out the window when you realize most everyone else didn’t have Michael Phelps’ physique either. Swimming at a public pool can be interesting. Swimmers seem to want isolation and to be left alone. Open swimming meant that others guarded the lane they were in and made it clear they weren’t interested in sharing. I didn’t like the idea of sharing a lane either but I was appreciative when someone offered to share the lane they were occupying. And during races, that swim cap and goggles must make you feel like you can be a jerk without being identified. People grab, hit, scratch, and all sorts of things while swimming in a triathlon. I hate having my concentration broken by someone swimming so close that they are constantly touching my feet. I don’t like that so I go out of my way to not do that to others. You’ll find me swimming way wide of the pack.
Swimming, biking, running, walking, and combinations of these sports sure do have their unique idiosyncrasies, but when you find yourself doing all of them it can change your attitude about what you perceive about them. I certainly have.
an amazing run 