Thursday, June 16, 2016

Happiest triathlon moments are when no one is watching


That sunbeam photo sums up how I felt today after my short pre-race brick. This was just a great training day where things felt so dialed in for swim, bike, and run! Cue the chorus of angels!

It is a wonderful feeling to move the body with the full awareness that comes from the intentional movement of sport and physical challenge.

You don't get those feelings from sitting in front of the computer or rushing around in response to the demands of the day. You get them from striving in some physical way.

The mind-body connection was strong. I was tuned into things on the swim that I'd never noticed before - a subtle tilt of the hips, the path of my hands, some wasted movement of the head. I felt a different sort of relaxed control and balance in the water.

The bike was just happiness on wheels. And on the short run, despite temps well into the 80s, I never felt hot. I didn't wilt like I almost always do in the heat. On this easy run I stayed in the moment, found flow, and discovered I was flying without trying.

Exercise, fitness, training, working out - they are often discussed in terms of time, miles, and performance metrics. But the real magic, the thing that keeps me coming back for more has no number. It's that mind-body connection. It's the freedom of movement. It's the intrinsic reward from asking and getting more out of myself. It's the ability to shut out the noisy world and quietly tune into some small part of myself.

I love racing, I really do. But some of my happiest moments on this triathlon journey happen when I am by myself and no one is watching.