"Tri Talk" ... A New Kind Of Forum Experience

There's an endless number of forums available where triathletes can go to discuss topics of interest to the sport. Many of this forums take a mind of their own and the personality of those that use them most, regardless of the good intentions of the forum creator and its moderators.

A group was created on facebook with the intention of allowing triathletes of any and all levels, experience and ability to feel free to post questions, comments, concerns. They can look for and ask for advice on any topic related to the sport. It is not limited nor specific to a specific brand or race distance; from Sprint to Iron Distance and everything in between.

We have been very vigilant to ensure that spammers do not find their way to our group and that the forum is not used for direct soliciting and promoting of specific products and/or services. This guarantees our members a more enjoyable experience.

The group has grown (as of this writing) to 1270 members and the group was created just two months ago.  So what's the reason for its success?  One member said it best:

   "One thing I will say about this board in general espcially after spending time in beginnertriathlete and slowtwitch is the lever of decency between people despite many different opinions is unlike anything I've ever seen on an Internet board. It's great to be able to speak your mind..."

A wide array of topics spark interesting conversations on a daily basis, from saddle selection to personality types. So, we invite you to come join the talk, the Tri Talk. To do so, click here now!

4 O'Clock Club

I have not always been a morning person. Getting up early, 7 am or earlier, was quiet the chore for me. I held jobs for years with fluctuating schedules. Sometimes I would go in at 10:00 or later. This allowed me to get really comfortable with my pillow.

But now people that know me best today, know that I love to get up early, 4:00 AM early, and go workout.

Working out before work has numerous advantages, as I have found out first hand.

* It is often the most peaceful time of the day and a great way to get some alone time.

* It preps you for the day, waking up your brain, clears the mind & helps organize your thoughts.

* Get your exercise out of they way. You don't have to worry about it the rest of the day. It gets done. Things happen throughout the day which may derail your well intended plans to exercise later.

* It boosts your metabolism & gets your digestion moving the for the rest of the day,

* Much easier to go out and exercise on an empty stomach, which in itself has tremendous benefits, the biggest of which is you have the potential to burn more fat. Your muscles don't have much sugar to draw from so you are more likely to tap into your stored energy, which means releasing and burning surplus excess fat. **This should only be attempted after you have consulted with experts and discussing your personal goals**

* It interferes less with family time!

* A lot easier to build and maintain exercise consistency.

* If you accomplish absolutely nothing else during the day, you still feel accomplished

* You feel less stressed and are ready to tackle whatever the day throws at you.

* Bragging rights.

It is true that it requires a high level of discipline to do this and create a habit. Your mind will fight it every step of the way the first few times you attempt to get out of bed at 4 o'clock in the morning, but as days pass and you continue to fight the impulse to turn over and sleep longer, this gets easier. With consistency, you will regulate your body's circadian (biological clock) rhythms (yeah, I had to look this up). Your body will learn to do just about the same thing every day and it begins preparing itself for waking and exercising a few hours before you actually open your eyes.

So go ahead, give it a go! Come join me for a gym workout, or a run!
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I invite you to come on over and "like" my page "Mauricio's Journey Beyond Ironman". Click here to go there.

Also invited you are to join the Tri Talk. Click here to do so.

Triathletes Are...

"How do you know someone is a triathlete?"
"Just wait a minute or two, they'll tell you!"

"You know you're a triathlete when you become an expert at bringing up the subject at any conversation."

It is true. We love to talk about our sport. I guess it's no different than any other endeavor. When you're proud about your passion you want to talk about it. Often. But do we do it to brag, impress, inform or delight?

And why is the world all of the sudden fascinated with this endurance sport? Why the larger than life numbers of people taking up a sport that hurts? Hurts bad. Triathlon, if you're not careful, will take over your life. Your weekends will be spend mostly in Lycra and your days will tend to start and finish much earlier than you ever imagined, you will rise before any one to get that early run or ride and you will be collapsing into bed from exhaustion, and any day that this does not happen, you think was not a good day.

Could also be the new "fitness is cool culture" and a more positive attitude towards exercise. You can join a Tri Club where the "anything is possible" climate is promoted and individual accomplishments are celebrated. You train and race at your pace against folks your own age and the only pressure placed upon you is that which you place upon yourself.  This is not so in other organized sports where they are more set in their ways.

There's a physical, emotional and psychological transformation that all triathletes go through. Everyone takes up the swim, bike, run, eat, sleep, repeat challenge for a different reason; everyone's goals are unique and this is a sport that allows you to chase your dreams at your own pace, because really and truly, age is of no consequence.

But what kind of person is a triathlete? And because we love to talk about this sort of thing, I asked this question on the TriTalk facebook page: "Using three (3) words, describe a triathlete" and I was not disappointed in responses received.

The top words used by triathletes to describe themselves are: Determined, Dedicated, Obsessed, Crazy, Strong, Hungry, Motivated, Broke, Driven, Tired, Focused and Insane.

Determined: Having made a decision and being resolved not to change it.
Dedicated: Devoted to a task or purpose; having single-minded loyalty and integrity.
Obsessed: Preoccupy or fill the mind continually, intrusively, and to a troubling extent.
Crazy: Extremely enthusiastic.
Strong: Able to withstand great force or pressure.
Hungry: Having the desire, craving or need for something.
Motivated: Highly stimulated with a reason for doing something.
Broke: What happens when you register for your races and purchase all the gear necessary.
Driven: Very determined to succeed.
Tired: How we always feel, but we ignore and repeat what made us tired in the first place.
Focused: A clear and defined reason or objective.
Insane: A state of mind that prevents normal perception.

Being that most triathletes enjoy a Type A personality, one adjective that I thought for sure would come up, and come up often, but it did not, not even once, was: "Competitive". This was a surprise to me.

Competitive: Having a strong desire to win or be the best at something.

I have met a multitude of triathletes over the past few years. I don't know that the above list does not fit in one way or another to each one of them. Maybe not all of them, but most would. Additionally, I'd like to add a few descriptions of my own.

Most every triathlete I have met has a positive mental attitude and outlook on life and their surroundings.
Most every triathlete I have met has a unique sense of humor.
Most every triathlete hates the idea of ordinary more than he or she hates the idea of discomfort and sacrifice.
Most every triathlete exercises some degree of vanity.
Most every triathlete never settles for "enough".
Most every triathlete not only thinks "outside the box" but lives "outside the box"

And regarding that "sense of humor" characteristic I mentioned above, two responses that merit mention are:

"Self-Loathing Sadist" and "Not 'Yet' Divorced"

Now an interesting project would be to find out what our family, friends and coworkers think of us; what words would they use to describe us. Do you think that their perception of us would be the same as the perception we have of ourselves?

Thank you everyone who participated in my extremely informal survey.

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I invite you to come over and "like" my facebook page "Mauricio's Journey Beyond Ironman". Click here to go there.

Also invited you are to join the Tri Talk. Click here to do so.