Becoming a Triathlete at 50

Racing toward Transition 2

It was a dream in the making for over 20 years. Back in 1990 I was sitting at my job in Connecticut and came across a black & white flyer advertising a new kind of sports event; a Sprint Triathlon: 1/2 mi swim, 12 mi bike & 3.1 mi run. I was totally intrigued. I knew how to bike and swim but the running was totally not my thing. I put the flyer aside and figured some day I might figure out how to do all that.That some day was this July 21 in Webster MA. I finally signed up for; showed up for; and completed my first Sprint Triathlon. It was part of the Athleta Irongirl Series and was the perfect event for me as an older, first timer. It was everything everyone had promised: An all-women event that nurtured all skill levels.

Running down the finisher’s chute and crossing the finish-line was one of the greatest feelings I’ve had (just below my wedding day and the birth-days of both my children.) As I ran toward that finish-line all the emotion of my hard work welled up inside. The nerves and anxiousness to prove to myself that I really could set a goal, work toward it and achieve it were all fading away, in its place I felt a growing sense of accomplishment.

The other day my husband said to me “you are an athlete” and that one simple phrase has re-defined and re-affirmed who I am in my “middle age”. I’ve said good-bye to my youthful 20’s, 30’s and even 40’s and learning to say good-bye to daily parenting and am ready to fully embrace this new definition of self.

“I am an athlete!”