Saturday, January 30, 2016

Power of Community

            It can be scary doing something new, but at least a little less so when you have someone doing it with you.  I’ll be kicking off the triathlon season this year with a return to Green Bay.  This time, however, it will be different than in the years past.  One, they no longer offer an Olympic-distance race so I’ll be doing the sprint.  Two, this will be an incredibly exciting race this year because of the group of people that will be coming along too!  Katherine will be kicking off her season with me, four months post-delivery of her second baby (a girl!).
Then there is a crazy, awesome group from the Northwoods Tri Club that will be competing too.  Races are always more exciting when you know more people, but this group adds another level of excitement!  For several of them, it will be their first triathlon ever.  I have helped write out the training plans for 3 of them, and another just had her 2nd hip replacement surgery a couple weeks ago.  It’s been fun to watch them learn, challenge themselves, and grow from this experience already.  I can’t wait to watch them cross the finish line!
When you train within a community of people, you have a built in support system.  You have others holding you accountable, encouraging you, and going through it with you.  You can hit rough patches in training and frustrations that they will help you get through, and they will be there celebrating the accomplishments with you.  My 50x50 challenge in the pool last winter was much more fun when I had company towards the end.  Workouts and competitions are even more of a blast when you get to experience it with others.  It’s also what brings you closer together.
Social media can be a powerful tool that can be used for accountability and support as well.  Facebook, twitter, instagram, snapchat, etc can all be positive tools.  Share your goals with friends and training partners, and you can find a crazy amount of support and encouragement out there when you are really needing it.  They are also a lot of social media groups that you can plug into and find it there if you are not ready to share your goals with all of your friends just yet!  When you tell someone your goals though, you are now no longer just accountable to yourself.  It is a gift on the days when we want to quit.  Life is much richer when lived in community.  They can also help you keep perspective and give you somebody to laugh with along the way.
The last time I had a big group together for a race was the Wausau Triathlon in 2012 (pictured above).  I am STOKED to have this community with me for such an awesome adventure.  Want to join in the fun?!  You know you want to….

1 comment:

  1. Miss you guys! You do a great job at fostering friendship in the community!

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