"Why do a triathlon?"

I actually have no answer to that question when it was first posed to me this year in April.
But I think that question was the “fertilizer” given, to the triathlon “seed” I planted in myself 6 months b4 by joining the triathlon group to swim on Mondays.

I have done triathlons b4, as an individual and as a relay team member, few years back. But I have kind of stop after getting busy and not having time (or rather the motivation, since it’s all about time management) to train.

Last year, after graduating from PhD, I realized I needed some structure in my life, so I decided to plan a workout schedule to start my day, then it was swim, jog/breeze walk (I was so reluctant to run then), gym, all of which is easily accomplish within my condo area. However, a workout schedule that involves myself only is really difficult to sustain. That’s when I decided to join the Mon tri swim even though I didn’t really like the idea that it was in the evening and worse still it was all the way in the west. But at least it’s a sport that I enjoy the most.

At that point it was just enjoying the workout and company. Hearing stories of the biathlon/triathlon/ironman they accomplished, resulted in a “seed” planted in me to do an ironman again…one day. No idea when that would be…haha.
Subsequently I also started joining this same group of people to swim at Tanjong Beach on sat mornings when the tide is right. More ironman stories there.
I was also present at some races to support my friends who were racing, eg. the Aviva 70.3.

I frequently go to the library to borrow books, and one fine day I came across the triathlon section and started borrowing books from there too, inspirational stories about triathlete/ironmen, training strategies etc.

But for some reason, all those are just thoughts, I never got myself to run, I didn’t even have my bike with me (my bike was with my friend for years!).

And then one day late April this year, someone I respect very much, saw me with a book on strength training for triathlete, and casually asked me why do I do a triathlon (I believe that person had no idea that I was nowhere near doing a triathlon then, just a lot of thoughts about it). I managed to come up with some lame answer saying I think it is fun or something to that effect.

For some reason, that question actually became the question that got me to start really doing a triathlon. Subsequently, I had additional “water” and “sunlight” to add to the “fertilizing” question…haha…
A few days later, a chat with another person about his children and doing triathlon (this person knew I was pretty active in sports all the while, but wasn’t aware I haven’t really been racing recently, except for a long distance open water swim), got me to go check out races that were coming up. Then, the intention was to introduce his children to the sport and see how they might be interested to participate in it (I dun think dad had a chance to bring them to experience the atmosphere at a triathlon competition yet til now…I better keep him posted on next year’s race already..haha). By chance, that weekend, 1 May, there was a triathlon at Changi Beach Park. Knowing an uncle of mine does triathlons too, I sent him a message to ask if he were participating as I was thinking of going over to support them. The reply was “yes”, he and my 10-year-old cousin are, but my aunty, who has signed up too, has just recovered from an illness and is giving up her slot, “am I interested to take her slot?” It was a mini distance triathlon (i.e. 200m swim, 10km bike, 2.5km run).

That week, I just so happened to have gotten myself to run 2 loops around my condo (that’s ~2km, but I thought I was never going to do it again because it was too boring!), swimming is never an issue for me (I just swam 20km in the sea half a year b4 that…what’s 200m..haha), 10km cycling is definitely do-able, except that I do not have any bike with me then. So I replied saying that I do not mind, but will need to borrow her bike. And it was all set. Suddenly within 10 days of being asked “Why do I do triathlon?” and yet not having really done any in the past few years, or not having really trained for it (except the swim part), I was agreeing to do a triathlon that have been thinking for months but never really taking action towards it.

2 months later, I was doing a full distance triathlon (1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run).. of course my fitness level has always been pretty good, so to have moved into that distance in a short span was not difficult (or harmful to health)
Another 2 months later, I was doing a slightly longer, but funny distance triathlon (1km swim, 65km bike, 18km run…yes, a very swimmer unfriendly distance)..and managed to finish the race pretty strong, after having swam 100 laps the day before!

I have indeed come a very long way and am extremely happy with my performance. But most of all I am extremely thankful to that person for his simple, casual question of “why do a triathlon”…I doubt he knows what kind of impact his simple questions had on me..haha

I am still not sure why that question seem to have such a big impact on me. Is it because it was such an unexpected question (most people around me know I have always been active in sports..so I guess they never thought of asking me such a question) that it made me wonder hard enough that I just decided to jump into it? Is it because he is someone I respected so that question has bigger impact? Is it simply because I felt someone actually cared enough to ask such a simple question?

Whatever it is, I guess I should find the courage to thank him in person one day ;)