doubts

Options
samthepanda
samthepanda Posts: 569 Member
in Motivation and Support
I've signed up for a sprint triathlon at the end of April. I'm jumping between being excited at the challenge, and thinking "What have I done!" and tempted to drop out. I think I can do it, but I want to do the best I can. I have signed up for swimming lessons. I could probably do the distance (and its and indoor swim) but very slowly and messily, last night we were trying front crawl, and I got demoted to the absolute beginners class - more 1:1 attention so good really, but made me feel such a failure and question if I can actually do this with any decent time! Finding time to train is hard as I have 2 kids, 1 a toddler, and weather has been so foul I can't even get out and do walking with the pushchair and I've just realised the 3 weeks before the tri are school hols so will have 2 kids at home all day, and we'll probably be away some of it. I know this is excuses, but am struggling at the moment to think this was a good idea! I don't want to be the last one coming in a long time after everyone else.

Replies

  • lisabethcrdh
    lisabethcrdh Posts: 2
    Options
    :flowerforyou:

    For what it's worth... I had doubts once I signed up for my first 5k in December last year... at that point in my fitness/weightloss journey I had lost 55 lbs, was doing cardio workouts, free weights, and interval training for 7 mos. with very little running under my belt. I ran twice begore my 5k, and even my husband (who is usually my strongest supporter) told me he didn't think I should do it. I decided that because I had come so far, and because I wanted to test myself, I would go ahead and sign up, even if I was the last person done. I simply was needing to prove to myself I was capable! So, I ran the race. The whole 3.1 miles! And, I was far from last...actually I finished right in the middle of the pack! More important than anything, was the feeling of accomplishment and pride I felt at completing my goal.
    My take-aways after finishing my very first major fitness goal is this:
    1. You don't need to be in top physical form yet to challenge yourself, there were people there in all different levels of fitness ability,
    2. The joy I got from succeeding has carried me through the next stage of my fitness journey, I have since lost another ten lbs and run at least 1-2 times a week. And yes, I do it better than I did then,
    3. Anxiety at possibly not being able to do it can be channeled into positive energy, which you then can use to accomplish your goal.
    The day of the race, after seeing all the apparently more fit people, I cried. I was really worried I was going to look stupid. But, once I started running, I realized with every step I took I was closer to the finish line. The look on my husband's face when he watched me cross the finish line was even better than the look he had on our wedding day almost 12 yrs ago! So, I say go for it girl. No matter what, you can have a baseline for the next time. And the best part is, your sense of accomplishment will keep you focused on continuing forward, next time with an even bigger goal!
  • Chain_Ring
    Chain_Ring Posts: 753 Member
    Options
    Sprint distance is short........pretty sure you got this.
  • samthepanda
    samthepanda Posts: 569 Member
    Options
    thanks guys. I know that I should be able to do it, its only a sprint but its a lot more than I've ever done, but this is when self doubt hits and I think about all the things that could go wrong. I did 11km bike on the static at the gym before going to swimming last night and was shattered by the time I got home! My list of anxieties is huge (not being able to find my bike, falling off, hyperthermia), but I know I need to just do it, and do my best and be as prepared as I can be. I'll be looking for lots of advice on here and other sites.

Categories