Hi guys!
As of today, I’ve decided to commit myself to training for my first triathlon! Now, I don’t know when this event will take place, given the coronavirus and how this quarantine has completely upended our world. But regardless, it will happen sometime in the future. Now, you may be wondering why the heck a dancer and writer like me would want to do something as physical and random as a triathlon? I’ll tell you why.
Well first of all, a triathlon is not totally out of the blue. I was a gymnast in my youth, and now I’m a dancer; both activities are very physical, so I am used to training my body to do incredible things. I think ever since going to college, I’ve grown disconnected with that physical side of my being. I’m a strong believer in the interconnectedness of mind, body and spirit. If one of those entities are off, it affects the other two as well.
For the past three years, I’ve fallen short physically. I stopped exercising regularly, started eating junk food, didn’t dance as much, lived a sedentary lifestyle (thanks, college) and as a result, I gained a considerable amount of weight. Sadly, I am in the worst physical shape of my life right now. And I’m about to change that. That’s where the triathlon idea comes in! Having a long-term goal like that will serve as motivation for me to finally get off my ass and whip myself back in shape. Unlike dance competitions, which are extremely expensive, triathlons are accessible to pretty much anyone. It involves three things: running, biking and swimming. These are things I do already!
Another thing that inspired me to pursue a triathlon was the movie/book series “Divergent”. I’ve talked about it extensively in past blog posts. The reason why this story resonates with me so much is because of this profound theme of facing your fears head on and pushing yourself to the mental and physical breaking point. In the process, you grow tremendously and build character. And that’s one of my greatest life values and philosophies. Working hard, growing in the process, becoming mentally strong, and ultimately achieving your goals. I have fallen in love with the protagonist and heroine, Tris, who starts off at the bottom of her Dauntless training class and emerges at the top. She overcomes obstacle after obstacle and faces each one with courage. That is the person I want to become.
I see the triathlon as a great starting point to challenge myself physically, and in turn, mentally. If I can prove to myself that I can do it, then that’ll fuel me to be able to accomplish other dreams of mine. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intimidated by pushing my body to the limit. I am far, far removed from my past life as an athlete. But I know that person is still alive inside me, ready to shine.
Teenage Struggles 