Yes, you can do a triathlon. Nearly anybody can and for your own good, you probably should give it a try. Triathlon participation in the United States and across the globe has exploded in recent years with double digit growth over the last dozen or so years. Despite a widespread (but slowly receding) misconception that a triathlon includes an IronMan-like effort (check out Iron War, Matt Fitzgerald's great recap of the Dave Scott-Mark Allen Kona duel in 1989), there is a race and training schedule that will work for you. With a modest amount of research and training time, a sprint triathlon is attainable and likely to toss the triathlon newbie down a training path that has no off-ramp. Like many others that have started triathlons in the last three years, I'm hooked and given the numbers, you too probably are either involved, or will soon be. But with significant costs, hard to stage races and a prolonged period of declining disposable income, why is the triathlon one of the world's fastest growing and most hyped sports?
It's fun
People enjoy triathlons because it takes us back to being kids again. As kids, what did we love to do? We rode our bikes, we ran with reckless abandon and we went to the beach or to the pool to swim and we played and competed like hell. All hallmarks of the triathlon. And although races are relatively difficult to stage and expensive to join and train for, there's a race and a goal that's right for everybody. It used to be that running a triathlon was taken to be the classic IronMan distance made notable by the yearly televised Kona Hawaii IronMan race, delivering riveting pictures of the resplendent successes and near-tragic physical meltdowns that are part of events that last 140.6 miles and take more than a third of the day for even the fastest and fittest triathletes. But that's no longer the case. Sprint, Olympic (sounds long but it's not), half IM (aka a 70.3) and full IronMan distances (140.6 miles) are all there for the taking, depending on your appetite and will to train and invest.
It's good for you
Research has concluded that exercise is good for you. A truism. Not debatable. The litany of the benefits of exercise are innumerable, including the big one for for anybody staring down their fourth or fifth decade on this earth: longer and healthier lives. The activities of swimming, biking and running act in a complementary fashion, engaging many of our key organs while challenging our minds to incorporate efficient strategies for succeed in all three disciplines. All this is good and there is increasing evidence that there is no such thing as too much of a good thing (exercise, that is). Of course, many can call on the fact that over-training is a common affliction for triathletes but I'll attribute much of that to a lack of common sense, imagination and self-discipline. Training to swim, bike and run faster will make you a healthier person and most likely will make you a more focused, self-aware and confident person to boot.
It's in your genes
Finally, our instincts as humans, and specifically our genetic makeup, direct us to do all that we can to survive. Triathlon races serve as a proxy to those critical survival tasks of our distant past such as hunting prey, avoiding predators and procreating. Adrenaline surges from chaotic charges at the start of the swim, simulate the fight or flight instinct that we still use to survive. It's in us to compete, whether it's for limited resources such as food, water or a mate in the ultimate pursuit to pass on our genes to the next generation. Racing against the open elite, against fellow age groupers or more likely against your last best self, provides a clear feedback loop that rings a very large and loud bell for the athlete to hear. Our successes are obvious, measured in many ways, and ready to be sliced and diced, reviewed and compared for anybody (that cares) to see. Triathlons provided convenient racing intervals (e.g. swim, T1, bike, T2, run and overall)and we like that. We see where you stand versus the competition, your last best self and whatever goal you aspire to meet. Triathlon races serve as our hunting grounds to pursue our goals, no matter how grand or modest and have a great time doing it. What else could you ask for?
For most, the end of January signals the beginning of triathlon season so it is time to get kicking and begin the training cycle that will hurl us toward our 2012 goals. In the words of Julius Caesar, "Veni, Vidi, Vici," loosely translated as, "I came (to swim, bike and run), I saw, I conquered." Even if middle age is upon you or past, triathlons offer ways to improve both our physical and mental fitness and for you to be a better you. Train hard but smart, follow a plan but pay attention to your instincts and take care of your heart. Best of luck in 2012.
