Anyway, as many of you who follow me on twitter probably know, I have developed a very special relationship in the last several months with lots of girls currently and formerly in the W30-34 age group. I say “formerly” because a few of us are racing pro this year and our ages are OUT! We are spread out across the country and have been able to meet through training and/or racing…or by meeting their hubby on Caltrain (Hailey).
I was thinking a lot about these girls last week, partly because I stalk their social media information to get updates on their training habits, and partly because I got an e-mail from someone talking about how inspired she was b y this group. This person said friends in her life have distanced themselves as she has become more focused on training for triathlon and meeting her personal goals. I can definitely feel for this person, as I have been in the same situation. Unfortunately sometimes even people you thought were really good friends can’t support positive life changes if they interfere with your current relationship. All I can say is that true friends will grow with you or they aren’t real friends. While this girl was disappointed her friends weren’t supporting her new lifestyle, she was happy to see that even competitors could be friends and root each other on. It made me realize how lucky I am now to have these women in my life pushing me, but also supporting me.
While we are all still competitive with one another, and of course I’m sure each of us hopes to win any battle with any of the other members of this group, I can honestly say I hope the best (or 2nd best if I am racing, too ) for all of these women. Their drive and determination inspires me to push harder and give everything I can and more every day. They also help educate me – how would I ever know the meaning of FOMO otherwise? (fear of missing out). They make me laugh with their funny training stories and one in particular has become my regular weekend partner in crime. All of these women are so strong and I can’t wait to see what we can do in 2012. And for any other women reading this blog, reach out to those girls you compete against. Learn from each other. Become friends. My guess is you will have a lot in common!
Okay, now for a couple quick updates before I move onto my VIPs (yes, there is more than 1)!
Sponsor updates – I still have a few things cooking, but for now I am SUPER excited to announce that for 2012, I will be racing for Saucony, Reynolds Wheels, and Clif Bar! All three of these brands are amazing and if you don’t use products from these companies already, I recommend you start ASAP! Check out the websites for more details. I will provide updates on new gear I am able to wear or test out in case anyone is interested in getting some user reviews. Or just send me comments if you have any questions about ANYTHING.
2012 races! I have pretty much finalized my schedule for 2012. First up Oceanside 70.3! Here’s the full plan, at least for now . This is a lot more racing than I have ever done before and I’m PUMPED!
3/31/12 – Oceanside 70.3
5/5/12 – Ironman St. George
6/10/12 – Kansas 70.3 OR Alcatraz
8/5/12 – Boulder 70.3
8/29/12 – Ironman KY OR Ironman Canada
10/28/12 – Austin 70.3
11/18/12 – Ironman Arizona
VIP#6,7,8,9,10, – My best frienemies
Hailey Manning – I know you have all seen this lady before! Since her last appearance on my blog, we have become training besties, garage-of-pain sufferers, and Chipotle fanatics (well, let’s be honest, we were that already!) I love training with Hailey because she’s so down to earth and has such an amazing attitude. I don’t know what I would do without this girl!
Sarah P. – Sarah is one of the most amazing competitors I know. She is my Purplepatch Fitness, Clif, and Saucony teammate, woohoo! I am absolutely certain we are going to see big things from this girl in her rookie pro year. I can’t wait to see her in Hawaii in less than a week. We haven’t had proper rocking-out-to-crazy-music-on-the-way-to-training time in almost a year!
Beth Walsh – this girl is the queen of social media and the fastest thing on two legs. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous of this girl’s running ability and that I haven’t thought a lot about how I could possibly out run her some day – so far I have come up with nothing!
Beth Shutt – is maybe one of the nicest people I have ever met…BUT don’t let that sweet exterior fool you…she is a fierce competitor! She has a super solid swim/bike/run combo and will be a threat at all her races this year. I believe her Ironman debut is at CDA w/ SP and I can’t wait to see those two shine! (from the comfort of my couch, of course)
Christine Gould – Love this girl! My former SOAS Racing teammate and biggest swimming rival (or the girl who always beats me out of the water). She’s not only fast but a smarty pants and happens to have the most famous backside of this whole group (you might remember her @$$ from the SOAS racing ads – if not check them out!)
this really struck a chord for me - I've been feeling the same thing, that friends have distanced themselves as our training has gotten more intense, and I never would have predicted that - I would have predicted that we would push each other and stick together, & I'm more than a little sad it hasn't gone that way. I love LOVE seeing that it exists - this is an awesome group of girls, and you're so lucky!
ReplyDeleteBut wait a minute. You say your old friends have distanced themselves as you have begun focusing more on triathlon, spending more hours training, joining a new team, making new friends. Have your old friends distanced themselves from you or are YOU moving in a different direction from THEM? You expect your friends to support you and grow with you, but how are you supporting them? How are you supporting their goals? Keep in mind that relationships need nurturing from all sides, so ask yourself what you are doing to stay connected with them. Triathlon is a selfish sport. Don't forget that there is more to life. If you care about your friends, make the effort to support them as much or more than you expect from them.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome post! I really really enjoyed it! I've been stalking you at different times before as well and of course, you are a very inspirational athlete who I really look up to! Excellent job at your first race of the season in O-side and keep up the great work Jess! I thought it was so cool how you put this post together and you can ONLY do your best - that is all you can do (don't let "Mr or Mrs Unknown" up there bring you down :) Kim S.
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