How in the world is Steve Jobs related to a blog about triathlon? Easy, without the invention of his Ipod I would probably have not been able to accomplish all that I have as a triathlete. Last winter, when I was training for my first half ironman, I never would have gotten through those rotten workouts on my bike trainer. Talk about boring; spinning indoors, looking at the television occasionally and spending literally hours on a trainer is not my idea of fun, but with the help of a little device called an Ipod, indoor spinning has become something I look forward to. I even recently took a course to certify myself as an indoor cycling instructor. With the use of upbeat music, I can pretend I am riding hills and flats in the great outdoors, even when the weather is crummy! Thanks to the Black Eyed Peas and Eminem, I was able to train on my bike during a very brutal Pennsylvania winter.
But biking is one component of triathlon. Running is also a very important part of the three sports. I can't tell you how many times I've reached for my Ipod before donning my running shoes. I love running with other people, but for me it doesn't happen frequently. Finding someone that is at your pace, schedules and convenience are all factors that play in. Sometimes I fit in a quick run during my kids soccer and lacrosse practices, sometimes it is early in the morning, sometimes I run at lunchtime. Mostly it is around my families busy schedule so ... Lady Gaga, Madonna, Maroon Five, Christina Aguilera, Usher, to name a few artists, become my running buddies with the simple push of a play button. There are no phone calls, emails, or texts to make just a simple device that I strap around my arm and off I go with music that has a great beat and gives me energy to get my run done.That little device has been a buddy from day one.
I remember when I first started running; too many years to calculate and too embarrassing, but to give you an idea of how far devices have come, I remember days gone by when I was sporting a Sony Walkman about the size of a small book. Later, I was seen running with a huge set of earphones on my head. I hated carrying such a heavy thing as the Sony Walkman and I could never quite get those huge headphones right. I would start out my run in the old days with those devices, only to loop back home to drop them off because they were so cumbersome and drove me crazy during an activity that I was so fond of.
One of the challenges I face as a triathlete is the fact that USAT santioned races do not allow any devices such as an Ipod. So while I can get my groove on during training runs and cycles, during race time I cannot don my Ipod. I wish that USAT would change this rule because by the time the run happens in triathlon you've already swum and biked. You can imagine the mental anguish of having to run after all of that and without music.
I was able to sneak my Ipod at a smaller event in Pennsylvania called the Anthracite Triathlon. The officials were not looking as closely as they might at other events. Thanks to the smallness of my Ipod ,I was able to conceal my Ipod in places I'll leave to the imagination. This was my first Olympic Distance triathlon, sporting many hills in the mountains of Jim Thorpe. I knew I was going to need a boost for the run. I risked disqualification by using my Ipod, but in the end I did not get caught and was able to place 3rd in my division.
Meanwhile, a friend of mine swears that there is a device that she uses so she can use her underwater Ipod to get through her swims. I admit I haven't tried that yet because even with all the new technology I'm still from the old school that you just don't get electronics wet ,but hey I didn't believe that you could touch a screen and get it to work.
More importantly than the Ipod, I am thankful for such a visionary as Steve Jobs. He lived his life by what he believed and I love his mantra that you shouldn't listen to the negative talk out there." Find what you love to do and stick with it. Keep looking and don't settle," is a quote from his now famous speech to the 2005 Stanford graduating class. He faced many hard times in his life and yet he never gave up. In his work and even with his health issues he was a fighter.
One of the reasons for writing this blog is because of my love of triathlon. I too have faced adversity in my life and have had people who did not believe in my efforts in work and in triathlon, so the fact that a man like Steve Jobs who never even graduated college can succeed because of hard work and determination, gives me hope and inspiration.
"Stay hungry and stay foolish," was how Jobs ended his speech to the Stanford grads. Don't give up on your dreams because they are a possibility.
Tri- On,
Kelly
