This one is a personal story about change. One morning, about 15 years ago, I was driving into the city and stopped at the red light. I looked over at the car next to me and there was a woman with a huge smile on her face, a number on her arm and a bike in the back. She had completed a triathlon. I looked across at her and wondered what it must feel like to be able to achieve that early on a Sunday morning. What it must feel like to go through the rest of the day after finishing a race. It wasn’t something that I could ever imagine doing.
At that time in my life I had a complicated relationship with exercise. I knew I should do it, but I didn’t really like it. I had memories of high school PE which in spite of some great teachers, wasn’t really my favourite. I had a lot of embarrassment about being unfit. The voices in my head telling me that I couldn’t do things were so loud. It had been a long time since I had done anything harder than walk around the block. I didn’t feel healthy. I certainly didn’t see triathlon in my future. I didn’t feel inspired.
Six months later I was working with a personal trainer and she told me that I was going to do a triathlon at the end of summer. I laughed because I was still dry retching after running up her driveway, and my swimming techniques has never advanced beyond a clumsy breaststroke. I wasn’t sure I remembered how to ride a bike. She assured me that this was going to happen, I signed up for a novice length event, and in spite my skepticism, I began training.
A few of us met at the lake to get used to swimming in the sludge of Lake Burley Griffin. We paired the swims with a ride or a run. I had a clunky mountain bike that I dusted off and I started riding to the training sessions. The first time I had to stop six times on the way home to rest. Gradually the stops reduced and my fitness increased.
I did the triathlon with my Aunt, who has always been such an inspiring person. She helped me practice my transition before the big day.
The morning of the event I made it out of bed on time and arrived ready to give it a go. I was last out of the water (the next wave of competitors were coming out ahead of me) because my swimming technique didn’t really advance much. My clunky bike moved as fast as I could pedal. When it came to the run I was already exhausted, but determined to run the distance, and not stop. Over and over I told myself that I just had to keep moving.
Finishing was a pretty amazing feeling. I was 6th-last, but I finished. I learned from this that I could do things that I had not considered possible. I never did another triathlon, but had some fun in running and cycling events in the years that followed.
Now exercise is my friend. I still have many days when it is hard to find the motivation. My mantra is to put my shoes on. Sometimes I knock the run out of the park, sometimes the ride is a breeze. Sometimes every step is hard work. Sometimes it is so cold in the Canberra winter I wonder why I bother. The answer is because I always feel better when I finish.
I have a list of 100 things that I would like to do (thanks Breakfree Program). I have run a marathon on the list. Currently, I am not sure if that is an achievable goal, but I leave it on the list because it pushes me to keep moving on hard days and I feel good working towards something.
What I know is that a bit of exercise most days makes me feel better. I hope it makes you feel better too.
Dr Kerrie Aust 