A little over two years ago, I sat on our lanai drinking a beer and celebrating Mother’s Day 2024. Suddenly, I made a special Mother’s Day announcement. I wanted to get back in shape after having our seventh baby about a month before. To do that, I was going to train for a triathlon. I declared that by Mother’s Day 2025, I was going to be signed up for my first triathlon.

At the time, I had no idea what that entailed. I was pretty sure a triathlon was biking, running, and swimming, but I didn’t know the order of events or the distances. Nevertheless, I was going to do it.

I had been drawn to triathlons for a while, for some mysterious reason. I wasn’t athletic as a kid, teenager, young adult, or grown up. I dreaded our mandatory swim classes in high school and was always the last one out of the pool. I hadn’t ridden a bike in years when I made this announcement. And even though I’d run a few 5ks and 10ks, I was by no means fast or talented at running.

I’ve said I was going to do a lot of things in life and haven’t done them. But this one stuck, and I think that’s largely due to my family’s response. They didn’t roll their eyes or laugh. Okay, they might have laughed a little bit, but the overwhelming response was support and encouragement. They believed I could do it. And I started to believe it, too.

That commitment led me to train for my first triathlon in June 2025. It was amazing. Then I did another one in August, and another in September, and a duathlon (run-swim-run) in November, and a half marathon in February 2026 (because someday I want to do a Half Ironman, so I needed to make sure I could actually run a half marathon). I even managed finish on the top 3 podium in three out of four tri/duathlon races and qualify for USA Triathlon national championships!

But the thing I’m most proud of is that the training hasn’t stopped for more than a week since I made that commitment in May 2024. There have been hurricanes, family road trips, sicknesses, and pregnancy loss. Through it all, I have continued to swim, bike, and run. It’s kept me grounded through all the ups and downs. Races are fun and exciting, but the training is where it’s at.

What’s Your Why?

People train for triathlons for a lot of reasons. Some are grieving a loss or overcoming an addiction. Others are just trying to get their health back. Some have just been doing it forever and are in love with the sport.

Originally, my “why” was pretty simple. First of all, I just thought it sounded cool. I wanted to be able to say, “I do triathlons in my spare time.”

Second, and more seriously, I wanted to feel free in my body. I’d started to let myself go a bit, and I was feeling older and more tired after having our seventh baby. I didn’t have any health problems at the time, but I could feel myself heading in that direction. I didn’t want to be the type of mom who loses her battery as time goes on. I have too many kids for that! I needed a boost.

Training for a triathlon got me in the best shape of my life. I started sleeping and eating better than ever before. My skin cleared up more than it had since puberty. Notably, I didn’t lose weight, but my body composition drastically improved (I was chronically underweight for most of my life, so that’s a good thing). For the first time after having seven children, I did not experience recurring mastitis after our seventh baby was born. I stopped getting cold sores every couple of months, which I’d been plagued with since I was a kid. The list of health benefits goes on and on.

But two years in, all the health benefits aren’t actually my “why” for continuing to train for triathlons. In fact, I’ve realized something about myself: I’m not totally motivated by being healthy. It’s definitely a perk, but ultimately, it doesn’t keep me going when the going gets rough. After all this time, for the most part, I still like my chocolate and beer.

What keeps me going are the things I miss most when I’m not able to train, and they are the unexpected gifts I’ve received from this triathlete way of life:

1. Time Outside

I do most of my triathlon training outside, and I’ve realized I’m a creature of sunlight. Triathlon training has made me more grateful for the spontaneity and beauty of nature.

It’s been such a blessing to be forced outside for at least 5-7 hours each week to train. I also love the fact that races are, for the most part, outside. I’ll never forget the crazy experience I had at the Tarpon Springs triathlon last year. At a certain point in the swim, I decided to just see if I could touch the bottom. My feet quickly hit seaweed, and I looked under the water only to realize we were in the middle of a seaweed forest! I’ll admit it was a little discombobulating at first, but the surprise eventually faded away to a childlike excitement to be swimming in the open water, surrounded by seaweed and God-knows-what creatures.

(If reading the seaweed description makes you nervous, just keep in mind – you can always take a break and back float! I think I back floated for 32% of my first triathlon “swim”.)

I’ve found myself feeling stir-crazy if I don’t get outdoors for my workouts or a daily walk. There are definitely mornings when I want to stay in bed, but I never regret being awake to witness the beautiful sunrise.

2. Silence

When I started to research more about triathlons, I was surprised to learn that you aren’t allowed to listen to music at any point of a triathlon. I wondered if I would be able to actually run a 5k without listening to music – let alone, run a 5k after swimming .25 miles and biking 10 miles without listening to music.

For the first six months of my training, I listened to music on most of my runs and watched podcasts during my cycling workouts. But the swim workouts were problematic. There was no music, no distraction. It was just me, the water, and my own emotional distress. For the first few weeks of swims, the only track on repeat was me thinking, “How many more laps do I have to do?”

And then, at some point, something clicked. I started to love the silence of my swims. I still dreaded going to the pool, but once I got in the water, I was hooked. Every week I would increase my long swim time. I went from barely being able to swim one lap (25 meters) to feeling comfortable swimming a mile (1,500 meters) without stopping.

Some of that was thanks to better swim technique, for sure. But a lot of it was learning to tolerate silence. Learning to be with myself, while doing this hard thing. Triathlon training has given me the ability to sit in silence and stillness.

Eventually, my silence tolerance translated to the other disciplines. For example, this year, I ran my first half marathon, and I did it without music. For a minute at the beginning I regretted my choice, since I’m definitely faster with music, But there was a spectacular moment when the sun was rising over the water, and I was able to witness it. In that moment I was so grateful not to be listening to my “Fast Running” playlist.

3. Inspiration

Triathlon training will humble you. You will find your weaknesses very quickly. But you will also find inspiration.

The word inspiration means “to breathe into.” Humility and inspiration go hand in hand. Through humility you realize how small you are and how far you have to go, and through inspiration life is breathed into you for the long road ahead.

In my short triathlon journey, I’ve found so much inspiration: The Masters athletes who usually dominate the race podium. The para-triathletes who defy everything. The everyday parents who are training while working and raising children. The coaches who are passing all these gifts on to the next generation. The ones who thought they could never do it, but look! They’re doing it. Inspiration is everywhere.

I’ve found triathlon inspiration in all the typical places – social media, the Internet at large, the podium at local races – but the most potent version has been in my own family. I didn’t expect that, after two years, I wouldn’t just be a “triathlon mom” – but that we would become a triathlon family. And that has been the most amazing source of inspiration to me.

If my husband can fit in his training while traveling, working a demanding job, and supporting me and our children – I can, too.

If my kids can wake up at 5:30 AM to make sure they beat the heat and get their training in – I can, too.

If my oldest daughter can honor her commitment to do a triathlon with me, even though it’s her senior year and she’s working to buy a car and pay for her college tuition – I can, too.

If my littlest ones can manage to work my training into their daily routine with all its naps, story times, and snacks – surely I can prioritize my training and plan around it.

The most unexpected gift I have received from what I originally thought of as “my own” triathlon training is that they have all done it, too. They’re all doing it alongside me. What a blessing.

Bonus Gift: The Future

My 10-year-old son sat with me after I finished my half marathon in February. As I looked out over the bay and enjoyed my post-race beer, I said, “After that, I think I can definitely do a Half Ironman. Want to do one with me in ten years? I’ll be fifty, and you’ll be twenty.”

He heartily agreed. And I expect he will hold me to it.

And so, the trend continues. The gift keeps on giving. And God willing, I will keep on swimming, biking, running, and smiling as the years ago on, with my loved ones right there with me.