原文: Six Life Lessons Learned from Triathlon Training

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Mark Hayward of MyTropicalEscape and Train for Humanity.

 

Do you like to exercise? Or, would you rather be doing just about anything else?

As creator and co-founder (along with Leo, Andrew Flusche, and Dan Clements) of the non-profit humanitarian organization Train for Humanity, this past Sunday, November 9th, I had the privilege of competing in the Miami Man International distance triathlon in order to help support the cause.

I have always enjoyed exercising, mostly as a recreational runner, but during the past couple of months I have taken on additional workouts as I prepare for my very first triathlon. Let me just state for the record; training for this triathlon has humbled and educated me.

Unlike the Iron Man triathlon where the distances are extreme (swim 2.5 miles, bike 112 miles, and run 26.2 miles) the International distance triathlon segments are a bit more manageable with a .6 mile swim, 24 mile bike, and a 10k run.

Nevertheless, having only competed and raced previously as a recreational runner, I needed to spend quite a bit of time working on my swimming and biking. Lucky for me, I am not at all concerned with winning the event, but I don’t want to place last either.

Training Regimen

Over the past couple of months my training has been fairly consistent and while not too taxing, still required a level of commitment both in terms of time and effort. My workout schedule during most of the weeks leading up to the event included the following:

Monday: swim 1/2 hour, run 4 miles

Tuesday: bike 15 miles

Wednesday: swim 1/2 hour, run – various speed work

Thursday: bike 10 miles

Friday: swim 40 minutes, run 6 miles

Saturday: off

Sunday: bike 25 miles, run easy 5 miles

While I did enjoy the training on most days, sometimes it was a little difficult to get motivated because I live on a very small island and did not have the luxury of a coach or any training partners. However, the reality is, if I wanted to be in shape for the triathlon then it was up to me to get up off the couch, get out there, and put in the time required.

Life Lessons

All of the extra training did afford me plenty of time to myself for reflection and contemplation. Many a day, whether swimming, biking, or running I would think about my life, how lucky I have been, and some of the of the major events (changing points) that I have been through. Additionally, while training I would ponder life lessons that are analogous to training or really hard work and dedication of any kind. Listed below, are lessons that are somewhat universal, and as such, you might already know them. But I have not trained this hard in a VERY long time and as such, feel like I was re-educated:

• Get started – I have been fascinated with triathlons ever since the 1980’s when I witnessed the true meaning of human strength, determination, and courage when Julie Moss collapsed and then crawled across the finish line to place second at the Hawaii IronMan. That was over twenty years ago! If I had pursued my interest in triathlons then, who knows where I would be now. Likewise, if you are thinking about making a life change; a new job, a trip around the world, or launching a small business…don’t wait. Get started today!

• You have to do the miles (yourself) – some days during my training when it was rainy, miserable out, or I just felt lazy I really wished there was someone that I could have paid to go out on the bike for me, or perhaps to swim my laps. However, as with any worthwhile goal, you have to get out there and put in the hard work in order to get to the desired end result. If you are studying at university or trying to run 3 miles for the first time it’s not always easy or pleasant, but being persistent and doing homework or running when you don’t feel like it WILL payoff in the long term

• Some days it’s going to rain – actually, it might not only rain but you might get two flat tires at the same time, too. Pursuing personal goals is not always “flowery” and perfect. In fact, some days are going to downright suck.

• Take a break – throughout my various training runs and bike rides I would often find myself winding up at the beach as a halfway point during a workout. Many days I would stop for five or ten minutes to think about what I have done, what I need to do, why I was doing it. If you’ve been working hard, don’t be afraid to take a break and give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back or to reflect on your goals.

• When you reach a hill put your head down and take it one step at a time – Most days of my training I was either running or biking and I would always come across hills of varying magnitudes. Though, there is one hill in particular on my route that begins as a slow grade and continues to get steeper and steeper over the course of a mile. Frequently, especially in the beginning of my training, I would arrive at the base of this hill and want nothing more than to give up and walk. But, invariably I would put my head down and keep telling myself to just keep putting one foot in front of the other and before I knew it, I would be at the top. Have you hit any rough patches in life lately? Even though it is not always the solution sometimes you just have to put your head down, take what comes, and plow ahead one-step at a time.

• Find sources of inspiration – As stated above, I like to exercise and workout but I did reach certain stages where I felt burnt out. During those times I would frequently read an interview that I did with Scott Rigsby, the first below the knee double amputee athlete to complete the Hawaii IronMan triathlon. Also, I would think about the orphans and refugees whom we are trying to raise money for with our Train for Humanity efforts. Most likely, whatever your goals, there are people out there who have overcome and triumphed in the face of adversity and have done what you would like to be doing. Seek them out when you are feeling overwhelmed.

In closing, there are probably countless other lessons to be taken away from extended periods of hard work, dedication and commitment. Ultimately, even though it is not scientifically proven, I truly feel that if you are determined, have a proper vision, and a positive mindset that you can accomplish almost anything that you set your mind to.

How about you? Have you been dedicated to a particularly difficult project or increased your exercise program lately? What “life” lessons have you learned or rediscovered?

Mark Hayward is the co-founder of the non-profit humanitarian organization, Train for Humanity. If you would like to sponsor him (or Leo) you still have time. He owns a B&B in the Caribbean and blogs at MyTropicalEscape.

译文: 三项全能训练教会我的六条人生真谛

编者注：此文转贴自赤道余生网和人道训练组织的马克.海沃德

你喜欢运动么?还是你的兴趣只在运动之外?

     上周日，也就是十一月九号，作为非赢利性人道主义组织---人道训练的合伙创始人（其他三位是里奥，安德鲁.弗拉斯切以及丹.克雷蒙特），我有幸参加了迈阿密国际男子三项全能比赛，用实际行动来表达了对该赛事的支持。

      我一直很热衷于锻炼身体，尤其喜欢跑步。但为了准备我有生以来第一次三项全能比赛，过去的几个月里我进行了很多额外训练。我要说的是，三项全能的训练使我变得谦虚，教会了我很多东西。

      和铁人三项的超远距离不一样（包括2.5英里游泳赛，112英里自行车赛和25.2英里跑步赛），标准距离比赛稍稍好对付点，包括0.6英里游泳赛，24英里自行车赛和10英里跑步赛。

      然而，由于以前只参加过跑步比赛，这回我就要必须花很多时间来训练游泳和骑车。好在我不在乎是否能赢得比赛，但我也不想得最后一名。

训练方法

      过去几个月里，我的训练一直没有间断但不是很费力，尽管如此，我还是投入了相当的时间和精力。临近比赛的那些日子里，我的锻炼安排如下：

礼拜一：游泳半小时，跑步4英里

礼拜二：骑车15英里

礼拜三：游泳半小时，跑步-各种速度训练

礼拜四：骑车10英里

礼拜五：游泳40分钟，跑步6英里

礼拜六：休息

礼拜天：骑车25英里，轻松跑5英里

      大部分时间我觉得训练还是挺不错的，不过有时候也觉得很难保持激情，因为我住在一个小岛上，没有教练，也没有哪怕一个训练伙伴。但现实是，要想在比赛中有好的状态完全取决于我自己，我必须从沙发上起来，出去训练，投入时间。

人生真谛

      所有这些额外的训练也使得我有很多时间来思考和自省。很多时候，不管是在游泳，骑车还是在跑步，我都会不由自主的想到我的生活，想到我曾经是多么幸运，想到我人生中所经历过的大事（转折）。训练的时候，我还会想到那些跟训练，真正的艰苦工作以及任何付出努力的经历相似的人生哲理。下面列出来的一些多少有些泛泛而谈，也正因为如此，你可能早已耳熟能详。可是我已经有很久没有这些体会了，也因此，我觉得我又重新受了一次教育。

• 去行动---从20世纪80年代我就开始对三项全能运动着迷了。在当时的夏威夷铁人三项比赛中，朱莉.默斯跌倒后顽强的爬过终点线屈居第二，我亲眼目睹了这一壮举并从中明白了人类力量，决心和勇气的真正含义。转眼间时光已经过去了二十多年！要是我从那时起就开始为之执着追求，如今我会取得什么样的成就可能不得而知了。同样，如果你正在考虑作出生活的改变，一份新工作，一次周游世界的旅行或者开始做一笔小生意...不要犹豫。今天就去行动！ 
•  自己的路自己走---在我的训练过程中，有时候外面下雨，天气很糟糕，或者自己想偷懒的时候，我真希望可以花钱雇个人去帮我骑车，或者帮我游两圈也好。然而，正如同任何值得追求的目标一样，你必须自己亲自出马，付出辛劳以便得到最终想要的结果。如果你正在上大学，第一次跑就打算跑三英里，结果往往不是那么容易和令人愉悦的。但是坚持，并且在自己想放弃的时候坚持最终是会有收获的。 
•   天有不测风云---事情往往是不光是天会下雨，可能同时你又遇上爆胎。追求目标的道路并不一直是“花团锦簇”。 事实上，有些时候真的会很糟糕。 
• 休息---在我进行跑步和骑车的各种训练中，我总是会在半路的沙滩上停下来休息。很多时候我会休息五到十分钟，以便思考我做了些什么，还需要做什么，以及我为什么要那样做。如果你一直在很努力地工作，别担心暂时停下来好好休息并且反思一下你的目标。
• 要翻山越岭，就一步一步埋头向前---在训练中跑步或骑车的时候，我往往会遇到各种海拔的山。尤其是横亘在我的必经之路上有一座山---在一英里多的路途中，刚开始坡度很缓，越往上就越陡峭。尤其是在刚开始的时候，我常常一到山脚就只想停下来步行。然而，我最终会低下头告诉自己一步一步坚持往上前行，这样不知不觉就到了山顶。你近来在生活中遇到过难行的路吗？这种方式并不见得总是起作用，有时候你却不得不低下头，坦然面对，一步一步埋头向前。
• 找到自我激励的途径---我说过我喜欢锻炼，但我也会感到疲惫不堪。这个时候，我常常会读起我对斯科特.里格斯比做过的采访。他是第一个参加夏威夷铁人三项的双脚截肢运动员。此外，我还会想起我们人道训练组织为之辛苦筹资的那些孤儿和难民。事情往往是，不管你的目标是什么，总是有人会克服种种困难做到那些你想做到的。当你坚持不下去的时候，把这些人当作你的榜样吧。

      最后我想说，在那些充满了奋斗、付出和践行的日子里，或许还有很多其他的可贵经验要学。尽管没有经过科学证明，我真的觉得，只要你下定决心，端正目标，心态积极，你就一定可以心想事成。

 

那么你呢？你有没有为一个特别困难的事情而全力以赴？你有没有增加你的锻炼强度？你从中学到了或者又新发现了什么人生真谛呢？

马克.海沃德是非赢利性人道机构---人道训练的合伙创始人。你可以赞助他（或者尼奥）。他在加勒比海拥有一家酒店，博客请登录MyTropicalEscape.