I've been thinking about that build-your-own triathlon idea for the last year or so, and I realized today that I actually did three fun, memorable, semi-athletic things (without really planning on doing them all like this) in the last 24-hours, so here's my brag :)
Yesterday afternoon I went hiking at Indian Lake County Park, which contains a small section of the Ice Age Trail. The trails are more rugged and hilly than I'm used to traversing in the Arboretum (and I love that they are rugged and hilly! I need to go for a faster hike (that is, a run) there, asap!) The weather was warmer yesterday than it has been recently, the sun was out (for a bit), and the trails were dusted with snow. Birch trees were stark white against the browns of early winter, the lake was frozen...it was just lovely. The hike lasted an hour or so, until the temperature started to drop and the breeze picked up.
After refueling with fish tacos at Lucille's (for a pizza place, they make surprisingly delicious fish tacos!), the second "leg" of my triathlon was a contra dance downtown. I LOVE contra dance. Seriously, it is just pure joy (and shenanigans!) I don't really know the other dancers (because we dance much more than we talk), but I recognize the regulars. I love the diversity of the community, the welcoming attitudes, and did I mention the joy and shenanigans? At one point last night the band was playing a version of jingle bells and at least half the dancers were singing along. The dancing can be surprisingly athletic, but also, it's a good mental challenge--trying to remember the sequence of steps and invariably, trying to make up for my failures to remember the sequence of steps! The dance lasted about three hours and I loved every minute of it :D
After tending to blisters from dancing (yeouch!) and a short night's sleep, the last leg of my triathlon was a 10k this morning at Pheasant Ridge, part of the Snowshoe Scurry series. It was a pretty small crowd--27 people completed the 10k and just 17 did the 5k. They also have a fat tire bike race afterwards, which, surprisingly (to me) had 36 participants. The trail was decent--mostly gravel, some grass, and quite a bit of nice, springy boardwalk. Two loops for the 10k, which reminded me of second-sock-syndrome in knitting: wait, you mean I have to do this all AGAIN?! My time was 1:04:00ish (not chip timed), and I think I finished second (to last, haha, no shame!) Afterwards they plied us with chili and fixings. YUM. That'll bring me back for the next run! But, also, BRR! The temperature wasn't bad while running, but quickly afterwards I was ready to get home to a warm shower (my victory lap!)
I had an absolute blast the past 24-hours! Loved every minute of these activities, and the feeling of satisfied tiredness at the end of it all. So happy!
Sunday, December 17, 2017
December 17, 2017
Triathlons sound awesome, right? You get some big bragging rights and the awe & envy of your family and 2,000 Facebook friends. But let's get real, training to do three events remotely decently is kind of an ambitious task, not to mention accumulating the necessary gear (decent bike, a wet suit for the swim(?)). I guess that's why you get those bragging rights.
But what about us mortals who have limited time, money, or athletic prowess? I propose a create-your-own-triathlon.
But what about us mortals who have limited time, money, or athletic prowess? I propose a create-your-own-triathlon.
- Choose three (ish) fun, doable activities (bonus points if they're semi-athletic, but also, not necessary).
- Go do them.
- Brag shamelessly on Facebook.
Let's make this doable: no rules about how long you have to spend doing each activity (may I suggest the time limit: keep going as long as you're having fun). And realistic: no need to do them back to back to back. Try to do them all in one day, or in one 24-hour period.
A traditional tri is swim-bike-run. Here's some other ideas...
- Take your dog (or your neighbor's dog, or your cat(?!)) for a walk somewhere new
- Go kayaking
- Go dancing
- Go for a hike
- Play some tennis
- Pop in a yoga dvd
- Check out the local trampoline park (Seriously, I went to one this past week and it was stupid fun!)
- Shoot some hoops
- Find a friend and play Frisbee
- A round of golf--mini or regular
- Bowling
Some winter-specific ideas...
- Skiing--cross-country or downhill
- Snowshoeing (you can often rent snowshoes and skis at sporting goods stores)
- Ice skating
- Sledding (no need to be a total adult about this!)
- Get some friends together and have a snowball fight :)
As I said, your three activities don't all have to be super active. Make them fun, memorable, intentional...
- Build a campfire and roast s'mores
- Bake a loaf of homemade bread or make your favorite soup from scratch
- Meditate, pray, watch the birds, gaze at stars (Meditation is part of Wanderlust 108, which also includes a 5k run/walk and a yoga practice. This is on my bucket list.)
- Go to a museum, a botanical garden, or a zoo
- Build or create something (I've always wanted to build a Little Free Library)
- Volunteer
Let's do this!
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