“How do you pronounce/spell your last name?”

Well, that goes without saying since I got one of those lengthy, alphabetic-hodgepodge of a Polish last names: Mioduszewski.

But every once in a while I get the other popular questions: So how did you get into triathlon? Sometimes it’s asked from family I haven’t seen in a while, from friends (especially ones not in the sport), and from just chatting with new triathletes. Most of the times I answer with a smirk & say “Larry/Becky dragged me into it.” But mostly I started doing this because it is great way to challenge myself and get ultra-fit. Yeah, there are some unexpected people that compete in Kona for the Ironman World Championship: a nun did it for 18 years into her late 70s; a winner from the Biggest Loser competed; disabled, amputees, and blind people have also finished the race. Now I am not saying that to compete in that race is what is driving me to do these crazy races (and, yeah, you do have to be a little off the wall), but once you finish one race it fuels the drive to do it again, and better. I remember after I finished the Nautica South Beach Olympic Distance Triathlon (04/11/2010) looking at my splits (swim time, transition 1, bike, transition 2, run time) thinking to myself: “Damn, I sucked that race”. I had to remind myself later on that I had not properly trained for it, had not done enough/any brick training (ie – a bike ride followed by a short run) before that.

I think there are two main reasons as to why I am doing this: seeing improvements and the support/motivation of a great training group: Try-a-Tri. I mentioned them in my last post but they are worth writing about again, and probably every post. The group has over 280 members registered on the Meetup site, but I think there are about 50 active members that train and compete. What probably makes this group different is that every single person is welcoming, supportive, easy-going, and willing to help in any way. A great example that happened recently: on two separate occasions two different TaTers (members of Try-a-Tri) came to help put up two different book cases onto walls. I might have been able to get at least one up, but both went up more quicker and probably better secured with their assistance. So hats off to Eli and Saffer!!

And one thing that I was greatly pleased about that has happened since I became a member of this group is that met Jessica Snug. I wasn’t planning on getting a girlfriend when I joined this group. But she was willing to help me learn to swim better and vice versa on her running. I slowly have gotten my swim stroke better (need to work on the endurance, even though I have completed a 1.5k) and she has made leaps and bounds on her running. We went on some runs, went on some dates, and then her roommate moved out and mine was planning on moving out, soooo….. we’ve been living together since May and have never been happier.  😀  One thing is for sure: we will definitely be keeping each other company over the next few months training for Ironman Texas in May, 2011. Hearing what this training program entails sounds scary. My tush is still a bit sore from a 60 mile ride this past Saturday. It turns out it helps to help some amount of self-padding back there; I need to work on that.  😉