Not so long ago I was born a couch potato and didn't have much to do with exercise. Except now and then badminton or squash or Swimming my sport life was very rusty. What does rusty mean ... there was simply nothing more. I had never found a passion in sport.
Everything should change in May 2020. I admit that my new neighbor, the triathlete, gave me a huge boost in motivation. On that day, my husband and I rode a mountain bike together for the first time in years and then did 20 km. After I was completely exhausted back home, it had felt better than it had for a long time. As if it had "clicked" subconsciously. Suddenly there was the certainty that I had made the route well - no failure, no pressure.
From then on everything should change
The lack of motivation (to be honest, I still like the couch) turned into a new attitude. One in which I had defeated the weaker self and I wanted that feeling again. Then I drove the route all the time. Thanks to the possibility of working from home, I used my lunch break for the same tour - over and over again. The fact that I always wanted to be faster than before was a clear incentive for me. Even when my husband decided to switch back to a racing bike and sell his mountain bike with it, I stayed with it.
When the swimming pools reopened, I got a season ticket and went swimming there several times. I have to say: I've been a good swimmer since school, so I didn't have much inhibitions here.
"What did she just say?"
Yes, I like going to the swimming pool and I'm not afraid of what others think of me. By the way, the water doesn't care how you look and that's what counts. At this point I would like to briefly insert that it has not always been the case with me. There was a time when that wasn't easy for me either, but the fun of swimming outweighs what others think. Have you ever wondered if this is just what you think of yourself? A positive attitude can move mountains.
I fell in love
I've been brave when swimming. When I sat on a racing bike for the first time, however, I felt mentally starting from the beginning. Because I had the feeling that the looks I received were due to the fact that I didn't look good with my "big bottom" on the saddle paired with the thin tires. The uncertainty with the gearshift and seating position unfortunately favored the feeling. Still, I tried again and what happened? Jaaaaa ... I fell in love with road cycling. It happened to me so much that I now have my own racing bike and I am overjoyed. Not only is finding the right sport sometimes enough, sometimes you also need the right sports equipment to maximize fun.
Well there I was. Back to swimming, the racing bike got better and better. Then it was actually only a matter of time before someone raised the subject Triathlon (well who would that have been) addressed.
"I? Joaaaa exactly. “, I thought roughly. But suddenly it didn't seem that far away to me. The weaker self seemed defeated.
500 m swimming, 20 km cycling and 5 km running. If it weren't for running ... but also for this I got a new motivation: a friend who likes to jog / walk. So said and done. A fixed sports date had reached me. And I tell everyone who has a problem doing sports all by themselves: You do this for yourself. Not for your partner, friends or family. Do not become dependent on others. When my girlfriend had to cancel spontaneously because of work, I walked alone the next day during the lunch break.
Small spoiler on the side: I've now decided that I'll do my first triathlon in July 2021.
How long will it take me? No idea. Will I manage it without any problems? No idea. How do I go about this mentally? To do it with full anticipation and the greatest fun.
You don't have to do everything for a medal, recognition or the like, but simply for yourself. I've learned that from the bottom of my heart over the past few months. Therefore it is also that I am somehow really missing something inside when I do too little for myself.
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Everyone can be athletic
All in all, half a year after starting a sporty life, I can summarize it as follows: Sport is fun. Everyone can be athletic, no matter what figure you have. In the meantime it is a real balance for me and gives me a good body feeling. I am now in a mode in which I try out a variety of different things against the bastard. Ladies Latin dance course, hula hoop, plank challenge.
You also want to join the team
Anti-bastard?
Here are a few tips that I would like to give you:
- Start small, even a walk is a good start.
- Schedule fixed appointments, otherwise it will quickly be lost or lost in everyday life / stress.
- Find a sports partner to start with if you can't do it otherwise.
- Try different things out if you don't already know what you enjoy.
- Only set bigger goals if you feel that you are not putting yourself under pressure.
- Do not give up!
Have fun! Do not look at what was, but at what can become. If you have faith like a mustard seed, you can move mountains! I'm sure. Believe in it and go for it.
She believed she could. So she did.
