Me

I'm a triathlete.

I started in the sport before the turn of the century - a year or two. Since then, I've spent a lot of time in the pool, spinning my wheels and turning over my feet. It's a continual learning process. I read or write about the sport daily.

When I'm race fit, I'm competitive within my age group. That doesn't drive me to train before work, but it helps on a rainy, cold and dark morning.

What I love about being able to call myself a triathlete is knowing that I invest both time and effort to be fit. It's about me being energized for all that life offers and brings, expected or not.

I have crossed the finish line of nine Ironmans and countless short distance triathlons, close to home and far away from here. I have not yet reached my potential and continue to work towards doing so.

I have run another 10 marathons and countless short distance events. I ran my first ultra last season. I have plans to run a lot more. I have more speed to tap.

Results are important to me but they don't define who we are as people. That's why perspective is critical. And the reality is that one is never in the exact same condition at the start of any race. As an athlete I know that for me to be as best as I can be on any given day, I need to be relaxed that I've prepared myself to the best of my ability.

As a coach, or mentor, my primary objective is to encourage other people to move. Sport isn't about winning, at least not in the gold medal at the Olympics sense. It's about challenging oneself, opening one's mind to one's potential and managing adversity.

I've had two coaches in the past decade.

I credit John Hill of Sydney, Australia with whom I trained from January 2001 through October 2007 for teaching me how to be disciplined and that the key to success is consistent hard work over time. No shortcuts.

I credit Kristian Manietta for helping me to tweak my training across the board, leverage my base and, in particular, to fine tune my approach to swimming and running.

As an athlete, I have high expectations. And they are realistic too. I am a firm believer that what you achieve in a race must reflect what you accomplish in training.

Tim

April 2012