Triathlon has changed my perspective on life

Saturday, July 28, 2012, is a date that I will remember. I had a wonderful evening bike ride.

Wait a minute: My training for that day was a long run, at a pace a little faster than my comfort zone; and my training for the next day was a ۲ - hour bike ride. So why was I on the bike that night? I was on the bike because it was a perfect Minnesota summer evening. The air was comfortable, very different from the past several weeks of hot and humid weather. There were little hints that fall is not too far off. I was on the bike because getting some exercise outdoors makes me feel good.

Then it hit me(light bulb went on) - that’s the meaning of training for the CNN Fit Nation Tri Challenge. It’s not about just training for a one - time event, it ' s about changing your life, your attitude, your perspective. It’s about the journey. When it’s a great night for a bike ride, just go with it!

That evening’s bike ride was an incredible ۱۵ - mile journey. Although I was focused on the road, a million thoughts were running through my mind. First was one of the roads that I was on, my favorite road in Afton, called Stagecoach Trail. It is beautiful and peaceful. You ride by woods, prairie, and a creek. The sun peeks in and out. It is a winding road with lots of curves and short hills that are perfect for a quick burst of energy. The sounds are heavenly, including the calls of songbirds, the scream of red - tailed hawks gliding overhead, crickets with their evening calls and the sound of the running water from the creek.

My thoughts were about the incredible opportunity that I have been given and how this opportunity has helped me to change my perspective on things in my life. For me, staying positive is all about having the right perspective. Finding the right perspective is like finding the right focus before taking a picture. The concept is simple but not always followed.

" Life begins at the end of your comfort zone "

Case in point: In November of last year I sent in my video submission for the CNN Fit Nation. I went back and looked at the video today. My perspective was all off! I was focusing on what I perceived to be all of the negative things going on my life and had lost sight of all of the positive things, the wonderful things. My new objective is that whatever the situation, I know that there is always a positive aspect and I continue to focus on that.

The Nautica triathlon is four short weeks away. I will be there ready to compete, but feel in my heart that I am already a winner. With great support from my teammates, who are now my lifelong friends, I continue to better myself as a person. Although I wear my positivity bracelet each and every day, I know that to be positive I need to keep life in focus.