Hope is Not a Plan

Trish Horel, Neal Ater, and Molly Halcomb

Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality.  It is the words that speak boldly of your intentions.  And the actions which speak louder than the words.  It is making the time when there is none.  Commitment is the stuff character is made of; the power to change the face of things.  It is the daily triumph of integrity over skepticism. ~anon

So how do you get from where you are today to a triathlon on May 12?  You hope it will all work out, but it’s a good 3 months out.  It’s tough to make yourself work hard today when where you’re going is really far away. 

But the truth is, hope is not a plan.  As we already discussed, success is the result of a thousand good decisions and many fewer bad ones.  We need help at times to make these good decisions.  Sometimes help comes in the form of training partners.  Sometimes it is cheerleaders.  And sometimes the best thing we can do is go out and race. 

One of the most successful ways that people stay on track in training is to sign up for a race or two before the "Big Race" to get ready.  There are a lot of reasons why this works, but here are a few.

·        When you spend a little money on something, you get a lot more serious.

·        When you tell people about your plans, you feel more accountable.

·        When others depend on you, it’s pretty hard to quit.

·        Intermediate races help you chart your progress and track improvement. 

·        You get used to and hopefully over your nervousness before a race. 

·        You make mistakes and learn from them. 

·        You can adjust your training to overcome weaknesses.

·        You get test your equipment, clothing, race strategies, and nutrition.

·        You get t-shirts, medals, and other cool racing swag.

·        Racing is fun.

So this week’s post is just a series of challenges, a list of races you might consider on your way to your “BIG” race, whether it’s the Danskin or something else.  Here’s your chance to put some money on the line and get yourself motivated.  Pick a race.  Pick two.  Add a friend that wants to join you.  And then tell me about your plans.  I’d like to join you, to cheer you on and if I’m able, join in the fun.  Let’s get started. Try one of these.

March 9-10:  WildmanTri Festival – Olympic, Sprint, Aquabike, Duathlon, and MyFirst Tri Races

March 17:  Tour deCure – Bike Distances of 10, 25, 50, 70, and 101 miles

March 23-24:  AnnualGreat Clermont Tri Festival - Sprint, International, Kids, and Aquabike Races

March 30:  Clean AirRide – Bike Distances of 14, 28, 48, and 100 miles

April 13:  SpringFling Tri Festival  - Olympic, Sprint, Aquabike, Duathlon, and MyFirst Tri Races

To be fair, there’s a running race within 25 miles of Orlando every single weekend, often more than one.  Pick a weekend, pick a race.  You can find many here. 

Several team members are already signed up for the Princess Half Marathon next weekend, the Tour de Cure on March 17, and the Corporate 5K on April 18.  I'll be at the Corporate 5K leading the Trinity Walking team.  You are welcome to join Team Trinity! 

What are you going to do? 

The awesome medal from the Daytona half!

A big shout out to our many team members that ran the Daytona half marathon this weekend!  Congrats to Amanda Dean, Molly Halcomb, Trish Horel, and Sara Dowdy.  In addition Pam Ater walked two laps of the speedway (10 miles) cheering on her family as well.  It was a chilly 35 degrees at the start, but these women were undeterred.  (A tip of the hat to the men that ran with these women, Bill Dean and Neal Ater.)

Rachel at Danskin last year!

Please send your good wishes for a speedy recovery to tribe member Rachel Gardiner who broke her tibia this week.   I know she would appreciate your kind thoughts and prayers if you are so inclined. 


As always, please send me information about your activities so that I can share with the team. 










And a little motivation from an awesome Military mom and triathlete.  We all have a story.