First Steps
15 April 2017. I didn't know how to ride a bike. Out of the blue, ze hubby gave me a lovely road bike in my size and in my school colors. I knew this was his way of saying it was time for me to learn. As with most lessons today, Youtube gave me everything I needed to know on how to ride a bike. I found childlike happiness in a bike I would later name Maleficent. I was hooked.
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| I only started falling off the bike when I started using bike shoes and cleats. |
23 April 2017. It was the morning of my first 10k run and I was chickening out. Ze husband was ready to go but I was stalling under the blankets, telling myself sleep mattered more than a ridiculous run. The only reason I got up that morning was because ze husband offered me a shopping spree provided I completed the run I had signed up for. So, I laced up my shoes, plugged in my earphones, and ran. I was hooked.
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| 10k walk-jog-walk -- I didn't understand how people could run the whole 10k! |
28 May 2017. I knew nothing about hydration and nutrition, much less about training properly for the run, bike, and transitions. Nevertheless, ze hubby signed me up for my first duathlon. All I can remember is feeling happy on my feet and riding free on my bike. I crossed the finish line feeling like a million bucks. I was hooked.
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| Our first race together |
5 August 2017. After learning the basics of freestyle swimming, I was back in the open water with ze husband, sans the snorkel and life jacket. It was a liberating experience, to swim freely among playful fish and colorful corals. I was hooked.
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| The beach at Shangri-la Mactan is amazing! |
Triathletes are Crazy
For years, I repeated that phrase at every race he joined - triathletes are crazy. It baffled me how people could enjoy hours under the sun swimming, cycling and running. Did they know about skin damage from prolonged exposure to the sun? What about hair damage from chlorine and sea water? Injuries from falling off the bike? Injuries from running such long distances?
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| Ze husband with Coach Don #goals |
What I didn't know at the time was just how contagious the sport could be, especially when I decided to spend the rest of my life with a passionate triathlete. I also didn't know that I would end up writing this piece.
Playing to Win
Joe Friel said that the goal for my first triathlon race should be to finish. Being such a nerd, I read up on everything beginners should know for their first race. I found myself a training plan and put in the work needed so I could finish. What I didn't know was that I should also finish the race as fast as I could. I learned that lesson the embarrassing-and-funny way: divers following me during the swim leg; event motorcycles following me out of the bike course as they started packing up the roadblocks; and the event crew following me out of the run course while opening up the roads back to traffic. I was among the last to finish but I was happy nonetheless knowing that I had found the courage and tenacity to start and finish.
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| Slowpoke haha! |
People say fake it to make it, so to compensate for my lack of experience, I made sure I was decked out in pink from head to toe for my first few races. Pink comforted me - it reminded me of Clueless and Legally Blonde, of never giving up. Eventually, @kikaytri was born. I've toned it down since then with more neutral colors (still color-coordinated overall), but @kikaytri continues to be my athletic alter ego.
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| I cringe now that I see this much pink |
Eventually I learned the difference between playing not to lose versus playing to win.
"Psychologists call this the difference between a performance-approach and a performance-avoidance mindset. When you adopt a performance-approach mindset, you are playing to win, focusing on the potential rewards of success. Under a performance-avoidance mindset, however, your focus is on avoiding mistakes and circumventing danger.
Research out of the University of Kent in England shows that when athletes compete with a performance-approach mindset, they tend to perform above and beyond their expectations and perceived talent level. A performance-avoidance mindset, on the other hand, tends to be detrimental. A 2006 study published in the journal Sport and Exercise Science found that performance-avoidance goals “led to worse performance and evoked higher levels of self-handicapping when compared to performance-approach goals.” The same theme applies to practice and training. If you are scared of failing and making mistakes, it’s only natural that you’ll hold yourself back."
That article triggered the realization that simply finishing was no longer an option for me; my Type A personality wanted more. When I looked at the best in the sport, I knew that they should be my benchmarks of what good, great and best could be, nothing less. Now I wanted to push the envelope and compete.
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| Sunburn? Check. Hair damage? Check. |
So compete I did. It dawned on me that I was my biggest competitor - all those nagging doubts, gnawing fears and dark insecurities - and that the only way for me to endure and thrive was to put in the work and shut out the distractions. From training sporadically to training with intention and consistency, one day I suddenly found glide in my swim; power on the bike; and speed in my run. From feeling like an imposter, at some point I finally accepted another aspect of my identity - that of an athlete.
My Tribe
In the same way that it takes a village to raise a child, it also takes a tribe to become a successful athlete.
It truly began with my husband believing that I could do it, even if I couldn't believe it myself. He welcomed me into his world, into a passionate community of athletes. I've met and worked with wonderful people so far - the Shell Cycling Club; Coach Allen Santiago of GAS Coaching; Martin Ilagan of Forward Motion Performance; Tita Denden Abuan; and our favorite stores, The Brick and Multisport Hub.
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| Shell Cycling Club |
During races, fellow participants cheer for you when you struggle, even offering help when needed. I'll always remember the guy who ran with me during the last few kilometers of my first race; the guy who called for mechanics when my bike chainring dropped and twisted; and the lady who gave me salt sticks when I had leg cramps, among others. It is an honor to be part of this community.
My husband and I chose well when we decided to train with Coach Don Velasco. #KnowYourNumbers was definitely the dealmaker among all the coaches I had surveyed. Much of my progress I attribute to his smart scientific approach to training and his words of encouragement (i.e. words that feel like those Slap Bets in How I Met Your Mother - I'm pretty sure he's going to turn up the volume of my training after he reads this).
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| First (and hopefully not last) podium finish! |
What's Next
I have a looooong way to go! Being a naturally competitive person, my standards (whether for school, for work or for training) are benchmarked against the likes of Daniela Ryf and Lucy Charles (read: ambisyosa!). But, my real competition is always with myself - silencing inner demons; reaching milestones; beating personal records; and finding joy and meaning amidst the pain and fatigue. Back to work then - onwards and upwards!
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| See the color coordination? |
*Some photos from Bike King PH, Don Velasco, Rickpets Lens, and Brian Dee