A couple of good ideas for first timers in triathlon or marathon

Everything looks difficult at first, the saying goes. It nicely sums up my experiences with endurance sports. As an incurable sport lover, who simply feels perpetually compelled to move his butt and go for a run or play football with anybody else who is in the same mood, I had been taking on a triathlon for a couple of years. I read newspaper articles, watched television broadcasts, listened to radio interviews with athletes and totally admired what they were doing. Even though my fitness was far above the average and, theoretically, I had nothing to be afraid of, it was somehow beyond me to even seriously consider taking part, let alone competing with anyone. Then, a wave of powerful motivation came, in the form of my relationship breaking down in spasms of negativity, and I suddenly had the energy and the guts to don my race number and go. The entire experience was extremely peaceful, at least this is what I remember from hours of swimming, cycling and running, as I drifted towards the finishing line. No punishing uphill struggle, no fighting with my own organism, no forcing myself to go on in my mind, just a steady rhythm I flowed with. And a rush of elation to my head, when the speaker read out my name while I was making my final strides. Great positive feelings that last until today. So, with all due respect to endurance sports and their inherent risks, I venture to say a few simple ideas can take you safely to completing a triathlon or a marathon.

One. Of course, nothing can come out of your bid to push your body to its limits, if it is not sufficiently fit in the first place. This requires constant activity, engaging in regular workout that does not have to be punishing, like a long-distance race, but should keep your muscles and stamina in good form. As it turns out, the move from being able to run 10km or so to weathering a marathon is not very big and the same applies to triathlon. If you sustain fitness that is capable of medium effort, you are bound to do fine with extreme loads, too. To make sure you succeed, look up a good training program at your local sport club or on the Web so that you have a clear path to the finishing line.

Two. For me, it was rock-solid motivation that carried me all the way to the end. It is a large mental boost to be able to know why you want to reach a goal and acting on this energy can help overcome days of disillusionment or hardship.

Three. Doing things alone is OK, but it lacks a social edge. If you can find somebody to share thoughts, on anything from the right cycling apparel to progress you make, and trainings with, the challenge will be less daunting. If there is nobody around, how about making use of your webcam and finding partners online?