‘Mayhem’ - 1. Infliction of violent injury on a person or thing 2. A state of violent disorder or riotous confusion; havoc.
To the untrained eye, this seems like a rather grim or pessimistic outlook, however, I view it as a means to an end. Fortunately, I don’t see the end as being any finite event or outcome. To me, the mayhem is the journey. Its the series of organized chaos that makes up this journey. Rather than focusing on one goal, one event or one finale, I chose to focus on the journey that lies ahead. The journey is what defines you. Everyone sets goals, some attainable and some unrealistic. Setting goals is important, but the way we go about achieving these goals or the way we carry ourself throughout life is what makes keeps things entertaining. Whether its the way we interact with each other or the thought processes that influence our day to day decisions, if you don’t understand that the journey involves a little organization with an equal amounts of chaos, then you’re doing nothing but resisting the mayhem. I hope that my journey doesn’t literally involve any ‘infliction of violent injury’, but I can attest to some of the 'riotous confusion' or ‘havoc' that ensues with a typical day.
A little about me: I am husband and veterinarian by day, but by early mornings, evenings, lunch breaks and long weekends, I am a novice triathlete.
My first triathlon was a blessing, some would say a curse. I was attending veterinary school in the West Indies on the Island of St Kitts in 2010. Somewhere between the daily rigor of veterinary studies and the occasional coconut rum infused beach volleyball match, I stumbled across a rumor that a triathlon was being held on our sister island of Nevis. I was instantly hooked. I had not been able to sustain an active lifestyle since beginning school and this was a new endeavor I could not resist. And so the mayhem, or rather the journey, begins…I had never ridden a road/tri bike, let alone any bike other than a beach cruiser in 5+ years. I had never swam freestyle for any sustainable period unless I was attached to a surf board, scuba tank, or there was someone in a nearby boat that had a full cooler. Running, so I thought, was something that came natural. I grew up playing competitive soccer and even dabbled for 2 years while in undergrad. If anything, I knew I could run.
(gasping for air)
This race was a sprint distance. I wrote down the distances and dove right in (literally). There are no pools in St Kitts other than the leisurely resort pools in St Kitts. So instead, I found a stretch of beach that had a parallel road and marked off 0.5 miles (my approx. 750 meters) with my car. Then 3-4 times a week before or after class I would go and swim the distance. Once I was comfortable that I could complete a 750 meter open water swim, I had to figure out where I was going to get a bike. One of my fellow classmates road his bike to school. I knew he was the go to guy and I leaned on him throughout this entire training block for everything bike related. He lent me a mountain bike to train on and his prized hybrid for the race (thanks James!). St Kitts does not have the ideal cycling roads. Any stretch of flat road consisted of pot holes large enough to take down Prius (not that hybrid cars existed on this diesel powered island) or traffic laws that held true to the literal definition of ‘mayhem’. That left me with the hills. These hills were steep. I have no idea what the elevation was, but I was often passed by runners while I tried to pedal up these hills in my largest chain ring and smallest cog (before I knew what shifting was). These were the same hills I ran on. I ran these hills everyday. I ran to school every morning. I ran everywhere. I constantly told myself, that even if I couldn’t swim or bike, I could always just catch everybody on a 5K run (what a big mistake!).
Race weekend was a comedy of errors that could fill a short novel, so I’ll spare you the time. But overall I finished the race and even placed 3rd in my AG. This was the bait and I took it hook, line and sinker. I was only 3 years into my schooling, so there was a huge gap before my next race, but I made sure to stay fit with the ultimate hope of returning to triathlon when I finally returned to the mainland.
Last year (2013) was my next race and first year of consistent training, a novice training plan and year long race schedule. It couldn’t have gone any better. The journey was immense and I loved every minute of it. The people I’ve met along the way and the insight they have provided are invaluable. The friendships I formed are immensely supportive and would not have enjoyed this ride without them. The mistakes I’ve made have been abundant. But the accomplishments, mostly personal, have been tremendous.
(Culpepper Sprint - VTS SetUp Events 2013)
I promise this is not a blog to gloat or philosophize, but I couldn’t initiate the conversation without offering a premise. I know there are many like me who have the same resources of information and even more intriguing stories, so I never intend to offend or contradict others views. Its simply a piece of my puzzle. A part of my journey. Or a rant of my mayhem. Call it what you will, but I hope others enjoy this blog and feel free to contribute.
