Acknowledgements

It's not a UW Tri team road trip without some sort of unexpected car trouble.  Thankfully this year, for once, my car wasn't the problem.  After a 15hr trip that should've taken 11, I'm down in TN for the week.  I'm here with the UW Tri team on their spring break trip.  It's definitely nice to get outside on the bike before my first outdoor race of the year.  Up until this morning, every ride I've done since October has been on a trainer.  This is the 7th year in a row I've travelled with the team for break (4 as a student, 3 as an alum) and it has always been a great week of training for me.  I almost feel it's an essential week in my season,....at this point I'd actually be nervous for the season not being here... basically I'm living like a fully sponsored pro triathlete.  I can get 9-10 hours of sleep a night, train 3x/day (each workout ~1-3hrs), eat unlimited amounts of good (tasty and nutritious) food, nap if I need to, and still have time to hang out on the lake, recover, talk about bike aerodynamics, etc.  It's the perfect kick start to the outdoor season.

You're probably asking, what does this have anything to do with the title of this post?  This is an example of an opportunity I have because of my present and prior involvement in the UW Tri team.  The team has done a lot for me over the years.  It basically got my training going in the sport, and due to the team structure and the individual members of the team in my early years I went from a recreational, averagely talented triathlete to where I am now.  Not that they forced me into being more competitive, but that is the beauty of it.  There was never a chance of burnout.  The encouragement, support and opportunity was there and I took full advantage.  The Tri team is a huge reason I am where I am today.  I know for a fact I would not have gotten to this point on my own, or even as a part of a lot of other groups.  There are very few like it.  No matter where I go from here, I'll always have a UW Tri sticker on my racing helmet.

If you look at any pro athlete, you'll find a large support system around them.  It's not possible to reach your athletic potential completely on your own.  A great intrinsic motivation is essential, and will get you far on it's own, but it can't get you all the way.  Age group triathletes can have a similar situation as the pro triathlete, it just takes some extra work, luck, and cash in some cases.  If you want to reach your true potential, you have to have or find the right people, and then allow them to help you. (an important step that many don't take due to pride, etc)  I call these people an athlete's "team".  I am very thankful to have the team around me that I do.  I certainly couldn't do what I'm doing at this level without them.  Before this race season gets underway I wanted to acknowledge those who have, and continue to, help me along my athletic journey.  I have noticed that many athletes only thank their support team after they have won, and fire/get rid of/walk away from them if they lose.  I don't want to do it that way.  These people and groups have helped me along the way, and whether or not I reach my ultimate goals in the sport, I'm thankful for their help and encouragement.

My triathlon support "team":

UW Triathlon Team- See Above

Family-  I have been very lucky to have the kind of support I have from my family.  I could write a whole paper on the importance of family in the success of an individual, but for now it's just good to know that I will never have to worry about being pressured hard to quit or get a certain time/place.  The best support a family can give is encouragement at all times while making sure there is a plan in place so that you are smart about things.  I believe that a good coach should fill those same roles, but in a different realm.  The grounding my family gave me has been the primary factor in influencing the way I approach sport, which has paved the way for any improvements or successes I've had since winning my heat (heat 4 of 50; earlier heats being the slowest) in the 50m free at All-City as an 11 year old swimmer.

Coaches- I've had lots of coaches over the years, beginning with my Cherokee Country Club swim team and going through high school swim, track, XC and beyond.  There's too many to list everyone here, but I am happy to have had so much variety in coaching over the years.  It has shown me that there is not necessarily one best way to do it, but that it is important to have a good, thought out plan and stick to it.  My current triathlon coach, Blake Becker, has been working with me for the past 3 seasons.  I am very pleased with  how things are going and the improvements in fitness, speed and race tactics since beginning with Blake. He's a pro triathlete and it's a great thing to have a coach who knows what it takes to get to where I want to go.  Our philosophies on training and racing are pretty similar, too, which is a good thing.

Endurance House- Working at a triathlon store definitely has it's perks to a triathlete.  As far as jobs go, I believe that there are few full time, 40+ hr/week jobs out there that would give me as much flexibility to race throughout the season like I am, while at the same time having hours that allow me to train at the level I do.  Not to mention I get to work on bikes and talk triathlon all the time.  Of course like any job it's not all fun and games, there is lots of responsibility and work involved, but I am glad to be working within the sport.  Besides the gear discount, another plus is that I have made lots of friends and important contacts in the sport since starting there.

Friends and Training Partners-  Almost every athlete trains with training partners.  Maybe not all the time, but as stated earlier, I don't believe anyone will reach their potential without someone pushing them day after day in training.  I've had lots over the years, mainly provided by the teams I have been a part of.  I don't want to list any of my training partners here for fear of forgetting someone.  I will give credit to one of my friends who got me started in this crazy sport.  Brent Vidulich was always a step ahead of me in high school swimming and track, but we trained a lot together.  During the summer after sophomore year in high school he convinced me to do this sprint triathlon in Madison with him.  I think I got passed by everyone in the race on the bike, but had a lot of fun and from there the seed was planted.

Bike Mechanic- Every triathlete needs a mechanic that they trust.  Tim Gattenby is our head mechanic at Endurance House and also is the faculty advisor to the UW Triathlon Team.  I've gotten better at bike mechanics over the past few years but whenever I need a fit or something done that is beyond my skill I can always count on Tim to do a good job.

Massage Therapist-  I can't believe that I was a swimmer and runner for 8 years before my first sports massage.  I was so tightened up due to training at my first appointment that the next day I unintentionally set a new 10k PR in a training run.  Since then I've been going fairly regularly, to great results.  I haven't had any injuries, and flexibility (which means range of motion, especially important for the swim and run) has improved.  I encourage all triathletes, or just athletes in general, to have fairly regular massages.  With all the money that goes into maintaining your bike and other gear, remember that your body is your most important piece of equipment as an athlete.  Keep that running smoothly and fluidly and you will see more improvement and success than you could get with any equipment upgrade, short of getting your first bike.  The massage therapist I currently go to is Heather Rizzo at Return to Balance, LLC.  If you're in the Madison area she is one I would recommend looking into.