THREE on Mother’s Day: The Next Step
Mother’s Day is our chance to acknowledge those individuals who, leaning on a sports analogy, were our first coaches. These women had a vision for our future success and, in most cases, helped us toward that goal. From wobbling, to walking, to…”Oh NO...GET BACK HERE!” This weekend’s holiday is our chance to show gratitude to the women who helped us take those first steps.
There’s something profound about taking “the next step.” It’s simple in thought, difficult in practice, and the path to achievement in any pursuit. Even Neil Armstrong admitted as much, stepping onto the moon and saying, “That’s one small step for a man…” Goal achievement is admitting that “one giant leap” is a matter of stringing together many small steps.
Our society is currently determining “next steps” toward a way of life which affords each of us opportunity to live, love, and prosper. These guidelines will be informed by medical experts, who want to keep us living, and political and corporate leaders, who want to keep us prospering. It’s the mothers who, in so many cases, have given the guidelines for loving.
A mother can’t help but be enthusiastic for her child’s “next step”—no matter the size. My hope (and challenge) is you’ll carry some of that enthusiasm towards your “next step” as we move forward during this unprecedented time. We need to take that next step forward as both individuals and a community. No matter your next step, it will not be enough to recoup your losses of fitness or finance, but we should celebrate it’s significance with enthusiasm. It’s the path to wild accomplishment as long as we have the courage to continue stepping forward.
P.S. If your mom’s around, thank her with some enthusiasm this Sunday!
Joe Maloy, 2016 U.S. Olympic Triathlete, Co-Founder and Editor-at-Large
TRAIN
• Depending on where you live, there’s a chance your local gym may be reopening sometime soon. The prospect of returning to places that were closed because of social-distancing restrictions, combined with concerns about shared equipment and high-touch surfaces, begs the question of whether it’s safe to return to the gym at this point. And, if so, under what conditions. Vox talked to experts about the risks, and how gyms will have to change to keep people safe.
• If you’re still mostly homebound and unable to use the pool at the gym or rec center to maintain your swimming fitness, SwimSwam has published a series of daily, dryland swim workouts. This week’s 10-minute workout focuses on benefits from jumping rope, but can also be done without a jump rope.
• As long as you’re able to keep a safe distance, you can still get outdoors and run, and maybe even go for a bike ride — at least virtually. Triathlete shared data collected by Garmin that revealed virtual cycling was up 64% in the second half of March, compared to the first half, and Zwift notes a 6x increase in running miles logged daily.
BRAIN
• When it comes to motivating ourselves, there’s nothing better than having a race scheduled on the horizon. While most competitive events are on hold for the next few months, USA Triathlon, ChallengeNorthAmerica and the Professional Triathletes Association have announced they’ve partnered on a race to take place in December at the iconic Daytona International Speedway. THREE’s humble Olympian-editor-at-large, Joe Maloy, competed in last year’s pro event.
• There’s always someone faster out there and, it turns out, they may make you faster too. Oftentimes, triathletes are just measuring themselves against other triathletes, but The Wall Street Journal notes there is psychological support to training with faster athletes, and putting yourself outside of your comfort zone. So, increase your “local maximum” by running with a track club in addition to your triathlon teammates.
• If you’re looking for some passive brain food, this week’s Sports Leadership Lab podcast speaks with two-time Ironman champion Jesse Thomas about balancing career, family life and training. “If you have a singular identity, you’re going to have a crisis at some point.”
BREAK
• As we count the days until races are back on the calendar, The New York Times looks at what endurance races might look like when they return. “Marathons. Cycling Races. Triathlons. So many have been wiped out, but organizers are already planning how to bring them back.”
• Professional athletes in other sports are also enduring a ready-to-go-back mindset. There are reports that National Basketball Association owners, managers, and players are optimistic the league will return to complete its season, though that might be without fans in attendance. Forbes writes, “Because 'incomplete' is how so many of us feel right now – incomplete plans and possibilities, cancelled celebrations, and uncertain futures. As the world slowly tries to relax some of the most extreme restrictions and strives to regain some sense of normalcy, there is an inherent urge to finish what we started, and to bring things to a close, even if it is a far different finish than we could ever imagine.”
This Mother’s Day weekend our THREE Things You Should Know focuses on the rise of women in triathlon. USAT recently published a timeline of women in the sport, from 1979 when the first woman competed in the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon to 2019 with ITU President Marisol Castro’s appointment to the coordination commission for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Our Mother's Day highlight: In 2004, Susan Williams, a 35-year-old mom, won the first Olympic medal for the U.S. in triathlon, earning bronze in Athens. Kudos to the women who have made these pioneering achievements and helped advance the sport.
