I Get By With Help From My Sisters
“This goes out to all the athletic women & girls out there struggling, feeling weak, unmotivated, tired, sore, recovering from injury, hangry, grumpy, teary-eyed, frustrated, full of doubt or simply trained up with no races to attend…"
Earlier this past summer, I received a message from a future first-time ironman triathlete. She has been totally rocking her triathlon training plan, her swimming skills are advancing, her cycling and run game is on point, but since life happens (and all the junk that comes with it), she got a wave of doubt and began to lose motivation.
Likely that Covid-19 might render her race cancelled - she noticed she was sliding into a mild depression and overall slump.
So she reached out to the rest of our lady-gang tribe for encouragement and help.
It just so happened that I am still recovering from my surgery and recently went into a mild depression when I hurt my leg & I was no longer able to train.
I sent her a private note. Done with her permission, I decided I’d share some of it with you in hopes of giving you some encouragement too.
"You can get through this! Get you azz to the gym or the trails. Triathlon training isn’t just about getting a hot body or rocking an ironman race. It’s about being YOUR best! It’s about being healthy, taking care of the body God gave you. We all have had weak moments and it's normal or par for the course. Nothing is wrong with you.
"You need YOU . Your family NEEDS you to be STRONG for THEM! You need some good vibes dopamine and need to go to the gym or do an outdoor activity to get you pumped and recharge your happy.
This isn’t just about you, it’s about who you can be for everyone you love and everyone who loves you. The happier you are, the better mom, wife, friend, co-worker, neighbor you are. If you can’t love yourself, you can’t love anyone else – because you can’t give something away that you don’t have to begin with.
Go for a run or ride - both of those are safe to do during Covid-19 restrictions. I guarantee you will instantly feel better.
The hour you spend in the gym, on the trail or riding, makes you a better you the other 23 hours a day” 
Ladies, at first glance, you may feel your time working out is selfish – that it’s selfish to work so hard on “you”. But, TRUST ME.
The hour you spend swimming biking, running, lifting or even mediating with yoga, makes you a better you the other 23 hours a day. You need this. Your kids need it.
They need a strong mommy! Your partner would appreciate a confident woman who feels as sexy as they sees you.
Your friends need the best you too. People are more likable when they feel good about themselves.
Strength goes beyond the gym – WAY beyond the gym. What you do in the gym or workouts you complete as part of your triathlon training plan creates an outward reflection of the discipline you are learning to apply in your life, to control your flesh and not let the world beat you up so you can be the best you you can be.
You CAN’T give up! People depend on you. You depend on You. It’s not just about your success, your success has the potential to impact every single one of your friends who are watching you and thinking “if she can do it, maybe I can too”.
You are a walking testimony for everything you believe in. It can be a good testimony or a bad one – that’s up to you.
Lean In On Your Sisters
Personally, I am surrounded by Strong Women. My FitFam and Triathlon Tribe are a positive reflection of everything I believe in.
Sisters who are more than my friends and wont let me give up on my injury rehab, fitness, healthy eating, marriage, family, personal goals, career, God or anything else I truly believe in.
These are Sisters who also depend on my success to motivate them to just even try. I want to encourage people to keep trying and to never give up – and that starts with ME not giving up.
STRONG WOMEN lift up each other. The pull you with them as they climb. Or throw back down the rope/life line to get you out of the pits.
In that same group chat I mentioned above from this summer, it was also revealed that a few of my best lady-gang buddies were ALSO sadden.
They were totally rocking their triathlon training, bodies were leaning out becoming swim bike-run machines, and they were looking
forward to their racecations.
Since life happens (and all the junk that comes with it), a second wave of Covid 19 cancelled races here in Texas and my lady-gang aka my #tribe began to lose their zest, motivation and joy.
So after they helped Angela get out the pits; some of them also shared with the lady-gang that they needed or was looking for encouragement since their races and vacation was cancelled.
We lifted up each other and tried to figure out together solutions/options in this group text and to confirm our lake swim date.
Drum roll....no races - no problem. We threw our own darn race.
Right before summer ended, SwimBikeRun Fun hosted the Sister's Super Sprint Triathlon in the Austin Area out at Lake Georgetown.
Anna & I made the dreams come through for about 20 women. It was an amazing intimate Covid-compliant Women's only Triathlon.
Few days before the Women's Sprint Triathlon, I received a call from Tammy, a mover and shaker in the Austin cycling community and also part of the greater Austin FitFam.
She shared with me that Faith's (pictured below) race was cancelled and it was supposed to be her first triathlon.
It was also a women's only triathlon designed for beginners. She said she would come out to observe...we were having no part of that.
Strong women look out for other women and lift each other up.
Strong Women Lift Each Other In Triathlon
16 Motivational Quotes & Mantras To Live By
💜 Support Other Women. Period.
💜 You Can Always Tell Who The Strong Women Are. They Are The Ones Building One Another Up Rather Than Tearing Each Another Down.
💜 When Women Support Each Other, Incredible Things Happen.
💜 "The Success Of Every Woman Should Be The Inspiration To Another. We Should Raise Each Other Up. Make Sure You’re Very Courageous: Be Strong, Be Extremely Kind, And Above All, Be Humble" – Serena Williams
💜 Her Success Is Not Your Failure.
💜 Empowered Women, Empower Women.
💜 Be The Kind Of Woman Who Makes Other Women Want To Up Their Game.
💜 Celebrate Her Success Without Questioning Your Own.
💜 We Rise By Lifting Others.
💜 Individually We Are One Drop, Together, We Are An Ocean.
💜 Support Other Women. Period.
💜 "Surround Yourself With Only People Who Are Going To Lift You Higher’ – Oprah
💜 "I Wish That More Women Realized That Helping Another Woman Win, Cheering Her On, Praying For Her, Or Sharing A Resource With Her Does Not Take Away From The Blessings Coming To Them. In Fact, The More You Give, The More You Receive. Empowering Women Doesn’t Come From Selfishness But Rather From Selflessness" – Selene Kinder
💜 Be The Woman Who Fixes Another Woman Crown, Without Telling The World It Was Crooked.
💜 The Best Kind Of Friendships Are Fierce Lady Friendships Where You Aggressively Believe In Each Other, Defend Each Other, And Think The Other Deserves The World.
💜 Every Woman Is Your Sister, Treat Her Accordingly.
Let’s commit to lifting each other up, helping people stay encouraged and pressing on toward their goal! Amazing things can happen. Lift Someone Up Today! Share this post if your friends need encouragement on their fitness/triathlon journey!
Looking to connect with a local or online Women's Triathlon join SwimBikeRunFun Tri Club
for free and connect with some like minded women involved in endurance sports.