I was just 6 when Abebe Bikila won his second Olympic marathon, 1964 in Tokyo (for his 1960 Rome victory even I was too young). I have been fascinated with “extreme” sport ever since, fascinated with this amazing sisu, never giving up.
As a kid I then did many types of sports, including cycling and our (Dutch) national pride of speed skating. As a student I started to run, in the rage of the day. The aim was a Marathon, I competed in several halves, but then the chores of everyday career and family life took hold of me, and by the time I was 30 I realized I was too old for a good Marathon.
Also during that time a new craze was shown on TV: Ironman! I loved it, but thought this was only for Supermen and Superwomen. Not for mere mortals, I thought.
Fast forward to 2008: In the meantime I had moved to Finland. Approaching the tender age of 50, I needed to pick my version of mid-life crisis. During that same time our girls made an innocent joke about my figure, but enough to get me running again. And when I do something, I do it radically. So I started running with rapidly increased volume, and got several leg injuries: Achilles problems, shin splints, hips, you name it. I needed to take it easy with the running and compensated with biking. My mind went: biking – running…. Only add swimming and you’re a triathlete!
Now, swimming is not easy. I could manage 25 meters freestyle non-stop! But practice makes perfect – or at least keeps you floating. And practice is easier with a motivating group of like-minded people. So I joined the Triathlon group of Turun Urheiluliitto. Bike together, swim together, sometimes run together. And most of all: motivate each other, ask advise from more experienced triathletes, and laugh together. You need such a group if you want to survive 5 to 6 hour bike rides. Or if you want to motivate yourself to get out of bed early each Saturday morning to go swimming.
But the result is worth gold: 2009 I did my first triathlon races, including Joroinen half distance (1.9 km swim, 90 km bike and 21.1 km run). 2010 I then participated in the Frankfurt Ironman, for the full distance (double the distances above). As they say: You forget the pain, but the glory stays, and you always remain an Ironman!
Since 2008 I train. Some years more than others (depending on work and other activities). Some years I concentrate more on biking (several times up Mt Ventoux, a few times Route 300), other years I do more running (a few marathons, one time a 24 hour run), but always I come back triathlon, as the mother of all endurance sports!
Therefore: You are never too old to tri!
Sunnuntaistoorit
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- 06-09-2015 Sari Holmström: Triathlon vei mukanaan
- 30-08-2015 Andrea Pérez: How triathlon came into my life
- 02-08-2015 Satu Paananen: Nöyrin mielin voittajana
- 26-07-2015 Teppo Hyytiä: Kun triathlonkärpänen puraisi..
- 19-07-2015 Carina Kontio: Choice that changed my life
- 12-07-2015 Anja Kontio: Infected with the triathlon virus
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- 21-06-2015 Juha Pertola: Ei koskaan kippurasarvisella...
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- 07-06-2015 Lotta Laaksonen: Hyötyliikunnan avulla puolimatkalle
- 31-05-2015 Ville Wainio: Haita pakoon uiden
- 24-05-2015 Elina Norrman: Kipinästä roihuksi!
- 17-05-2015 Petter Rönnlöf: Darth Vader oli liikaa!
- 10-05-2015 Joonas Kursu: Hitaasti, varmasti, ilon kautta!
- 03-05-2015 Pia Cajan: Liikkumisen vapaus ja ilo!
- 26-04-2015 Anna-Liisa Autio: Comeback Triathlonin Pariin
- 12-04-2015 Jarno Stenroos: Sunnuntaistooria Porista - matkalla elämässä
- 05-04-2015 Johanna Tokola: Rakkaasta harrastuksesta rakas työ!
- 29-03-2015 Liisa Jaatinen: Nöyryydellä ja intohimolla
- 22-03-2015 Sami Silto: Hailen kintereillä
- 15-03-2015 Piritta Koistinen: Mikä minusta tulee isona?
- 08-03-2015 HeikkI Mäntymäki: Triathlon on elämäntapa
- 01-03-2015 Joonas Hänninen: Lupa syödä ja käyttää lycraa
- 22-02-2015 Päivi Hänninen: Kun matka on määränpää
- 15-02-2015 Pasi Silvola: Himoliikkujan päiväkirja
- 08-02-2015 Janina Saarnio: Heppatytöstä triathlonistiksi
- 01-02-2015 Niklas Sohlberg: Kavereiden kesken
- 25-01-2015 Elina Lammela: Iloa on treeni-ilo
- 18-01-2015 Arttu Saarinen: Marginaalista kohti massoja
- 11-01-2015 Erja Alanen: Urheiluhullu omasta tahdosta
- 04-01-2015 Heikki Nummelin: Tavoitteena triathlonkultaa!
- 28-12-2014 Niklas Merikallio: Isi harrastaa
- 21-12-2014 Satu Pippola: Löysin triathlonista itselleni haasteen!
- 14-12-2014 Kimmo Holmström: Kun triathlon muuttaa kaiken
- 07-12-2014 Pekka Stenholm: Arjen juhlaa
- 30-11-2014 Tommi Lindholm: Tommi Lindholm
- 23-11-2014 Marianne Palmu: Hetken mielijohteesta elämäntavaksi
- 16-11-2014 Folkert Wierda: You’re never too old to Tri
- 09-11-2014 Veera Alanen: Treenaten tulevaisuuteen
- 02-11-2014 Toni Keto: Pullaposkesta teräsmieheksi
- 26-10-2014 Mia Kuczynski: Triathlon-harrastuksen alkumetreillä