My Sporting Journey: What’s Next?

My sporting journey started when I was very young. Sports were my life. Every season had something to look forward to—fall was football and soccer, winter was basketball and wrestling, and spring was baseball and track. Every time a season drew to an end, I was convinced I was going pro, ready to drop everything and spend all my time on that sport…until pre-season started for the next one. 

Then in seventh grade, I picked up tennis and that drop-everything, going-pro dedication finally stuck around. I had found my sport. It was the perfect combination of hand-eye coordination, speed, strategy, and athleticism. My coach, now a long-time friend, taught me all the basics and made sure to keep things fun, cementing my love for the game. Fast forward to high school, my best friend and I started making an impact on the doubles’ scene. We went on to win the PIAA State Championships in doubles, one of my fondest memories to date. 

I continued to play tennis on the club team in college and started weight-lifting more seriously. I couldn’t stay away from the gym, it was my favorite place on campus. So much so that I started working there, too. My free time was spent listening to health and wellness podcasts, scrolling fitness Instagram pages, and absorbing as much fitness content as I could. I started to realize that going to the gym isn’t just about lifting heavy (although that can definitely be fun), and my understanding of fitness became more holistic—it’s a combination of strength, flexibility, mobility, speed, diet, and self-compassion. 

I continued working out as I pivoted to post-grad life and gave traditional bodybuilding a go. I followed a program for about six months and learned a lot about what it takes to shape your body. Then in January 2023, four months before my wedding, I thought it would be fun to train for a half marathon as a way to get in top shape. I said that as if I had been running my whole life, but at that point, I had not run more than 4 miles in one shot. I knew I was neglecting my cardiovascular fitness. Thanks to a Nike Run Club program, I was able to successfully run a half marathon in an hour and fifty-five minutes. Throughout training, I continued weight-lifting and focused heavily on mobility and recovery to make sure I was able to run pain free. This really opened my eyes to how effective being consistent with the little things can be. For the remainder of 2023, I continued doing a bit of this hybrid-style training, exploring more in the realm of running and lifting. 

In September of 2023, I stumbled upon this thing called Ironman. It was like my discovery of tennis all over again. I was hooked. Swimming, biking, and running all in one event!? I found these athletes captivating, absolute machines. I started training for Haines City, Florida’s 70.3 Ironman. You may be thinking, three months to train for an Ironman is not enough… and you’d be correct. But regardless, I followed a program I found online. It took me six hours and thirty minutes to finish my first Ironman 70.3. It was a grueling experience. I left Florida wanting more, so I decided to get a coach. He has been such a valuable resource for both knowledge and support. We use Training Peaks, Strava, and Garmin among other tools to gather data and optimize my training. I now have four triathlons, several half marathons, and a full marathon under my belt, and I am grateful for the journey so far. 

Triathlon has sparked a fire in me. I have big goals for 2025. I wanted to write this blog as a form of self-reflection and to improve my understanding of what has worked for me over the course of my athletic journey. This exercise has helped me draw the following conclusion, which I wanted to share with you in hopes that it may help in your journey as well: simple is genius, patience is key, and self-compassion is necessary. Make things as simple as possible. It makes it much easier to be consistent. Waking up and having a simple plan of action each day allows you to avoid unnecessary procrastination and inefficiencies. Next, have patience. I am constantly in immediate gratification mode. Greatness, health, wellness, they all take time; accomplishing big dreams and goals takes time. Enjoy the process and have fun. Lastly, practice self-compassion. You have to surrender any judgement you have of yourself. Accept your current situation. More specifically, listen to how you speak to yourself. I will be working to make these habits in 2025 and encouraging others to do the same.