College Living

Today's topic is somewhat tangential, but I thought I'd take a minute to describe the glamorous life of a pro triathlete living and training in college. First off when I say pro, I have earned my pro license, and intend on training full time post collegiality, but I am not referring to some 252 million dollar contract.. ahem should have become a baseball player... only kidding. Most pro triathletes are not making a huge living but we do pursue this sport because we love it and have immense passion for advancing it. I truly can say I love triathlon, and this passion is what wakes me up in the morning to get a swim/bike/run in before class even when the house is cold (more on that later).

Since I am in college (should be finishing up a year from now and graduate a semester early), I often fit training around a long day of classes and tests. My degree will be in Kinesiology and applied physiology with minors in Chemistry and Spanish with ultimate aspirations of going to med school.. that is after making the US Olympic team.  Taking Monday, December 5th for example, I had class from 9:05 until 11, then again from 2:30 until 3:30. During that day, I ran 10 miles in about 60 minutes before class, managed 4500 yards swimming at lunch, and then 2 hours on the bike trainer after my class at 3:30. Doesn't leave a lot of time for recovery, but all the running around makes an athlete mentally tough! Also, living the college lifestyle is sometimes funny. For instance, the heater in my house has been broken...for one week. The ambient temperature in the house hovers around a cozy 45 degrees and dropping. One positive thing about this is my roommates don't mind my indoor trainer rides because it warms the air a little bit! All of these little "blips" could hinder some athletes' training, but it adds character I think. Some other funny instances that surround my particular college town include a man being sighted running around with nothing but a flannel shirt on! I also live next to a fraternity that gives me a lot of odd looks when I'm biking on the trainer on our porch at 7:00 AM after they were partying all night and still awake! These are some funny instances and times that I would not change for the world. Also, the camaraderie of living with runners (and former teammates) is something I believe a lot of triathletes don't get a chance to do later in life.

Anyway, it is time to study some more for finals, I hope you enjoyed some of my life schedule. Happy Training!