Failure™ Magazine

Weighty Words

A chat with the slow fat triathlete.

Written by Kathleen A. Ervin   Filed under Sports

Do you separate your fitness goals from your weight goals?
I think they do have separate lives. There are things that I want to do in fitness that aren’t necessarily dependent on getting thinner. But at the same time, if you are doing triathlon and you lose weight you notice that things become a lot easier. They are linked in that way. But I try not to think, “I want to do triathlon because I want to get skinny.” I think that detracts from the fun of triathlon.

You seem to like the culture of triathlon.
Certainly there are triathletes that are very intense and driven but most are very encouraging and welcoming. I have struck up so many fun conversations before a race when I am setting my bike up at the bike rack or arranging my gear in the transition area. Everyone is a little aware of the absurdity of what it is they are about to do. That’s a really good bond between people.

The triathletes who tend to stick around in the sport have had setbacks and have come back from them. They are patient and accepting and determined to keep going. Those are good people to be around.

Tell me about your upcoming book.
The working title is: I Need This Donut (To Fuel My Workout). My original thought was that it was going to be a lot of musings on eating and exercise. But now the backbone of the book is my descent into injury, illness and weight gain. Then coming out of that trough and working my way back.

I don’t think there are any books in the marketplace that address that.
Think about what happens to people when they make their New Year’s resolutions. They join the gym, they buy healthier food, and they start out right, but then life gets in the way. They get sent out of town on business or their kids get the flu or they work out too hard and get shin splints. They get discouraged and their discouragement builds and they give up again. Every time you give up again it makes it that much harder to start the next time because you think, “I’ve failed so many times.”

How do you see your message evolving in this next book?
There is a chapter in Slow Fat Triathlete called something like, “When bad things happen to bad triathletes.“ I talked about how you can get hurt, or sick, or lose your motivation. This next book is going to expand on what you do when the bad things happen. How do you stay positive when things happen that run counter to whatever your goals are? How do you take that next step to start turning things around?

It’s an ongoing and constant struggle isn’t it?
I have been working out regularly for six or seven years but I still fear that if I take too many days off that I’ll never get started again. This lovely welcoming couch might claim me forever.

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