It is not uncommon to have folks honk, wave, give me the thumbs up when they see me pushing a wheelchair or turning the cranks on my handcycle. People are either curious as to what I am doing, or encouraged by my perseverance. The contact though is brief, and I never get a chance to do much more than give a quick wave, smile, or nod.
Most of the time my training is done alone. I don't mind this really. It was also true when I was able bodied. Most of my runs and bike rides were solo, but I often had the chance to share a run with others. I helped 3 people train for marathons. Most of those log runs were shared. Once in a while I would ride with a group. Working out with others is fun. It was never a daily thing, but when it happened it was fun. Training for long course triathlon requires a lot of work and creative time management. The result is often many solo workouts with the occasional chance to train with someone else. I never was bothered by the long hours alone.
Training with a handcycle and wheelchairs means almost all of my workouts are alone. My girlfriend joins me from time to time on the bike. It is tough for her to be consistent during the school year. As the temperatures begin to drop she also seems less interested in outdoor training. Her focus as moved to yoga and the pool. I however am working hard to build a nice endurance base to carry me into the winter. I know that once the real cold and snow hit, long outdoor sessions will be rare. I also have a good amount of weight to lose. having lost 30 pounds this year, I don't think it would hurt to lose 30 more. The best chance I have to lose weight is through hard training and good diet. The holidays and a Cleveland winter make both of those things harder to achieve.
So I train alone often. I have sought more community on the internet, but the sport is not something a lot of folks do. I am glad for this in regards to the small number of disabled athletes, though I do think more disabled persons could find a lot of joy in sports than do.
Locally I know 1 other handcyclist, and I have never ridden with him. My pace in the chair varies based on hills. This makes pushing with a runner difficult. The handcyle is also slower than a bike. Anyone who rides with me needs to be patient go up and quick going downhill.
Currently my most social workouts are in the pool. This amuses me because most of the workout is done with my head submerged.
The truth is that triathlon is an individual sport. I kinda like being alone pushing myself harder than I did before.
Most of the time my training is done alone. I don't mind this really. It was also true when I was able bodied. Most of my runs and bike rides were solo, but I often had the chance to share a run with others. I helped 3 people train for marathons. Most of those log runs were shared. Once in a while I would ride with a group. Working out with others is fun. It was never a daily thing, but when it happened it was fun. Training for long course triathlon requires a lot of work and creative time management. The result is often many solo workouts with the occasional chance to train with someone else. I never was bothered by the long hours alone.
Training with a handcycle and wheelchairs means almost all of my workouts are alone. My girlfriend joins me from time to time on the bike. It is tough for her to be consistent during the school year. As the temperatures begin to drop she also seems less interested in outdoor training. Her focus as moved to yoga and the pool. I however am working hard to build a nice endurance base to carry me into the winter. I know that once the real cold and snow hit, long outdoor sessions will be rare. I also have a good amount of weight to lose. having lost 30 pounds this year, I don't think it would hurt to lose 30 more. The best chance I have to lose weight is through hard training and good diet. The holidays and a Cleveland winter make both of those things harder to achieve.
So I train alone often. I have sought more community on the internet, but the sport is not something a lot of folks do. I am glad for this in regards to the small number of disabled athletes, though I do think more disabled persons could find a lot of joy in sports than do.
Locally I know 1 other handcyclist, and I have never ridden with him. My pace in the chair varies based on hills. This makes pushing with a runner difficult. The handcyle is also slower than a bike. Anyone who rides with me needs to be patient go up and quick going downhill.
Currently my most social workouts are in the pool. This amuses me because most of the workout is done with my head submerged.
The truth is that triathlon is an individual sport. I kinda like being alone pushing myself harder than I did before.
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