Triathletes? No. Pentathletes!

I don't know what it is, but for years I've always felt like my days were full. From morning to night, I did something to fill those 24 hours. Because my days were full, I just assumed that it meant I was busy all the time doing important busyperson things. Then I started triathlon training...

When you start doing something that you enjoy, priorities change. If you want to lose weight, you prioritize a smaller number on the scale higher than a pint of Breyer's ice cream. Similarly, when I started triathlon training (I already ran regularly), I suddenly had to fit in several hours of my week for new activities. And since I did not have Hermione Granger's time turner necklace, I had to cut out some of my important busyperson things.

What did I stop doing you ask?
-- I stopped waking up at 7:00am.
-- I stopped going to bed at 11:00pm or later.
-- I stopped eating fast food.
-- I stopped watching a lot of late night TV
-- I stopped trying to convince myself I would workout after work
-- I stopped weighing 230 pounds

In fact, adding almost daily workouts to my schedule actually didnt change my time that much, just when I did things.

Instead of waking up at 7:00am, I get up at 5:00 for Master's swim practice or a bike ride.
Instead of going to bed at 11:00pm or later, I try to go to bed around 9:00pm. Same 8 hours, but I feel so much better when I wake up.
Instead of eating fast food, I cook more. Chicks dig this about me.
Instead of watching late night TV, I read a book before falling asleep. Going to sleep relaxed = waking up refreshed.
Instead of trying to workout after work when I'm tired, I work out in the morning and get it out of the way for the rest of the day.
Instead of weighing 230 pounds, I weigh 204 -- and the biggest changes I made was when I workout, what I eat, and when I sleep.

I think most people underestimate the importance of Nutrition and Rest in their training programs.

Swim. Bike. Run. Transition. Eat. Sleep. We are pentathletes.