Just Do It

By: Jim Lubinski

Man, it’s been a while since I have updated my blog.  Sorry about that.  I, kind of, got caught up in the daily routine; train, work, train, sleep, train, work, train, sleep, train, work, train, sleep; and so on and on and on and on and on and on and on…..  Before you know it, a week has gone by, a month has gone by, a year has gone by, ten years go by, etc.  Then, your 70 years old, and what do you have?  I’ll tell you what you have, a life full of memories, adventures, extravaganzas, and friends.

                We, as triathletes, have an opportunity and excuse to travel the country and the world doing what we love and seeing sights from a perspective not many can say they have.  A triathlete has the opportunity to sweat in Switzerland, bleed in Belgium, and drown in Dubai.  A trip to China is something an individual plans for, years in advance, and saves up days off from work so they can see the sights.  To a triathlete, a trip to China is a spur of the moment decision (Ok, if it’s IM China maybe a little preplanning is necessary), probably put on the credit card to be paid later, and closer to an overnight trip to Grandma’s house than a two week extravaganza.  Yes, our trips aren’t as long, but they are definitely more frequent than the average individual.  The reason I bring this up is because I am in the planning stages of my 2010 season.  And you know what, I said,” Screw it, I am going to race early and often, and see the world while doing it.” 

                I scheduled my first race to be IM New Zealand.  Fortunately, or unfortunately, I don’t have a family or too many obligations.  I have a flexible full time job that really supports my life outside of work, so I have to opportunity to do this kind of stuff.  I had a job where I didn’t see the light of day, and I was miserable.  I look at that time spent, not as wasted time, but as a kind of purgatory.  I was not moving forward, I was not moving backward, but I was stagnant.  Finally, I looked in the mirror (I literally looked in the mirror) and said “Change Your Life!”  The next day I started job hunting and soon after I had a job that accommodated my lifestyle.  Now, I am moving up everyday, and making a story of my life. 

                I am not saying you need to be a triathlete or an athlete or world famous, to make a story, but you do have to be happy.  If you are just going through the motions everyday and living life just to live, you will not have much of a story to tell when you are 95 years old.  Do what YOU want to do.  Have a family, start your own business, travel the world, see Cher live at Cesar’s Palace, etc.  Make yourself happy and stay positive.  Everything comes with ups and downs, but if you keep moving forward and smiling, things are likely to work out. 

                So, I plan to race, race, and race more in 2010.  Hopefully my body holds up, and if I run out of money, I will just ask you guys for more.  The Word of the Lube.  RACE HARD!