Life at the End of my Comfort Zone - By Lois Duke

Three years ago when I came to Targetraining, I had become significantly overweight, was sedentary and I was starting to feel the effects of this in my back and in my knees.  I started personal training to try to lose some weight and get in shape. While I had a bike and had ridden for pleasure on my own, I was out of shape and light years away from the level of skill and talent of cyclists in the classes and feeling intimidated by this, I avoided them at all cost. Suzie Snyder was my trainer at the time and at her pleading, I forced myself to come to Targetraining to cycle. She had made a work out for me to do on my own and so I plugged in my I Pod and pushed myself through it.   Ultimately, I decided I would bring in my bike, which had been left outside for quite a while and have it tuned up and try to come more regularly. Max and the rest of the crew in the bike shop remember me the day I brought in my green Greg Le Monde bike which sadly had Ivy vines growing around it and probably weighed more than all the bikes at Targetraining put together.  

I kept coming and doing workouts on my own, without much thought or knowledge about power zones, watts or anything else for that matter.   I was completely intimidated by the talented athletes I saw and just tried to get through each session and run away as fast as I could.  I felt I looked silly and clumsy but for some reason, I couldn’t give up.   I really liked cycling and deep inside of me was a secret desire to compete in a race, or an event.   However, this was not something I had done—ever.   It was completely out of my comfort zone and I was plagued with a great deal of self-doubt and a very low self esteem regarding my potential and abilities.  

Then Eneas became my coach.   I made the mistake of telling him I wanted to be a better cyclist and my life forever changed. I bought a new bike and put a power tap on it.  Eneas then quickly set out to do a power test—which I hated and still dislike immensely to this day.   I made the investment of many one on one cycling sessions -- twice a week with Eneas and with Carlos.   I was being pushed hard—but I was improving. It wasn’t long before watts, cadence, TSS scores became a part of my lingo.   I soon discovered that Eneas enjoys power testing a great deal and it seemed I had them quite frequently.   Each time I seemed to be improving (I still hated doing them though).   Despite my improvement, I continued to have the desire to compete in something but knowing that running was no longer a possibility for me and I had never swum with the exception of basic swimming lessons as a kid, I wasn’t really sure what I could do. 

Enter Kristin Budden.   I had befriended her in the bike shop and that’s when the swimming began.    I would go into the bike shop and both she and Chris Kinney would not let up.   “You should swim—you’ll love it”, they would say.   The last thing I wanted to do was voluntarily get into a bathing suit, much less in front of a bunch of Targetraining athletes.  But the two of them are persistent and it soon became obvious that I was either going to start swimming on my own or the two of them were going to hold a gun to my head until I was in the water.   And so, with the help of Dom and many one on one swimming sessions, I learned to swim as a sport.  He taught me everything—pretty much from the ground up—and he has been a wonderful teacher and coach—never once making me feel uncomfortable or that I couldn’t do it.   

I now had two sports.   And while I wasn’t the best or strongest, I felt I really wanted to try an event.    Chris Kinney had mentioned that I should try aquabikes. What?   There is such a thing?    I could compete and not have to run?  Wow!   So with the help of Dom, I found my first aquabike event last year –the Rev 3 Olympic distance aquabike.   I trained for it—doing everything Eneas and Dom told me to do until the day finally came.   I had never had such fear and anxiety in my life.  I was terrified to be in the same crowd as these athletes and found myself in the transition area wondering what on earth I was doing there.    The event was a disaster.   I suffered tremendous anxiety on the swim and was on my back the whole time.  I barely made the cut off and finished off with a very weak ride.   I couldn’t imagine doing this again but I had already signed up for another aquabike in less than three weeks.   I was so scared I would fail again.  I will never forget the ride I had with Eneas, just before this second event where he said to me,  “Lois, have you decided what to do?”  And as much as I was so terrified to put myself out there again, so afraid of what I was not accustomed to, I couldn’t quit – I couldn’t quit myself.  That just seemed worse.   And so I did it.   And I cut my swim time by 30 minutes and my bike time by even more.    No anxiety, no hyperventilating.  Just a good swim and bike.   I proceeded to then do a ½ ironman distance aquabike later that summer and had a great race.

Over the next year, I continued to push myself harder than ever before.    Eneas has planned all my cycling workouts to each day and Dom faithfully provided me with swim workouts for the week along with input at swim class.  Eneas continued to power test me constantly (ugh!)  And I continued to grow strong on the bike and although I am still a slow swimmer, I have improved a great deal from when I first started.   In February, I decided that I wanted to try a full ironman distance aquabike.   My coaches supported me and training became intense and heavy-I was working hard and I began losing weight rather steadily.   As the season began, it seemed I had quite a few races/events on my schedule.   Kristin had drafted me into climbing Mt. Mohonk at the American Zofingen time trial (she didn’t tell me it was a mountain!)  And as the summer continued I completed an Olympic and ½ Ironman distance aquabike, two separate 100-mile century rides, a 3-mile open water swim race, and the Targetraining time trial series.   With all of these completed, I had only one left—the full ironman aquabike I had been in training for since February.

Last Saturday was the biggest race and one of the most significant in terms of what I have overcome while at Targetraining.  Last weekend, I finished that ironman aquabike.   I pushed my way through choppy waters in the Choptank river in Maryland and a 112 mile ride with headwinds at me most of the way.   It was hard, and there were times I wasn’t sure my body would make it, but I did it. During that race,  I felt that I fought through the years of self-doubt and saying “I can’t do it” and I won.     It is still completely out of my comfort zone—all of these races are—but I am a better person for it.   Kristin gave me a birthday card earlier this year that said, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone”.  And it’s really true.  Not only have I lost 65 lbs. and increased my fitness level several times over, I have also gained self confidence and become more willing to take chances. I am no longer afraid to put myself in new and scary situations and this has made me a stronger, happier and better person.

I am grateful for so many people at Targetraining who have given so much support so generously.   Kristin Budden for listening to me and believing I could climb mountains; Chris Kinney for always being so supportive and upbeat.  But particularly, my wonderful entourage of coaches for all they have done for me.   Carlos with his constant encouragement and enthusiasm, Dom for his many swim workouts, being such a great teacher and constant support (as well as paying for my parking ticket when I beat my swim time at the Rev 3 this year).    But especially for Eneas who has not only tortured me on a regular basis on the bike, written all my training plans and made me power test on what seems a weekly basis but who has always believed in me from day one, has been there to encourage me when I felt like giving it all up and for the e mail he sent me last year after finishing my first ½ ironman aquabike that simply said,  “you’re a champion.”

Comments

[Kristin Budden]

Eneas is right Lois, you are a champion, and a very deserving one at that. You are an inspiration to many and should be proud of how strong and brave you are. Only one complaint I have about your very eloquent post, you forgot to mention trying on wetsuits ;) Still one of my favorite moments with you! Congratulations Lois, you have surpassed your comfort zone!