The word should convey your purpose in the sport. Clarify for others what triathloning represents for you. You might use the word to guide you in race decisions. It should represent the significance of the sport in your life. It might even propel you to achieve results you dreamed about last season.

Look at the list below. Select one word that resonates the best with you as a triathlete. You want to strip away any pre-conceived complexity of the sport to allow you to focus on less to achieve more with your talents.

• Active
• “Clipped-in”
• Complete
• Confident
• Controlled
• Decisive
• Defined
• Developing
• Driven
• Engaged
• Enlightened
• Evolving
• Fast
• Focused
• Get-er-done!
• Hyper
• Innovative
• Positive
• Quick
• Streamlined
• Uber
• Under-construction
• Work-In-progress

Less is more. Most non-triathletes think there are three elements of a triathlon: swim, bike, and run. Most triathletes will claim you also include transitions and nutrition. The sport in most simplistic terms include these five parts of training, plus two-parts racing: getting started and Get Er Done!

Get focused. Stay focused. Excel at what do you really, really well. Describe what you do in terms that all others can understand. Performing to your maximum triathlete level is easier than others think. Even easier than earning Ironman status and sporting an MDot tattoo. But you don’t need to tell them that type of insider information.

The initial barrier to getting it done is mental. The secondary barrier is motivational, to work through all the training to cross the finish line. Follow these seven steps to be a Git Er Done triathlete on race day:

1. Choose doing, dreaming is for spectators.
2. Connect with your supportive significant other to ensure sustainability in a relationship and in workouts.
3. Choose your personal commitment for action: wishing, wanting, and dreaming idles action.
4. Establish a workout routine. Get into your rhythm of consistency to eliminate another decision of when to workout.
5. Team up with a workout buddy. Either in person or virtual partner. Hold each other accountable to finish each day’s objectives.
6. Do workouts in a bubble. Turn off, tune in, and workout.
7. Fear Failure. Be proud of your successes.

My wife Chris chose to race in her first triathlon without any background of swimming, biking, or running in a competitive setting. She trained with me to build a strong bond, honor her self-commitment, and achieve unified fulfillment.

Chris exited the water in 2nd place for the women’s division.

A research study at Indiana University confirmed exercising proved much easier when mates workout alongside each other. Spouses training together proved more supportive to each other. Researchers in the study tracked married couples who started an exercise program. Half of the group comprised of both couples who exercised and half with only one spouse on a workout program. Over the course of a year, 43% of the individual spouses dropped the exercise program.

In contrast, 94% of the exercising couples continued working out together.

One binding factor included excuses to bail out were kept in check. Half of the quitters stated family responsibilities and lack of support from the other spouse resulted in their dropout decisions.

In our relationship Chris emphasized the fun because life is hard enough without adding competitive stress as an ingredient of success.

Take your first step into race action. Time waits for no one. You shouldn’t either.

What other word do you use to describe yourself as a triathlete?