One thing that people ask me on a consistent basis is, “Why?” The context of this question is varies greatly dependent upon who is asking it, but I find myself answering this question with regularity.

Why would you do an Ironman? That’s crazy. (I also get this question in reference to triathlon in general.)

Why do you post so much workout stuff on social media? It’s annoying.

Why don’t you eat meat? That’s weird.

Why? Why? Why? The questions go on and on.

Well I’d like to take this time to answer these questions. The nice thing about my answer is that there is one that applies broadly to every “Why?” I am asked. That answer is short and simple. The answer to my “Why?” is that it makes me feel good. It’s really nothing more than that.

I have a tendency to be a people-pleaser. I always want to make sure that anything I do doesn’t negatively affect anyone else, make anyone think negatively of me, or really cause me to be a subject of discussion of any kind. I spend a lot of time worrying about other people, and, unfortunately, not in the way that I should be. That is why my fitness, my diet, and my goals, are FOR ME.

A full Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim, followed immediately by a 112 mile bike, followed immediately by a marathon, 26.2 miles of running. If you would have told me 10 years ago that I wold complete a race of this distance, I would have likely died laughing. I’ve been a swimmer since age 10, but I didn’t appreciate running (In fact, I hated it.) until fairly recently. A friend of mine that I swam with in college (here’s to you, Dan) got me into triathlon beginning my sophomore year. I bought a bike, and started to struggle through runs a little longer than the 1 mile we were required to run for swimming. At first I felt like most people do when they begin running as an exercise or training program. It was miserable and I couldn’t wait for each workout to be over. I kept with it though, and found that I really enjoyed the time to myself. Running allows me to clear my head and I feel GREAT afterward. As far as biking goes, I never really considered it as a competitive thing. I grew up riding my bike around the neighborhood but never thought to race it. But like running, cycling offers a person a unique way to see and experience the world, and it’s a great low-impact form of exercise. After doing my first few tris, I was hooked. The races are so much fun and even though I did (and still do, sometimes) struggle through the run portion each time I raced, I learned about how to make myself better. After doing a few sprints, I tried an Olympic distance. It was a disaster. I was back to feeling miserable. Ultimately, though, I used it as an opportunity to learn. When I raced next on the same course as my first Olympic, I reduced my time by 20 minutes. Since then, I have reduced my personal best time by 47 minutes from that first race. Eventually, I became interested in not only challenging myself to beat my times, but to increase the distance of my races. I was never one to run for a long time or to ride very far. But I did a few half-Iron races, and ultimately decided to tackle Ironman, which wound up being simultaneously the most difficult and most amazing thing I’ve ever accomplished. So that’s why I would do an Ironman, despite the fact that it might be crazy. I wanted to push myself and prove to ME that I could do it, as it was something I never thought would be possible. As I stated before, it makes ME feel good to push my limits and exceed expectation of what I thought was feasible. That’s why I did Ironman, and why I will continue to race triathlon.

With regard to my posts on Facebook, Instagram, etc… I understand that not everyone is a fitness freak like I am, and like some of my friends are. However, I workout every day (excluding glorious, glorious rest days) because I like to. It makes me feel good. I get stronger every day and love the way I feel after smashing a workout. I like being able to open jars for myself and surprising people when they don’t think I can lift something that is heavy. I post about it constantly because it’s a part of who I am. I am sorry if this annoys some of my friends, but if you don’t like the content I post, no one says you have to view it! If I can inspire one other person to get fit and stay healthy, I will consider myself a success. And that is why I post constantly. And unapologetically. Also, fitness led me to my husband (fitnesssingles.com you are a Godsend), and I continue to see that like attracts like. I was not meeting people I identified with in bars, or randomly on the street. By posting what makes me who I am, I can find others who share or would like to share my passion.

Finally, my diet. The answer to this “Why?” could be, and probably will be an entirely different post. Long story short, I read a book about cleaning up my diet. At the time I was a very picky eater and was living on chicken fingers and mac and cheese. I figured I would give some of the premises in this book a try, and slowly began phasing added sugar, processed junk food and yes, meat, out of my diet. I didn’t know at the time if it would be permanent but it has been 7 years and with the exception of an occasional (okay, sometimes more than occasional) sweet treat, I haven’t gone back. I eat the way that I do because my diet allows my body to run like a well-oiled machine, and it fuels all these workouts and races I put myself through. I do not miss meat. I have so much more energy without it. People also ask me, “Well, what do you eat then?” Usually my facetious answer is tree bark. In reality, though, I eat the same things that most other people eat, they are just in a different form. My milk (juice?) comes from almonds. My meat comes from soy or other plant-based sources. Same with the “cheese” I eat. I am not missing anything, and in fact feel that I am fulfilled by what I choose to fuel my body with.

So, a bit of a long first post, but these are things I feel I need to put out there. My why. I do the things I do because they are for me, and no one else. An effort to rid myself of my people-pleasing tendencies and to live life the way I want to live. This effort is ongoing, and I am always looking for ways to improve, to be the best me I possibly can be.

A work in progress, indeed.