Why Not Tri…at 50?!

TA Lifestyler Jason Smith has made endurance sports a vital part of his life. In this blog, Jason speaks to his recently uncovered passion for triathlon and the motivating factors that fuel his dedication to pushing his limits. He started his triathlon journey at the age of 50. Jason is a devoted husband and father of two. If you've had the pleasure of meeting him in person, chances are you walked away from the conversation feeling inspired and encouraged. Let’s get into it!

Hyalite Canyon Road watt bombs. #SendIt

Why This… Now?

By: Jason Smith

Reflecting on the last several years of early morning swim sessions in crowded pools, tough bike workouts in unforgiving winds and hilly runs that - sometimes - I simply did not want to do, three things have become pretty clear: triathlon is hard, I’m getting older and I love this sport and all the ups and downs that come with it. At 54 - looking more like a gerbil on a wheel than a gazelle on the Savanah - why have I become so passionate about stringing three tough things together, sometimes all in one day?

Leading the way up at Hyalite res. Charge!!

First, it’s because it’s so darned hard both mentally and physically. Spending the time in training, doing the focused workouts and pushing through that next swim, ride or run even when I don’t want to ultimately brings a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that is always worth the effort. After decades of racing my bike (which seems so simple by comparison) and approaching my 50th birthday in 2020, I knew I needed to mix it up, to find that next thing that would push me hard and keep me healthy. Since that first day when I started trying and testing my abilities across these three disciplines, I can’t ever remember finishing a workout and thinking afterward, “I regret taking that time and doing that work.” On race day, there’s nothing quite so satisfying as feeling like all that work paid off. For me, it’s not about my finish time relative to my peers; rather, it’s about making progress and measuring my own performance relative to the last race or the best race yet or the potential I still feel I have to break through that next barrier.

#Grit

But it’s not just about the physical effort or improvement. Triathlon is also mentally challenging; I’ve described it to friends as a kind of “athletic chess.” To realize our potential as triathletes, we need to be smart and focused not just on what’s in front of us, but on what comes next and then what’s after that. We need to swim hard but, in my case, not put in so much effort that I make myself motion sick ahead of the bike. I need to ride near the upper limit of my potential, but as a former bike racer, I need to remember to leave matches in the box for the run. And transitions…oh, transitions…Experience lends so much insight here, and uncomplicated approaches to set-up and calm, smooth pivots from one discipline to the next may have saved me more time overall than improved fitness. I spent 15 years working in the Red Cross movement and this need to be thoughtful reminds me of a saying great leaders in disaster management often quoted in the midst of crises: "go slow to go fast."

Those finish line feels.

My second reason for falling in love with this crazy sport is all about the community it builds. Maybe it’s because all of us who choose triathlon are a bit “off,” but over the last several years some of my fastest and most meaningful friendships have come through the training, racing and constant learning that I’ve done. Others I’ve come to adore have shared the same observation.

Honestly, I believe two things drive the speed with which new and positive relationships are built for triathletes: trust and connection come quickly when you’ve shared common experience working through uncomfortable, hard things. As triathletes, we suffer through training and leave it all out there on race day. This creates a bond.

But more than that, I think our quick connections come through our shared vulnerability. Even on our best days, individually and collectively we know that there’s more unrealized potential out there. We’re not even close to perfect…yet…and this leads to humility, curiosity and an openness to growth that builds real and enduring trust with others.

For me, being a part of a community that does hard things and recognizes that there’s so much more to do fills my cup…probably not with enough carbs and sodium to fuel the workout…but just enough to keep me smiling and coming back for more.

Triathlon Camp, Bozeman, MT 2024 - Community Wins!!!

Jason A. Smith