Well, friends, my triathlon was last Saturday. And you know what? It was awesome.

You might remember this post when I announced the crazy decision I made to sign up for a triathlon. And you might remember how I was posting training updates once a month until, well, I stopped. But I was still training, kind of. To be honest, my training was really lacking. But, that aside, I still went and completed the tri on Saturday. And, like I said above, it was awesome.

I’m going to be honest here: I finished the bike portion dead last, and the overall triathlon I finished second-to-last. But you know what? I don’t even care. Because I finished it. I was never tempted to stop. I kept going, I enjoyed it, I pushed myself, and I learned a few things in the process. So today, I want to share with you what I learned, because I want you to know that if I can do something like this, then you can, too.

I can do hard things.

Triathlons are scary. And hard. I mean, I swam (er, ok, swam-walked) 300 meters, then I biked 12 miles, and then I ran (er, walked-jogged) a 5k (3.2 miles). Doing even one of those things would probably be hard for your basic, run of the meal mom, and I and the other women who did the triathlon along with me did them all one right after the other. But you know what? I did it. I finished. I put my mind to it and while I may not have done it in record time, it doesn’t matter. Because I did it. And I proved to myself, and others, that I can do hard things.

Trying new things is a good idea.

A triathlon has never been on my radar. Ever. 4 years ago Kyle participated in a triathlon, and while I absolutely supported him, I told him there was no way I would ever do something like that, ever. I thought it was a crazy thing to do. And now, here I am, 4 years later, having completed a triathlon. And not only have I now completed one, but I liked it! I want to do another one! I would have never known that I liked doing triathlons until I did one. So yes, trying new things, even if they are scary or you think you might hate them, is a good idea. Because you might find a new interest or hobby, like I did.

I’m stronger than I think I am.

I think of myself as a weak person. It may or may not be true, but that’s how I’ve always pictured myself. But finishing a triathlon has started to change my mindset. I’m not as weak as I thought. I am stronger, both physically and mentally, and I know that if I keep exercising, and training, I will only get stronger.

Women are awesome.

The event I participated in, the Triathamom, is a non-competitive triathlon event just for women. It’s a place where women come together and support each other and accomplish something amazing. There were women of all ages, all sizes, all weights, and there were even a handful of pregnant women who participated. And you guys, you could feel the love. We cheered for each other during the swim, while passing each other on the bike ride and on the run, everyone was cheering each other on, saying good job, you can do it, and giving high fives. It was just an amazing event, and it made me so proud to be a woman.

So there you have it, a few things I learned from doing my first triathlon. I was so nervous I would get half-way through and hate it, and wonder just what I kind of hell I had decided to put myself through. But I never felt like that. I felt amazing and incredible, and so, so proud of myself. It was truly awesome, and I hope you all get the opportunity to do something like this in the future. It is so empowering!

If I can do this, so can you. I know that you can do hard things too, that you are stronger than you think you are. So go ahead, give yourself permission to push yourself. Try something new. You won’t regret it. I know it.