Every superhero has an origin story - Part 1
Where it all began
PART 1: Where it all began
Once upon a blog
I started using “The Triathlife” online in 2008 when Jen and I first dipped our endurance toes in the triathlon waters (Jen is not only my significant other, she is my significantly better half). I was digging those early years of online “content creation” and wanted to start a blog. Enter “The Triathlife”. A sort of “she said/he said” of married life, training, racing, working, and being. I tooled around with it for a bunch of years mostly to scratch a writing itch that I have. But in the end, it turned out to be a middling collection of silly musings and race reports. But twas not all in futility as I did make an unlikely connection with pro triathlete, Jesse Thomas.
Will the real Triathlife please stand up?
The Triathlife had its own “brush with celebrity” in 2012 when a just-turned-pro triathlete (and Picky Bar co-founder) — Jesse Thomas — started a website/blog called “The Triathlife of Jesse Thomas” (“Triathlete” began publishing a column of the same name soon after). Jesse burst onto the triathlon scene with an out-of-nowhere win at The 2011 Wildflower (while sporting dime store aviators!). He was unassuming and just seemed like a really fun dude. I was an immediate fan. And my man crush was in full bloom upon discovering that the two of us happened upon the same digital moniker — THE TRIATHLIFE! I seized the opportunity and eventually heard back after a little prodding on the old Twitter. A gentleman’s agreement was struck. Jesse would continue to use The Triathlife name and in exchange, I was allowed to call Jesse my best friend 😉 👇 .
Enter Instagram
Coming out of our long COVID winter back in 2021, I had this idea to track my return to full-time training and racing by using The Triathlife moniker on the gram. I really had no intention of becoming an influencer or a content creator. I simply wanted to promote the lighter side of the sport and to connect with others who felt similarly. There were gaps in my posts (work and life have a way of doing that) but in a way, I had the beginnings of what The Triathlife currently aspires to be.
Coming up in part 2: Of Viruses and Chip Conley
While you wait, please enjoy this time lapse footage from USA Swimming transforming Lucas Oil Stadium into a massive natatorium to host the USA Olympic Swim Trials set to begin this week. USA! USA! USA!