Today’s post was supposed to be about suggestions for what to wear during cold weather bike rides, but that will have to wait because something happened at the grocery store last week that I must share.
This is the story of how I got a free half-pound of cheese by wearing my Ironman shirt.
One day after work, I headed to my local Publix to do a bit of grocery shopping. I walked up to the deli counter to get some ham and cheese for sandwiches. Working behind the counter was a kind, older, Italian gentleman.
As he was cutting the ham, he looked at me and made a bicep flexing motion, saying “You are fit, no?”
I laughed and said, “I guess so.”
He asked, “Do you do the weights?”
I said, “No, my husband and I are triathletes, like Ironman. We do swimming, cycling, and running.” (We actually do lift weights, but that was clearly irrelevant to this conversation.)
Then, he asked, “What do you not eat?”
I was confused. What do I not eat?
He clarified, “Like no dairy?”
I laughed, “Oh no. We’re triathletes. We eat everything!”
As he was wrapping up the cheese, he leaned over and, with a conspiratorial whisper, said, “I give you a present.”
At this point I’m starting to wonder where this is going…
He said, “This is the very end of the cheese, so they’re going to throw it away, so I give it to you. So, we have half-pound of cheese here and then this half-pound of cheese, so now you have one pound of cheese!”
Then, he said, “Keep at it!” with his fist raised in what I imagine to be some sort of show of solidarity to continue on with my athletic journey.
The story could end here, but it doesn’t.
A revelation in the cereal aisle
Next up, I was walking down the cereal aisle, when I came across a teenager who was stocking shelves. He pointed at my shirt and asked, “Did you do that?”
I confirmed that yes, indeed, I did in fact complete the race pictured on the t-shirt that I was wearing.
He said that he’d always wanted to do a triathlon, and even an Ironman, because of all the sports that you could do, that one seemed like the craziest.
I confirmed that he was 100% accurate in his assessment.
However, among the Honey Nut Cheerios and Raisin Bran Crunch, he confessed that the reason why he’d never followed through with his goal is because he enjoyed cycling, but didn’t like running.
I explained that most triathletes don’t in fact enjoy running either, but the secret is that you don’t have to run the entire marathon. You can run-walk!
He enthusiastically thanked me, and I continued on my way to the pharmacy counter.
Not an Ironman, but also cool
While standing at the pharmacy counter debating the merits of generic versus brand name Sudafed, I encountered a third Publix employee who was very curious about my Ironman shirt.
The pharmacy assistant asked what I’ve now learned is the top question you should expect to hear when wearing an Ironman shirt- “Did you do that?”
I confirmed that yes, indeed, I did the race.
She went on to explain how that was very inspirational and that her uncle or brother-in-law and niece, or maybe cousin, did something like that. But it wasn’t an Ironman. It was something like an Ironman.
I began the guessing game.
“Perhaps something like a Tough Mudder?”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Maybe an obstacle course race like Spartan?”
“No. They used to do cross-fit competitions.”
“Ah, I see,” I said. “Those sound fun too.”
She was convinced that she would remember what it was called as soon as I walked out the door, and she promised to tell me the next time I came in.
Something to look forward to indeed.
A fellow triathlete
After checking out, I was walking to my car when I heard someone say, “There’s my favorite Ironman!”
At this point I’m thinking, “Seriously? I’m wearing a sweatshirt the next time I go to the grocery store.” But I was pleasantly surprised to run into a fellow triathlete! Oddly enough, she isn’t in my training group, and she isn’t in my local triathlon club. Actually, I don’t know her all that well.
The funny thing is I met her the last time I went to Publix! all because we were both wearing our race apparel from Ironman Florida.
I remember we met in the baking aisle. It was like one of those rom-com moments when your eyes meet and you just know. I had just done Ironman Florida the week before, and I still had my race band on my wrist. She was wearing her Ironman Florida sweatshirt. (Automatically kindred spirits, obviously)
I told her that I still hadn’t seen her at a club meeting and would be expecting to see her soon. And thus concluded my very eventful trip to Publix.
My husband asked why I’d been in Publix for an hour and a half, so I explained all of the fun and excitement that wearing my Ironman shirt had caused.
My husband, Matt, and I at 70.3 North Carolina in 2022.
In all seriousness, whether I’m wearing a race shirt, or just the standard athleisure apparel I live in on a daily basis, I always try to spread the word about triathlon.
Yes, I’m that person at the pool scoping out my lane-mates to see if they’re wearing a Garmin or have pool toys (both telltale signs of a budding triathlete). Or the guy we met on a recent group run when we found out that he also owns a bike… “Did you know there’s a duathlon in town!” Or trying to get my new Publix buddy to come to our next tri club meeting.
My husband says I’m always recruiting, but I prefer to think of it as spreading the good news about multi-sport. Whether you want to do an Ironman some day, a sprint triathlon, or just enjoy swimming, cycling, and running, triathlon is so much more than just a sport.
People often ask me what I’m training for, and although there is often a specific race on the calendar, I frequently respond by saying, “I’m training for life!”
I’m still relatively new to the sport of triathlon (starting my 6th year), and this sport has given me so much:
- the opportunity to train in the great outdoors
- the chance to compete
- to set new goals and put in the consistent work required to achieve them
- make like-minded friends
- feel like part of an athletic community
- reduce anxiety and lower stress
- to surprise yourself by achieving more than you thought you were capable of
And I want to share that joy with others.
If you’re new to the blog, I drop new posts on Tuesday and Thursday of each week. Be sure to follow @bblife234 and @thetriplethreatlife on Instagram to find out when they’re live.
