For some time now, I have always wondered what it would be like to have a real job. Not one you find off the classified adds. Or at a grocery/retail store. Or wherever else teenagers usually get employed to. A real job is more like a career. People stay in them long term because they can. They don't get sciatica from lifting boxes. Physical exertion is limited by the length of your lunch break. There's lots of tea and/or coffee involved. And a salary is nice too.
This is what I would consider to be a career. Although, those that like jobs that are more laborious are perfectly entitled to say their jobs are real too. But for me, with triathlon and an extensive (or would be extensive) Physics and Math background, it is not enough to just muck about all day.
I know in about 10 minutes I will change my mind about this, but having a job is so much better than school. There is just so much more time. You are relaxed and energized and ready to seize the day! Even with this amazing plethora of awesomeness, work is still work and I need something else to fill my evenings and weekends when there is no energy left in the tank. Normally, I would dive at any and all opportunities to train, but when you work, you have an added responsibility: you can't sleep on the job.
Another thing about the real world that school life doesn't really prepare you for is who your co-workers are. All my co-workers are amazing people. My supervisor is awesome too. But we all have different interests and passions. For instance, if I want to go for a run or bike now, I would have to trudge along alone. For me, that's fine most of the time, but eventually that gets really boring and company would be nice, except all my workout mates are back at school and no one at my work shares the same enthusiasm for masochism.
So that brings me to where I am right now in life. I have a decent job (co-op!!!) at a decent company making decent money. But I have a hard time working out alone. Then it finally dawned upon me something spectacular. Even though triathlon is a solo sport, you cannot achieve your goals in this sport alone. All triathletes should train with other people because not only does that give you company, it also brings out competitiveness and compels one other to push harder than the next. What's more, training with others also brings in the experiences of those around. There are many things I've learned just from training with others that I probably would never of figured out by myself. If you've read this far, I think it's fair that I reward you with a little secret tip of my own. If you ever get side stitches or cramps near your lungs (ie sides, stomach, etc.) the best way to get rid of them is to extend your torso out as far away from the cramp as possible. Then take a huge breath in. Hold it in for as long as possible. Repeat until the pain dies down. Basically what this does is allow oxygen to the cramped up region. This is a great tip which I have not seen on any website or blog so far and I only learned this from one of my mates. So there you go, passing on the knowledge.
There is nothing else really to say so I might as well repeat myself. If you are a triathlete and you are currently training by yourself, go join a tri club, or run with your mates, or join some sort of organized sports group. Trust me, it is definitely worth it in the short and long run. Besides all you really lose is a couple dozen dollars and when you are a full time worker, what's that to you? A new helmet perhaps.
