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Writer and Triathlete –
How One Passion Fuels the Other
by Christine Mazurk

I am a writer, and I am a triathlete, two opposing passions that fight one another, but fuel each other as well. How so, you wonder? Think of it as well written conflict between your hero and heroine. When he wants one thing and she wants something completely different, problems arise, and yet, on occasion, those problems draw them closer together.

For me, the occurrence is daily.

As a writer, I have a need to keep butt in chair while fingers dance in an exuberant fashion over the keyboard. As I get immersed in the world of my characters, I forget to eat, to drink, and sometimes I miss a much needed trip to the potty – until my bladder flips over after a bloodcurdling screech and plays dead that is.

As a triathlete, my body needs to get outside and train. I compete in endurance events (translation, long distance, many hours), which means the shortest training run I take is an hour, the longest training ride is about six, and time in the pool fluctuates somewhere around ninety minutes. Hours of training equals hours not writing. Can you see my dilemma?

But I’ve learned to make them work together.

Oddly, it was while writing my first manuscript and training for my very first Ironman that I realized the two could be a couple. A few months into training, I felt the opposing pulls of my two endeavors, the guilt weighed on my shoulders, and one question plagued me – how could I train for hours and still write a four hundred page novel?

But on the morning of a long run, the answer came to be like a flaming meteor. It was dark, the sun had yet to awaken, and my husband and I were out for a fifteen miler. We don’t talk when training; it’s our quiet time to concentrate on our own thoughts. My right knee was sore and I was favoring it when Alexandra and Tyler, the characters from my ms, popped into my head and acted out the scene I’d begun the day before. It was like watching a movie as I glided down the sidewalk. Their actions were vivid, their voices clear, and I knew I needed only to commit the pictures to memory, so I could type them when I got home. They rehearsed the entire chapter, scene after scene as I ran.

Miraculously, the pain in my knee vanished and I ran with the lightness of a feather. When I got home, I wasn’t tired; I was exhilarated and ready to hit the keyboard. I showered, brewed some coffee and got to work. The scenes they had created flowed from my fingertips and the story took shape – and so a new pairing began.

I found that the hours of training flew by and I felt less pain if I kept my brain focused on what needed to happen next in my stories. Like a movie playing in my head, I planned the next few scenes while my body got the workout it deserved.

After a hard workout, a refreshing shower, my fingers itched to get to work, and my time in front of the computer became much more productive. Over time, I learned that if I hit a wall in my writing, I simply had to go out for a run or a ride, and the problem would resolve itself as the salty sweat poured over my skin. If I hit that dreaded wall while training, I simply spoke to my characters and let them infuse me with fresh energy and ideas.

One passion fueled the other. My body would sweat, and my mind painted beautiful pictures to the harmony of every breath I drew in. As my muscles gained strength, my words stirred emotion. As I achieved endurance for my heart and lungs, my writing evoked deeper, more compelling reactions from my readers. One fed the other, and they both gained substance.

I can and do train for Ironman distance events (140.6 miles) while writing emotionally satisfying stories. I’ve completed six Ironman races, collected my hard earned medals, and finished three single-title manuscripts, which one day will be published, and I’ll be able to glory in the achievement of every sweat induced word.

I look at the two passions in my life and realize without them, I’d be nothing, but with them I am a well-rounded, physically fit, mentally stimulated individual. One passion fuels the other to keep life interesting. And I plan to continue following those passions with all of my heart.

I would urge you to find your passions and do the same. Whether they fight or fuel each other, let them be the driving force to chase your dreams, whatever they may be.

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