How to Get Started in Triathlon with Author Hilary Topper (who started at 53!) Ep 114

Every endurance athlete remembers the moment when things finally click. Your swim feels smoother, your pacing makes sense, your fueling works, and suddenly the sport feels not only easier, but more fun. And for many athletes, that moment happens at training camp. That's exactly why we created the Endurance Edge Triathlon Training Camp happening April 22nd through 26th at Lake Jocassee in South Carolina. For 4 incredible days, you'll train in a small group with expert coaches, sports nutrition support, and sports psychology guidance, all designed to help you train smarter, race stronger, and finally connect the dots in your performance. We swim in crystal clear mountain water, ride beautiful and challenging roads, run scenic trails, and spend the rest of the time recovering, learning, laughing, and eating some seriously amazing chef-prepared food. Mm-hmm. Camp is intentionally small, just 20 athletes, so you get real coaching, true connection, and amazing breakthroughs. So if you want an experience that can transform your entire season, we invite you to join us. Head to theenduranceedge.com and click training camp and reserve your spot with just a $100 deposit. Come train hard, learn a ton, and leave stronger than you ever imagined. I'll see you there. All right. Welcome back to the Find Your Edge podcast. I am your host, Coach Chris Newport, and today I have Hillary Topper here, an acclaimed author, triathlete. I cannot wait to get into this conversation. So welcome to the show, Hillary.

Thank you so much, Chris, for having me.

Yes. So you just came out with a new book. So let's brag on it. First of all, like hold it up, show it off cuz this thing, look at that guy. S. So unlocking the Bible, right? Yes. Unlocking the triathlon. But honestly, so she sent me the PDF version. It's a really easy read. It might look intimidating by the size of it. Uh, 353 pages, I think officially. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Which is awesome. Uh, but I'm definitely sending this to all of my friends who are thinking about triathlon. So, and this This is your fourth book, right?

Yeah, this is my fourth book. My first two were focused on social media. You know, I had a public relations firm for about 30 years. That's kind of how it all, like, transpired. Do you want me to just get, like, right?

Oh, yes. So, yes, take it away.

So, so I had a public relations firm for over 30 years, and I guess about maybe 10 years ago, I started feeling like I was working my butt off to feed my staff, you know, to feed my family, to feed my, feed my parents at the time, you know, they were alive. And it was just like, it was just too much. Like, I just, I couldn't, I got to the point where I was like, you know what, enough is enough. The clients are calling, blah, blah, blah, you know, they want this, you know, it's never, nothing is ever good enough, right? Like when you're working in the public relations field, you get them in the New York Times and then And they're like, oh, what did you do for me lately? That's not good enough. I want to be on Good Morning America or whatever. Right. So anyway, so at that point I said, you know what, I'm getting heavy. I'm— I gained a lot of weight, decided to join a gym for the first time in my life. And I joined a gym, a New York sports club. And the— I hired a personal trainer and the trainer said to me, go warm up on the treadmill. Little did he know that I never was in a gym before, so I didn't know how to use the treadmill. So I asked this woman next to me who's running, and she's like sweating, dripping sweat. And she says to me, you know, I said to her, could you help me? And she stopped what she was doing. She did help me, which was really super nice. I mean, now I would never, but at the time I had no idea what the protocol was, what was right, what was wrong, you know, how I— anyway, So I started, you know, that was really my first time on a treadmill. And I started to slowly run a little bit on the treadmill. And eventually I decided to take it outside. And in the meantime, I meet this woman from a women's group. And she says to me, you know, we like, we're all in like the PTA and all this. And she said to me, oh, you're a runner? Oh, let's run together. She had just run the New York City Marathon. And I was like, I don't know, I don't think you're gonna want to run with me. I'm a beginner. I really— I don't even know what I'm doing. Don't worry, we'll be fine. So we start running together on the Long Beach Boardwalk. It's about a 2.1 mile in each direction, so it's like 4.2. And we start to do that once a week. And I guess about a month or two into this, she says to me, let's go run a half marathon. And I said, a half marathon? I can't even run 4 miles, you know, I'm dying over here. So anyway, You know, so we started, we, we, we did our first 5K together, our 10K together, and then we eventually did the half marathon. But it wasn't until I guess we were doing all of these racecations together, me and this woman, and she said to me, at some point during the Brooklyn half marathon, I don't want to do this anymore. I'm done with running events. This is too long. It's too much. I don't want to do it. So I said to her, I had just been to Fort Myers, Sanibel. I was one of the original Google Glass explorers. It was like augmented reality, kind of like the Meta glasses that they have today, but it was Google. And anyway, so I go to Fort Myers, Sanibel, and the tourism woman says to me, oh, you've got to try this triathlon. You're a runner. Oh, you would love this. So I, I tell my friends, oh, there's a triathlon in Captiva and let's do it. You know, it should be really fun. Little did I know I had to learn how to swim and ride a bike and I barely knew how to run. So it was a learning curve for me. You know, I'm the type of person that throughout my whole entire life, I never did anything athletic until the last, you know, 10, 12 years. That was it, like nothing. So this was completely new. And I started buying all these books. This is what led me to this. I started buying all these books on triathlon and how to do a triathlon and, you know, zones and what it all means and, you know, how to buy a bike and all. And I went out and I bought all these books and I'm reading them and I have absolutely no clue what they mean. Like, I— it's just totally over my head. I'm saying to I said to myself, there's gotta be a book out there that's easy to understand, that anybody could understand. And, you know, and that's what led me to this book.

That's amazing. What, what a phenomenal journey. And I love that you said that, you know, I, I'm sort of backing up a little bit. You, you didn't have a history in sport. You literally didn't know how to operate a treadmill. And then suddenly It's almost like this friend came along and identified you as a runner and then it was like, whoa. And then here you are like becoming a runner and then you sort of get tagged into this triathlete. Now you're gonna do a triathlon. So like how, where do you feel like this whole identity or perhaps lack thereof played into this journey?

Well, at first when I started to do this, I, you know, you have that, um, I forget what it's called, like where you, you know, where you do something, but you're, you're like an imposter. Like you really, you know, you don't belong here. Right. But when I did my first triathlon in Captiva, I actually felt like I did belong. Like I loved it so much. It was like, For me, it was just the best experience. And then I like signed up for another triathlon right away. You know, that's how much I loved it. And then that first year, like right after that, that first year, I signed up for so many back to back to back to back. I just couldn't get enough of it. What I loved most was that everybody's welcome, you know, And you don't— and it doesn't matter how old you are. I started triathlons at 53. You know, I'm 64 now. I mean, it's not like, you know, and I'm still doing them. I just saw an 85— I just met an 85-year-old woman at an AlphaWin Triathlon in Hudson Valley. She was incredible. She had an— I mean, she just was incredible. And it just motivated me thinking, wow, if she could do this, I could do this too. And that's kind of what I— my goal here is, if I could do this, you could do this. You know, anybody could do this. I mean, I was somebody, you know, my first book, From Couch Potato to Endurance Athlete, it's— it's— the subtitle is non-athletic triathlete, right? I never thought I was athletic. I was never— that wasn't me. But there's something about this lifestyle that just, you know, grabbed me.

It resonated. Yeah, that's so cool. And what I'm gleaning from this is that while I think a lot of people can be intimidated by multi-sport or endurance sports in general and sort of going back to that identity piece, is that, um, a lot of it is a story that we're telling ourselves, like, oh, triathlon is not welcoming. Like, no, make yourself fit. Like, if it brings you joy, if it brings you a challenge, if it's, uh, something different to do something for your health, do it.

Absolutely. You know, I was watching the Jones Beach Ironman a couple of weeks back and I was just like, you know, I was with my running group. We run, we go out every Sunday and I was talking to them and I said, look at this, you see, everybody has a different body shape, body shape, age, color, anything like everything is accepted in this sport. And that's one of the reasons why I love it so much. Because you could, you know, you could be an 85-year-old woman, you could be a 300-pound man, you know, I mean, it It doesn't matter as long as you're out there and having fun. Everybody accepts each other, you know, it's not like, oh, you don't belong here, you know.

Yes, which when you first held up the book, so she's going to hold it up again. There's a bookmarked page because I wanted her to read a certain quote that I loved out of it, which is exactly what you're talking about. So do you mind?

So yeah, so, so after each chapter, I have these quick tips. And in the chapter where I talk about every shape, every size, embracing diversity in triathlon, I say embrace who you are. No matter if you're overweight or underweight, you belong here. There are all body types in triathlon. Don't be ashamed or embarrassed. We are one big family. And I really feel like that's true.

Yeah, that just like gave me the warm fuzzies.

I love it. You know, cuz it just, you don't have to be the fastest and the greatest, you know, it's just okay to be out there. And even if you come in last place, like, so what? Other people are sitting on the couch.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

I mean, this is a, it's no small feat to do a triathlon. I, I think there needs to be a level of respect there, but to your point, it doesn't matter what size or shape you are or how old you are. You just have to have the willingness to try, right? And just get out there. Okay. So how long have you been— how, how long has it officially been? We're at the end of the season. How long has it officially been since you've been doing triathlons?

So it's just about almost 12 years. Yeah. You know, I got so into it, uh, like you, I, I became certified, you know, in USA Triathlon and USMS Swim Coach and RRCA Run Coach and WOWSA Open Water Coach. You know, I just like keep getting these certifications because I love it so much and it's just something that I want to know as much as I can. And there's always something new.

Yes. And that's also what I love about it. The challenge of how many, how many different variables there are and how our physiology is all just so unique and how what one thing, how one thing may work for some people doesn't necessarily work for the others. So it's like the endless problem solving.

Exactly.

That's what I love about it.

Yeah.

So, but it can all be fun.

It can all be fun. And it's also, to me, It's life, you know, because things go wrong in life, right? Like that, that I think I talked about that in this book as well. I think I talked about it, I know in my From Couch Potato book, how things happen, you know, spontaneous, I mean, just things just happen. And you, you have no control over it. And you have to accept that because sometimes you don't have control. So focus on what you can control, like that's what I really want people to take away from this.

Which, speaking of things you can't control, I think you had a somewhat recent— or you, you definitely got injured at some point. Was this recent or not recent?

I've got— I've had so many injuries.

Yes. So talk about that because do we all have to like be in perfect health to do multi-sport or just endurance sports in general to have the lifestyle, right?

You know, I know people who had heart issues. I mean, gosh, I have a friend who actually had a heart attack on an Ironman course. Can you imagine this? And he just kept going and completed the course. And then after he found out he had a heart attack, I mean, I think maybe that's not the smartest thing. I think, you know, if you have to listen to your body and, you know, like those professionals at Kona, Um, I forget their names, but those— there were two women professionals that called.

Yeah, Taylor Nibb. To just— what?

Yeah, they knew their body. They knew that it was time to stop.

And I think there's a level of— there is a level of knowing where your why is. So why are you doing this? And What does it mean to either stop or not stop?

Right?

Like what, what's the level of, maybe we call it sacrifice. I, I don't, I don't know, you know, of when you listen to your body enough to say, this is not worth it for me to, to finish. And that, you know, so a DNF is not a failure in life.

It's not a failure. It wa— like I, I thought it was when I first started. You know, oh, she got a DNF. Oh, you know, I mean, really, she got out there and she, you know, if you can get out there for the start line, you won. Like every single piece of the race, you won. And if you finish the race, wow, more power to you.

Like, and it's a testament to the fact that the training is the journey. Like the whole, just deciding that you're going to do a triathlon can be the start of the journey. Like, okay, I am willing to learn the things about what the heck is a derailleur, and I'm willing to learn, yeah, be vulnerable and put on a bathing suit that maybe I haven't put on in 20 years and wear this like really weird cap and goggles that makes me look like a bug and being like, you know what, I am okay with it. And here I am. I'm just gonna, I'm just gonna try. Like, let's just do it.

Yeah.

Yeah. So cool. What were some of your favorite parts of writing the book and maybe not so favorite parts of writing the book?

I think that my favorite part was thinking about what would make it easy for people to read and understand, right? Like, that was, you know, and I, I think that was my favorite part because I, I, I'm like, I'm like you, like, I like to help people. Right. So, and I, and I want people to just give it a try, you know, I mean, you may love it, you may not, but you know, if you love it, great. It's just something, it's a great cross-training activity, you know, to run, especially for runners because a lot of runners get into triathlon and There was one woman in the book who I interviewed, um, Jodi Robertson. She's a professional triathlete. And she said that she was in the Olympic trials and she was doing like almost, you know, I don't know, she said something crazy, like 120 or 140 miles a week of running. And she was getting injured all the time. And then when she started doing triathlon, she cut it down to like 70 miles. I mean, still 70 miles a week is a, is a lot of miles, but. You know, I mean, and she said she was getting injured less, which I totally believe. I mean, there's something about swimming. Now, I was again, not a swimmer. I was— I wasn't a runner. I wasn't a cyclist. But I think swimming for most is the hardest part. For me, for some crazy reason, I embraced it and, and I would say that that's the thing that I love most about the sport is swimming. I actually just wrote yet another book. It's at the publisher now, and it's, it's specifically for people to help them get in the open water and feel comfortable and all of that. But, you know, it just, I don't know, I lost my train of thought.

I mean, It's just, it's a testament to the fact that we just like love talking about the sport and want people to get inspired and into it. So I totally get that. Okay. So now what, what's the hard part about either writing a book in general or specifically writing about this topic?

I think writing, writing in general, or even writing about this topic, it doesn't really make a difference, but the editing process, you know, and just keep going over and over and over each and every paragraph and sentence and Yeah, it's a lot, you know? And then my first book, I still had my firm, my PR firm. So I had an employee who was helping me, you know, with the publicity and with, you know, marketing and stuff like that. Now I'm like all by myself and I have to do this alone. And it's like, oh my God, there's so much to do, you know, and not enough time. And I'm going to be traveling around, you know, to different locations. Um, my first book, my first endurance book, From Couch Potato, I was you know, every month I was somewhere else. I was like around the country. I just, I went, I guess, as far west as like Tennessee, um, you know, I did Chicago, you know, and that, but I never like went to California. Like I just kind of stayed close to New York. This time I'm just, I limited it. Like, um, I'm going to be doing Florida in February, Long Island obviously because I'm here, I'm having a big kickoff event on January 27th. I'm going to Boston, Philly, Austin, Texas, and Colorado. Colorado, I found, was like a big hotspot for runners and triathlons. So, you know, that, that made sense. And it, you know, did really well the last time I went there.

Yes. I mean, and you can't miss the scenery, right?

Like gorgeous.

Yeah.

Gorgeous. My cousin was like, okay, she lives there, which makes it helpful. And she said to me, oh, let's go to Iron Springs. You know, it's like these natural hot springs there. I'm like, yeah, I'm in.

Yes, totally. Totally. That's awesome. So speaking of the multi-sport lifestyle, you're going to be traveling a lot and I'm sure there are people who travel and they're like, well, I can't keep up with it because I may not have access to a pool and I'm not traveling traveling with my bike, and I may or may not have access to a bike in a hotel. So talk about that a little bit. Like, do we fail if we're, if we're not swimming for a week?

We're off the trainer, you know. There are other things. I mean, first of all, we all really need to strength train. I mean, especially as we get older. As we get older, you know, you lose muscle mass, and it's just, it's, it's important, right? So You know, and maybe that's even more important sometimes than the actual endurance stuff. I mean, just to, to train and to, you know, get your muscles strong. So you could— there's usually a gym at these places, and I always, you know, bring like a band or two with me. You know, you can always run. And I— what I do sometimes is I like juggle my schedule so that I'll do like more bikes and swims before I go. And then I focus on running when I'm there, you know what I mean? So there's ways to juggle it around. I think the hardest part for, for people to get into this sport is to figure out their schedule and how they could fit it all in, right? You know, for me, I learned pretty quick that getting it in in the morning was the only time for me, because otherwise I, I can't— I'm too tired in the afternoon. There's just no way after work and everything. There's just no way I could do it. Now, other people feel that they're invigorated after work and they need like an outlet just to release, you know, and that's okay. So everybody's got their own method to this madness. For me, I just like, I'll put all my stuff out the night before so that I have it. Coffee's ready, get my clothes on, drink my coffee, look at the social media, see if anybody sent me messages, and then I'm out the door, you know. And I'm usually out the door at like, you know, depending on the time of year, you know. In the summer, I'm out the door by 4:30, 5 o'clock. In the winter, I'm out the door, you know, a little later because of this, you know the sun. I mean, it's still dark when I'm out there, but yeah, you know, it's starting to get light. Yeah. And then I see the beautiful sunrise and it's like, oh, this energy is amazing.

Yes, that is such a treat, especially if, uh, 4:30 is giving anybody hives right now. You know, like, it is lovely to, um, to, to see that sunrise and to be rewarded with that in, in a way. And then I know you talked a lot about like community and groups. Are you about training with people, or are you just like one of those that I'm like, I'm just doing it on my own, or is it maybe a combination?

It's a combination for me. I do have a group that I train with, and I have my running group. And then, you know, when, when we go open water swimming, there's always— there's a spot. We're, we're so blessed, really. We are so blessed living here on Long Island. There's a spot at Tobay Beach, and you got to get there before the beach opens because we all are not residents of this particular community, but we get there early and there's always somebody to swim with. And even if you're swimming alone, you're still out there with people, you know, it's not like you're alone. You're always with somebody, there's always somebody there. So it's nice. And, you know, we stop at the marina, everybody chats, we stop at the Bonsai, everybody chats, you know, so it's, it's fun. And then cycling, you know, sometimes I go, I have a, a cycling buddy and, you know, he goes, he's much faster than I am. So I kind of like start with him and then say, okay, we'll see you later. You know, that's, yeah.

And you talk about that a lot in the book in terms of like community and friends and finding people to keep you engaged. Cuz you know, we're always thinking about, at least I'm always thinking about longevity. How can we get people moving, whether it be swim, bike, run, or just bike, or just run or strength train or whatever. How can we get people moving and get them social? And so, you know, I know so, so many people are like, oh, I'm introverted. I'd rather train by myself. Well, you know, let's do a fun thing together.

It definitely makes a difference. Like even with my running group, you know, where we go very, very slow, it's more of a social group than anything. It really is. And We do the run walk. So I've been— I was trained by Jeff Galloway. He actually coached me for the New York City Marathon, and then I became a program director, and I was with that group for a while before I got my certification with Roadrunners Club. Anyway, so we do the run walk together, and we always go out with the slowest person. So no matter what, I mean, and, and the funny thing is, is that I've got people who are running like 7-minute mile to a 16-minute mile, and we all run together. You know, somebody said, oh, you run together? You know, like, we're gonna slow down? Yeah, it doesn't hurt you to slow down. And then after, we— what we do is we usually go out for breakfast, and it's just a great way to, like, end the week and relax. And I'll tell you, I mean, I feel like My best friends are friends that I met through triathlon training and through running.

I would have to 100% agree with that. And you know, they're people that I met when I first started in the sport and I still keep in touch with them and they're like my besties. And there's just something about sharing a common value of health and wellness that just makes it work.

Yes.

And that, you know, it's like Triathlon becomes your tribe. And how cool is that, that we have people to lean on who aren't sugarcoating anything? You know, we're doing hard things, but also, uh, sometimes life doesn't go the way we plan and there are injuries and there are ups and downs and there's things to get through and burnout and all that kind of stuff that those people are there to support you.

Absolutely. Without a doubt. Like after, you know, my sister, my sister had a brain aneurysm. Um, a few years ago, and it was traumatic. I mean, it was like one of these horror stories that you hear about that you can't even imagine that anybody's ever been through, right? Like, she was in— she collapsed, she was in a coma for 3 weeks, and then, you know, went into palliative care and she passed away. So during that time, I was complete, absolute, complete mess. I mean, here's my best friend, but the people in the group really helped me to overcome this. I mean, not overcome— I'll never overcome it because I'm always thinking about her— but they helped me to get back to me, you know. They were there for me, and that was just amazing that they were there for me, you know. And I always, like, if somebody— my— one of my friends in the running group, her husband just had quadruple bypass surgery. And she's like, very, very upset. I mean, obviously upset about that, you know, and I've been like bugging her like every day, how you doing? Can I help you with anything? You know, I want to be there for her. She was there for me, you know, like that, like, that's the type of, that's the kind of relationships that you have with these people. And it's just so incredibly special. And it's more special than people that you've known you all your life, you know, like you just get this bond with them that is very, very special.

Yes, whether it's talking about supporting you through the death of a loved one or some sort of health crisis, or on a lighter note, telling them that their bike shorts are too thin to be appropriate anymore, right? That's what I love about the community is you've got that, but like both ends of the spectrum, right? Like bringing out the, the supportive and generous side of people, but also like, You know, let's have a laugh every once in a while.

And believe me, there are things that, you know, you just can't even believe happen. You know, just, this is crazy. I'm, I was training at Hofstra. This, I teach there. It's a university on Long Island. You know, I'm swimming along and I'm, and all these lifeguards are looking at me. I'm like, what is going on? Why are they looking at me? Like, I'm thinking, oh, my stroke must be really good, or yeah, I don't know what's going on, right? And then I get to the turn, you know, to the wall, and I turn around and I feel— I feel like, like there's so much water on my chest. My boob was like sticking out of my bathing suit. I couldn't understand. I couldn't understand what was going on. And here I was like, oh, of course, that you just made their day. I'm out of here. I was like, I'm out of here. I'm not coming back for a while. Hopefully.

Oh my gosh. That's yeah. Yeah. You know, it happens. Crazy.

Like, you know, silly things like that.

Oh, but I bet your group got a kick out of that. Did you tell them that? Oh my goodness.

Oh, they loved it.

That is so funny. Oh, the things that happen to us. That's amazing. Okay. So now, now we talked about the fun and the warm side of multisport, but then there's the part that maybe we don't wanna talk about so much, like what happens when you get burned out. So like when we came on the call, we were talking about like, oh, you know, I was gonna do this bike ride this morning. So talk about that a little bit about how you're feeling, how this season went, how you're feeling and, and how may, you know, is this a normal experience to have?

It, it actually is a normal experience to have after a long season. I mean, uh, my season started in, May, and I had about half a dozen triathlons. And then I had two open water events, one which went from Fire Island to Bay Shore. It was a 5.5-mile swim. And then I did the Mackinac Island swim, which is an 8.2-mile swim around the island of Mackinac. And it was It was a lot. Like, I went from that, then I went back to a triathlon, then I got sick, like really sick, you know? And it was like my body saying, you know what, it's, you know, you got to slow down. And the last couple of days I've just been feeling like I am so tired. You know, yesterday I forced myself to go swimming and I just, I wasn't really swimming like I normally do. Like, I was swimming much slower and I could tell that my body was just saying no. No, it's no. And then today, you know, we had a little bit of misunderstanding with the, you know, with the time, and I was gonna go out and, and ride my bike. And you know what I said? You know what, this actually worked out for the best because I didn't go out. I rested in the morning, which was really nice. I don't usually take that opportunity to do that. And yeah, Yeah, you know, and, you know, I'm sure within the next week or two, I mean, I think the most important thing once it's off-season is try to do something different, you know, try to do something different. Like, I love going skiing, you know, that's something that I just really enjoy to do, you know, doing, or, you know, just do something that you weren't able to do during season, maybe playing golf, or, you know, still beautiful, the weather, or whatever, whatever it is that you like to do. Just go to the gym 3 times a week. You know, you didn't get that opportunity when you were training.

So yeah, I think that's a great tip for folks that you don't have to keep up the same level of intensity, the same level of structure that you do during season in the off-season. And oftentimes that makes you come back fresher.

Absolutely. And it's actually nice, like, to do a race and not really have a time goal, or to go for a bike ride and not care that you're, you know, that you're killing it on the bike.

I love, uh, oftentimes like pacing friends. Like, hey, let's, you know, I know you said you wanted to do your first 5K, like I'll run with you. Oh, but you're so much faster. I'm like, nah, you set the pace. I'll just talk you through it and keep you entertained.

Absolutely.

And it's so fun. It's so fun.

Yeah, it is fun. Yeah.

Yeah, that's so awesome. All right. So Hillary Topper, what are 2 or 3 things that you feel like you want folks who are listening to this to walk away with tied into whether it be your book or whatever else to get into multisport?

Yeah, well, the first thing is don't, don't get down on yourself because you're not athletic, right? Just start to do something and it'll make you feel better mentally and physically. And the thing about just getting out there and doing something is that it really clears your head. And that's huge, right? So I would say that would be the start. You know, don't, don't worry about your body type. Don't worry if you're overweight or underweight or old or young or whatever. You know, just go out there and do it. And I would say the other thing is make sure if you, if you do your first triathlon, don't be like me and buy expensive equipment. Go just borrow, borrow something. Gwen Gergensen borrowed her mother's bike and it was like a used mountain bike she did for her first triathlon. I mean, Just borrow a bike. My training buddy, he rode his bike. He borrowed a mountain bike from a friend. The seat was like half chewed off by the dog. I mean, the bike was a disaster. But yet, I'll tell you, I'm on a tri bike and he was on that mountain bike and he kicked my butt during that. I hate to admit it, but he did.

That's so awesome.

Go F yourself.

Oh my gosh, that's amazing. So get out there no matter what, just start doing something. Borrow instead of buy. Any other— anything else you want to leave folks with to encourage them?

You know, I don't think— some people do this to try to lose weight. That's not really the right— it's not really where you're gonna— I mean, you will lose weight, but it— you gotta watch what you eat, you know? That's really the bottom line here. Um, and I do have, um, Stacy Blanket. She's a nutritionist. She gave me like a, a whole like training plan that's in the book. Um, You know, and just do it. Just get out there and have fun and, and don't, don't worry about what other people think. You know, I always find like I, you know, for years I felt that way, like, oh, you know, I'm not good enough, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. No, you're good enough. You could do this. You've got this. And I guess the last thing is, if I could do this, you could do this too.

So good. I love those, uh, final words. Um, so I have a present for folks if they buy your book for the first 3 people to buy their book and you send me a screenshot, I will give them a 1-month free group triathlon training. Um, so $99 value. So, uh, send me a screenshot of that. I would, cuz you guys gotta get this book. This is such a great way. Way to get your feet wet, to understand some of the more complicated language, and to just get people moving. So I believe in the book so much. I think it's great. And then hopefully that we can add to the community experience if they are in the North Carolina area. If you're not, send me a screenshot anyway. I'll send you, I'll send you something else. So yeah, I got lots of tricks up my sleeve.

So that's wonderful. Thank you.

Awesome, Hillary. Well, thank you again for coming on the Find Your Edge podcast. And how can people reach you or buy the book?

Um, so they could buy the book Unlocking the Triathlon: The Beginner's Guide to Competing in a Triathlon. And this book is available on Barnes Noble. It's available on Amazon, or if you go into your local bookstore, ask for it, they can get you a copy of it. And you could reach me, I guess, on Instagram. I'm @hilarytopper, and that's Hillary with one L. So it's H-I-L-A-R-Y Topper, T-O-P-P-E-R.

So good. Awesome. Hillary, thanks again for coming on the Find Your Edge podcast.

Thank you so much.

Thanks for listening to the Find Your Edge podcast. If you like what you heard, don't forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. And if you're interested in learning more about our endurance coaching, sports and wellness nutrition, metabolic and sweat testing, triathlon training team, or our triathlon training library, be sure to check us out at theenduranceedge.com. And don't forget to follow us on social media at The Endurance Edge. Thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.