Meet Triathlete Sergio Gayton
Triathlete Sergio Gaytan shares a candid and authentic look into his journey as a triathlete. With this in mind, he discusses his early struggles with weight loss then ultimately finding his inner-hero and smashing his fears.
We are grateful for this impressive and soul-inspiring athlete to take the time to share his story with us and the rest of the world. In these, times it is more important now than ever to listen and share stories of hope and determination. Meet triathlete Sergio Gaytan.
Back in 2018 Triathlon Taren gave you credit as one of Instagram’s biggest influences. Well before that, you were inspiring new and already competing athletes in the sport. Tell us a little about your story and how you found triathlon as a sport and why it became a passion for you?
First want to say that I wish there was Taren in the Triathlon world back when I started doing this sport, Taren is an amazing source of knowledge especially for those starting in triathlon, and a heck of great athlete too, love his work!
Back a few years ago, I was hugely overweight, I always had some sort of skill to lose my weight but always gain it back, I decided to try something new, this so-called “Active lifestyle” was a mystery for me.
I had no clue of how to start in all of this, I had an old pair of sneakers and went to google earth and mapped how many blocks were in a mile. My goal was very simple, be able to run a mile without stopping.
Of course, this was mission impossible carrying 100+ pounds of extra weight, but I was determined to really discover what it is like to experience that happiness that active people seem to have in their smiles.
I always been goal-driven and always had something to shoot for, whether it was a career goal or any other measurable goals, so putting numbers has been my motivation since day one.
Fast forward to several years, a mile goal, turned into a 5K, then into a 10K, then into a half-marathon, running was my first love. Of course, there is not a single runner’s pain that I haven’t experience but the key is not to let this keep you down.
I Discovered triathlon through my old boss at work, he invited (dared) me to signup for an Olympic distance triathlon, right away I said yes, my biggest blocker was: “How in the world I swim a mile in open water”.
Like all other things, it was a measurable goal to tackle. So I did lap by lap at the pool until I was able to cover the distance. After finishing that race (of course, I finish almost last) I was transformed into something else.
A new fire was born inside me, I was hooked and I found an endless source of motivation that changed my life forever. I would never run out of goals to hit! I would always have something to chase for, that’s what really fuels my passion, keeps me focused and gets me going year after year.
Sergio's Before and After
Being a goal-driven person has a dark side, it can consume you mentally as goals become bigger and longer and harder to reach. Sergio Gaytan
On your Instagram, you discuss meditation and yoga. What advice would you give athletes that are looking for ways and tools to balance training and daily lifestyle?
Being a goal-driven person has a dark side, it can consume you mentally as goals become bigger and longer and harder to reach. I discovered meditation and yoga not in a mystical way, but more as a mental-health approach.
I find calmness in simply taking a few minutes during the day to breathe so I can come back to the present and appreciate the current step I’m taking. This has been an awesome tool for me to calm down my hunger and impatience when my journey to my next goal is longer than I anticipated.
Sergio is going to 70.3 Ironman World Championship in New Zealand
Every athlete is a nerd when it comes to training. What is your favorite gear to train with during your swim, bike, run, or rest & nutrition?
We all love gear, my nerd side gets really excited about this. My favorite gear in swimming lately is my FORM GOGGLES, I cannot stress enough how much I love this, I been using this in paired with an HR monitor, I found this being a tremendous tool to learn to pace the efforts in long intervals at the pool as well as OWS.
My favorite bike gear is my PowerTap (Now SRAM) P2 pedals, they are simply reliable, they never fail. Training with a power meter has been crucial for improvements, If there is a piece of equipment I recommend is really a good power meter.
As for Running, A good Heart Rate monitor and a pair of shoes that help you run without getting hurt. I currently use Wahoo Chest Strap and Nike Zoom Fly 3 for training and Vapor Fly Next for racing.
But, most importantly… and I want to be super clear at this, as much as I love gear, Gear is not required to start, gear will not make you faster, gear will not make you fitter. They are certainly great tools to help you learn how to train,
My advice is to learn first how to “feel” how to find that inner pacing. I’m aware that this takes years to develop but our bodies have far more biological sensors than any gadget we can buy.
Sergio sporting Love the Pain triathlon wear
Triathlete Sergio Gaytan
Do you have any future goals or races you want to manifest for the future?
2020 is a crazy year, I was lucky to complete what was the last Ironman branded race this year. I qualified for the 70.3 World Championships in Taupo New Zealand and that is my biggest goal on the horizon.
I love competing in short distance race because it trains my brain and body to go as hard as I can, so I’m always looking forward to my regional races as well. I’m hoping to race in the fall in Washington.
We are such a small community but we all inspire each other Sergio Gaytan
How can our readers follow your adventures in training and triathlon?
I usually post my journey in my Instagram account @triserg Love to post gear recommendations, nutrition, weightloss advice, some nutritional tips, and simply sharing the life long road to a better person.
I’m really just as special, as all of you are, simply trying to do the best I can with the tools I have in hand. While connecting with other people doing the same thing, we are such a small community but we all inspire each other and that’s what I like to share on my Instagram.
A post shared by Sergio Gaytan (@triserg) on Feb 15, 2020 at 8:01am PST
A post shared by Sergio Gaytan (@triserg) on Dec 29, 2019 at 7:57am PST
Comentários