How I Began Racing Triathlon.
An intro to myself and the LMT-LESS newsletter!
Starting a new hobby, deciding to go after a goal, or beginning a new sport is a difficult step to make.
My name is Lauren Hogg and I began running triathlon early 2022, and I haven’t looked back since.
Growing up soccer was my singular focus. My life surrounded the sport. I played throughout my childhood and even reached the university level. So how did I end up here?
During my collegiate career, my team at Queen’s University, would play preseason games in Mont Tremblant, the location of Canada’s staple IronMan race. The thought of running one was always in the back of my mind as a dream accomplishment later down the line.
Then the pandemic hit. Soccer was postponed and I turned my attention to long distance running to keep in shape, which sparked something within me that brought back the thoughts of racing an Ironman.
Once the pandemic settled down I went back to soccer, but it wasn’t what I was hoping for. I was being over-worked and was sustaining injuries. I could never fulfill my potential due to the coach at the time and he frankly made me hate the sport. I decided to leave the team and heal my body and mind.
Shortly thereafter I gave myself a present for Christmas. A sign up for the February IronMan. (When telling my friends this story they always laugh at the fact that this $500 commitment to waking up early and training non stop was my idea of self love).
I did my first race in February, my first IronMan in August, and the IronMan World Championship 2 months later. A year later, I’m recovering from injuries and continue to chase this, whatever this is.
Rewind a year ago when I ran my first IronMan. I started posting content on TikTok and Instagram. At first it was for fun, but after clear interest, it became more than that.
The amount of views on my videos and demographics of people watching didn’t correlate to the triathlon world. There were far more young people and far more women relative to the racing field. That told me that people have an interest in starting, but maybe need a push.
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I want more young women to take that leap on achieving their athletic goals, whether that’s race an IronMan or run a 10k. (If you’re an older dude, don’t worry this is for you too!)
This sport has done so much for me already.
I jumped into triathlon quickly because I never got the opportunity to explore anything else but soccer and it was exciting.
I got to train 3 sports instead of 1, making days less repeatable and reigniting my love for sport. It wasn’t competitive like soccer was, I didn’t have any pressure. This allowed me to see my full potential from the beginning, contrasted to my previous sport where I felt I was being hindered.
Being completely out of my comfort zone was exhilarating. With no experience, other than being an athlete, I was able to start, compete, and achieve goals very quickly.
My goal is to be the best I can be. Whether that’s being a professional one day (and carry out a childhood dream of being a professional athlete), or if it’s racing a few more times. As much as I care about my own athletic pursuit, having an impact (big or small) on growing the triathlon and athletic community specifically with young women is more important.
That’s why you’re reading this.
Hobbies and athletic pursuits have personal limits which means they essentially have none.
Come with us in our pursuit of being LMT-LESS.
I’m excited you’re here,
Lauren
Weekly Q&A (If you have a question, comment at the bottom or dm me)!:
Q: Do you have a coach or trainer for your races?
A: I do! I’m part of NRG my coach Nigel Gray was a professional triathlon and guiding me through training for my first IronMan, especially while I was still in school. Took a huge stress load off of me.
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