Many people 2)reiterate the importance of a “life goals” checklist—a list of things that you hope to do, by a certain time or year, in your lifetime. Last summer I accomplished a huge life goal of mine: I completed an Olympic 3)Triathlon. It may seem like a regular goal to some, and it may pass off the 4)radar screen for many. My family and friends know me as an athlete—so why is one triathlon such a goal for me?
许多人都在反复强调列出一个“人生目标”清单的重要性——一张列举了你在一生之中某段时间或某一年所希望做的事情的清单。去年夏天，我实现了一个极大的人生目标：我完成了一次奥林匹克三项全能比赛。对于有些人来说，它看上去也许只不过是一个正常的目标，也许根本不会被列入许多人的考虑范围之内。我的亲朋好友都知道我是个运动员，那么为什么一次三项全能比赛会成为我的一大目标呢？
When I graduated from college, one of my life goals was to do a triathlon in my post-college years. Instead, I 5)got wrapped up in the 6)hectic late-night schedule of 7)graduate architecture school and made a mess of my work-life balance while trying to learn how to design. Three years went by, and it seemed I would never really be an athlete in the way I was in college. It was physically and mentally depressing—the lack of 8)endorphins, the lack of 9)adrenaline, of competition. I missed it.
大学毕业之后，我其中一个人生目标就是在大学毕业后的那几年里完成一次三项全能比赛。然而，我因挑灯夜战攻读建筑研究院而忙得不可开交，在努力学习如何设计的同时，工作和生活的平衡也被弄得一团糟。三年过去了，我似乎永远都不可能真的成为像大学时那样的运动员。我身心都倍感沮丧——缺乏内啡肽、缺乏肾上腺素、缺乏竞赛。我怀念这一切。
In 2008, I finished my Master’s program and, re-energized, I moved to San Francisco and quickly signed up to do a triathlon relay with friends on the SF Tri Club. The swim 10)leg was amazing, but I still couldn’t run or bike—and I didn’t own a bike to ride. I spent 2008-2009 training for a half marathon—running 5K’s and training in the foggy cold morning hours and trying to figure out how to make my legs move faster than an 11-minutemile pace. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I had my sights set on one big goal: the July 26, 2009 SF half marathon—my first half marathon. I wanted to focus on running training, and work my way up to a triathlon for the end of the summer 2009. I 11)splurged and I bought my first road bike—a Fuji Roubaix Pro. The rest of my pennies went to a bike pump. Biking shoes would come later. Three weeks until the half marathon!
2008年，我完成了硕士课程，重整旗鼓，迁往旧金山，并且很快和旧金山三全俱乐部的朋友一起报名参加了三项全能接力赛。游泳赛段棒极了，但我还是没能跑步或骑自行车——而且我也没有自行车可骑。整个2008到2009年，我都花在半马拉松训练上——跑上5000米并在大雾的寒冷清晨时分训练，努力寻找方法，让我的双腿速度快于每英里11分钟。实际上我并不知道自己在干什么，但我的目光聚焦于一个大目标上：2009年7月26日旧金山半马拉松比赛——我的第一场半马拉松比赛。我想将注意力集中于跑步训练上，并在2009年夏末完成一次三项全能运动。我豪爽地买下了我的第一辆公路自行车——一辆富士的鲁贝专业。我剩下的钱都花在一个打气筒上了。之后再买自行车鞋。距离半马拉松赛不到三个星期了！
On July 4, 2009, I stopped by the doctor’s office to figure out a problem with 12)tingling and 13)numbness in my right arm. I walked into the facility with my work clothes on and only my wallet and keys in my pocket—expecting to leave a few hours later. Instead, I was transferred to the ER and later the ICU for 5 days to undergo an extensive set of tests that revealed a 3-inch blood 14)clot inside my chest (blocking blood flow to the upper right 15)extremities in my body), and it required immediate action. I was 16)hooked up to a drip line of 17)TPA to “melt” the clot and monitored on an hourly basis for vital signs and breathing.
2009年7月4日，我顺路去诊所解决我右臂产生刺痛和麻木的问题。我穿着工作服，口袋里只装着钱包和钥匙就走进了诊所——以为几个小时之后就能离开。结果，我却被转入了急诊室，后来又在重症监护室待了五天，接受大量的测试，结果显示我的胸腔里有一个三英寸大的血凝块（阻碍血液流入我的右上肢），需要立即治疗。我被连上了血纤维蛋白溶酶组织激活素滴线以“溶解”凝块，并按时监控生命迹象和呼吸。
Ironically, I had a rare condition in which my rib and 18)collarbone were too close—nearly touching—pinching the vein and nerves in my 19)thoracic outlet and creating a blood “traffic jam” in my body. After removing the clot, the hospital cleared the 20)cardiovascular operating room for the whole day to remove my first rib and examine the extent of 21)vascular surgery required. Thankfully, they did not have to cut through my breastbone and open my chest 22)cavity—I was under 23)anesthesia for only 3 hours and left the hospital with a 6-week no-arm movement 24)prognosis (and no yelling/talking/coughing/sneezing or moving my chest, either).
讽刺的是，我还有个罕见的情况，我的肋骨和锁骨距离太近——几乎是挨着的——挤压着我胸廓出口的血管和神经，造成了体内血液“堵车”。在移除了凝块之后，医院花了一整天将心血管手术室清空，用来移除我的第一根肋骨并检查我体内需要进行血管手术的部分。谢天谢地，他们不需要切开我的胸骨并打开我的胸腔——我只被麻醉了三个小时，出院时被要求六周内不能活动手臂（也不能大叫/说话/咳嗽/打喷嚏或活动胸部等）。
My 2009 Fall season was filled with yoga, gentle runs, and working my way back into swimming—300, 500, and 800 yards at a time. In January I did a 1500-yard swim that didn’t hurt my shoulder or neck—because in the process of removing a rib, the doctors also cut out some of the upper chest muscles that hold your ribs in place—making it really painful to reach, stretch, or put any weight or pressure on my entire upper body post-surgery. Sneezing, talking, coughing, and laughing were 25)excruciating. Fortunately, the recovery time went quickly and by March, I swam 3000 yards. I got out my bike and started going on short 5- and 6-mile rides. I started riding to work (8 miles each way) and felt my legs getting stronger.
我的2009年秋季充满了瑜伽、慢跑和恢复游泳练习——从一次游300码逐渐递增到500、800码。到了一月份，我终于可以游到1500码而不觉得肩膀和脖子疼痛——因为在移除一根肋骨的过程中，医生们也切除了一些固定肋骨位置的上胸肌——使得伸手、拉伸，或是术后在我的整个上半身施加任何重量或压力都非常疼痛。打喷嚏、说话、咳嗽和大笑都让我备受折磨。幸运的是，恢复期过得很快，到了三月份，我可以游3000码了。我取出自行车，开始骑行五到六英里的短距离路程。我开始骑车去上班（单程八英里），并感到我的双腿越发强壮起来。
In late March, 2010, I renewed my tired inspirations to actually DO a triathlon (now a goal over 5 years in the making) and signed up for SF Tri Club’s track practice and Wildflower Training Weekend. At the training weekend, I did my first 25 mile bike ride(which left me panting, sweaty and shaking all over). The swim was excellent, but the run 26)subpar (I ended up walking the last 4 miles of it).
到了2010年3月底，我重振士气，决定真正地进行一次三项全能（已是一个进 行了五年多的目标），并报名参加了旧金山三全俱乐部的路线练习以及“野花周末特训”。在周末训练时，我第一次骑行了25英里的路程（这让我气喘吁吁、大汗淋漓、全身颤抖）。游泳部分很出色，但跑步不达标（最后四英里我是走完的）。
And then, the summer of 2010. This summer was absolutely inspiring. I ran my first 9 mile race and coastal trail runs and began to fall in love with running, especially through wooded, dense, forested areas. I went on a 57-mile bike ride and 27)waddled for days, but still came out grinning. I went to track practice enough times to make some new friends in the city, and swam with 28)USF Masters many more times. I tried out my new tri-fit and 29)wet suit in Aquatic Park and got shiny new 30)clip-in pedals. Each day I get to run, race, swim, or compete makes me incredibly happy.
接着，到了2010年夏天。这个夏天绝对鼓舞人心。我跑完了我的第一个九英里赛跑和沿海越野跑，并开始爱上了跑步，特别是穿越树木茂盛浓密、草木丛生的地区。我骑完了一段57英里的路程，然后步履蹒跚了许多天，但依然笑嘻嘻的。我参加了多次线路训练，多到足以让我在这个城市里认识一些新朋友，和旧金山大学的硕士们一起游泳的次数也更多些。我在“水上公园”试了试我的新铁人三项服和泳衣，并弄到了全新的自锁脚踏。每一天我都在跑步、比赛、游泳或是竞赛，这让我开心得不得了。
On a sunny, clear-skied early morning, I drove down to San Jose to do the Silicon Valley International Triathlon and complete my first triathlon. I was incredibly nervous and really excited. It was my first time doing transitions, my first time in the tri-fit in a race, and my first time racing with clip-in pedals. I took it out smooth and long on the swim; 31)negative-split the bike trying to keep a little energy in my legs, and ran the entire run course without walking. In the end, I was hot, sticky, sweaty, and unbelievably happy. I did it: 2 hours and 55 minutes of pure glory. I came out fast in the swim and was passed continuously on the bike and held on at the end of the run. I made it.
在一个阳光灿烂、晴空万里的清晨，我开车前往圣何塞市参加硅谷国际三项全能比赛并完成了我的第一次三项全能赛事。我万分紧张，也异常兴奋。这是我第一次做项目转换，第一次在比赛中穿三项全能服和锁鞋。我在游泳赛段动作流畅舒展；后段加速骑行，为双腿保存一点能量，并跑完了全程而没有步行。到了最后，我酷热难耐、浑身粘腻、大汗淋漓却快乐得难以置信。我做到了：2小时55分钟的完美荣耀。我很快游完了全程，继续骑上自行车，并坚持跑到了最后。我成功了！
I AM now a triathlete.
如今我成了一名名副其实的三项全能运动员。
