Going "Diplo" for My First Triathlon

Tanya Griffin
Jul 9
4 min read

Updated: Jul 13

A series of serendipitous events culminating on July 4th led me to signing up for the 2025 Sunset Triathlon in Boulder, CO this August 23rd. The best part is I will be doing it with my oldest son, Sam, just days after his brother Isaac gets married.

I will be competing the "Diplo Way". Like Diplo and his LA marathon, a triathlon is completely new to me and I fully intend to push through in an elevated flow state.

If you follow my YestoSex newsletter you may know I was born a 1968 Scorpio. I choose to live between Colorado and Oregon where my cannabis and micro-dosed psychedelic use is legal. I believe that prioritized pleasure comes with practice and shame is destructive no matter how it may be packaged.

Tanya's Tips: Dial in your flow state and breath. There is nothing you cannot do when your mind is on board.

Why Not A Triathlon?

There were three serendipitous events that led me to the Sunset Triathlon. Of course, nothing happens in a vacuum. Mentally I was ready. I have been practicing hot yoga for years, breathing, meditation and dialing in flow states for so the only remaining question was could I manage physically?

Here my hubris will always get the best of me, this coupled with the prospect of getting to do it with my son meant the only answer was, YES!

My Serendipitous Events

Sold My Tesla for a Bicycle

While I loved the car, for obvious reasons, I sold my Tesla for a bicycle. Change can be hard at first. Relying on conveniences is a hard habit to break. My bike sat, flat tires and unused, for years. I did not consider it an option for moving around the City until it was my only one. Once I did, riding my bike became normal and part of my daily routines.

Lap Swim on a Business Trip

On a recent business trip to Chicago I stayed at the Hyatt Lodge in Oak Brook. Nestled in the woods at the old McDonald's campus with a Mid-Century vibe and an Olympic-style pool, sauna and steam room, I could not help myself. I bought a swim cap and some googles, took an edible, and just swam, swam, swam. Surprised at what my body could handle when my mind and breathing cooperated I could not wait to do it again.

Similar to biking I had not put myself in a position to swim laps for decades. The last time was when I showed up to the YMCA after the birth of my third child. I was 100+ LBS overweight and just started swimming. I was very slow and drowning at first and then, overnight, it worked. The pounds melted away and before I knew it I took up running.

Again, taking it slow to start until it became habitual taught me that exercise was a mental escape and that the physical kudos were a happy coincidence.

Outgrew My Yoga Studio

The truth is I was asked to leave. After 750+ practices we had outgrown each other, particularly a teacher who did not understand that yoga is so much more than imposing your ego on another and dictating movement. It is about being fully present on your mat, breathing into flow states, and dropping into mind-opening growth and creativity.

When shame enters, all flow is broken.

I had been practicing at this studio since COVID. It was my community, the teachers were my friends. It was a typical Thursday evening when I pulled into the parking lot. Always early and ready to grab some hang time standing on my head, I got a call from the studio owner that my presence was no longer welcome. With time to spare I did not miss a beat and headed to a yoga studio just up the street from my house. It was half the price, more classes and I could ride my bike.

What first felt like heartbreaking change simply pushed me forward.

Tanya's Tips: Lean into change, each ego death can move you forward. What seems like a destructive force so often leads to positive change. For a deeper dive Visit @YestoSex article: Dialing in Hot Yoga Bliss

It's Bragging Time

I could share stories of each of my six kids singing their praises up and down each for different reasons.

Today is Sam's turn.

By the time he hit thirty, Sam had managed a work/life balance I could not have imagined at his age. After high school he worked for me, jumping head first into building healthcare startups. He took to it quickly, managed the crazy, got his MBA, and jumped ship for bigger things. He listened, learned and surpassed... a parents dream.

As the VP of Operations and a founding member of FinFit Life he blends what he loves, fitness, with family and work all enabled by an amazing partner and good choices I did not discover until I was 50.

Sam and his sone ready for Sunset Triathlon

Sam Almost Died During Chicago Marathon

In the throes of a Chicago blizzard, layered in wool undergarments and pacing himself with the fast pack Sam almost died as he neared the finish line of the 2023 Chicago Winter Marathon. Pushing himself hard, his temperature shot up to 107 degrees, he collapsed on the road and was rushed to hospital where he spent a week as his liver fought to rebound.

The Sunset Triathlon will be his first time back in a competitive race.

Ready, Set, Go - A Three Part Series

For so many reasons, I am excited to be sharing this journey with my son and will be taking you along for the ride.

In this three part series I'll dig into practice. training and dialing in the flow states required to mentally manage dosing and tracking of psychoactive substances culminating in a finish at Sunset.