I wasn't always so active and my journey to this point actually began several years ago, when a friend of mine was training for the NYC marathon. She was looking for people to run a half marathon with her and I thought maybe I could do it. I decided to test that theory and go for a run and quickly realized I could only run for a half mile straight. Of course, this was unacceptable, so I took up running more seriously. At that point, I had been haphazardly running intervals on the treadmill about twice a week, thinking I was doing pretty great, so I was a bit shocked that I could not run for a longer distance. As I am prone to doing, I started my fitness improvement by reading every book and website I could find about running. What better way to get fit than by reading! I absorbed as much as I could and quickly realized that I needed to run a lot slower, if I wanted to cover any distance. Since then, I have run quite a few races from 5ks to Spartan Races. I have never placed in any of these races. Usually, I come in somewhere in the middle. I consider this pure luck and good genes, since I have been graced with a body that packs on muscle just as easily as fat. I am not a very disciplined athlete and I tend to approach my running with a "less is more" philosophy. My typical running schedule is, at most, 3 days per week and is generally comprised of a short tempo run, a long slow run and a medium interval run. I'm trying to add in more hills, because, frankly, I hate hills and the only way to get over that is to do more of them. My running goals, right now, are to break 30 minutes in a 5K and to finish a half marathon.
As for swimming, I have been swimming since I was a little kid. I was a diver, a synchronized swimmer and I was on swim teams. In the summers, growing up, I would wake up early in the morning and my sister and I would ride our bikes to the pool and stay there all day until it closed. In college, I was a member of the surfing and sailing clubs. Every summer, I make it a point to go to the beach and get out in the water. I love swimming and am a swimmer at heart. But, for a long time in between college and last year, I only swam recreationally. Nevertheless, getting back into it was not a challenge. My
first time in the pool, for training, I was able to swim a half mile without stopping and was up to a mile within two weeks. Last year, I decided to enter some open water swimming races. My first race was the Coney Island Aquathlon (1/2 mile swim/5K run) and in the swim portion, I finished in the middle of the pack. This gave me a bit of confidence. It was a challenging race, but also a lot of fun. In my next race, however, I fought a very strong current and received a "DNF". This was heartbreaking, but I learned a lot from the experience. Last fall, I joined a Masters Swim Team and worked on my technique. My swimming goals are to get faster and to qualify for the Statue of Liberty Swim in 2015.
The part of the triathlon that scares me the most is the bike. I know that's weird. Everyone but me seems to love the bike and hate swimming. But, I haven't really been on a bike regularly since I was a kid and the idea of riding around cars scares the heck out of me. A few years ago, I got a cruiser bike but have not had a chance to ride it much, due to the fact that I do not have a car rack and I live on the side of a mountain. Seriously, it's a mountain and not a hill. Every time I take it out for a spin, I get down to the bottom of our street and I have to walk it back up again. I feel pathetic. A lot of this journey will be about me learning to ride a bike again. I plan on getting a new road bike shortly. They say you never forget how to ride a bike, so we'll see if that's true. For now, I have been riding on a stationary bike at the gym.So, that is where I am in relation to the three sports involved in a triathlon. If it sounds like I am somewhat fit at this point, well, I sort of am. I am not completely a beginner, but I am also not very fast. I expect that I will finish somewhere near the bottom third in my first race and improve from there. I track my workouts on Fitocracy, so you can follow me there, if you'd like to know more details of my workouts.
I have already registered for my first race, the Iron Girl Sprint Triathlon in Sandy Hook. This is about 8 months away and I plan to do a few other races before then. But, I am committed to it now, so here goes nothing!
Loving your blog.... I did my first tri just over a year ago and wish I'd kept a diary. Your lucky with your confidence in the swim, it can make or break your race. Being efficient in the water is so important. I had to do adult swim lessons in the kiddies pool as I never learned to swim, was a bit embarrassing but now I can swim.... if badly. I remember reading somewhere that even amateur triathletes are hard core as they have to train in three disaplines. Fitting that into your week plus strength work can be hard! I have a fortnightly program, is easier to fit everything in, doing each disapline 5x a fortnight.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about the bike, it terrifies me too but once in the race the competative side comes out and u forget the other stuff (like how my boss came off his and broke his collar bone, 6 ribs and punctured a lung). Do buy a decent bike though, you'll want one eventually anyway. Plus clip in shoes, pedals, windtrainer, kit etc etc etc.
Good luck with your training!
What do you mean by fortnightly? I'd love to hear more about your training program. Are you planning to do more triathlons this year? Thanks for the advice!
DeleteWhat I mean by fortnightly is.... well depending on yr strengths, most will train 3times a week in each disapline. Plus 2x strength sessions. Thats 11training sessions a week.... whose got time for that? So I do it fortnightly, 5 of each disapline and 3 strength sessions over a fortnight is a total of 18 a fortnight, or 9 a week. Also by doing brick training (swim-bike or bike-run) u can do 2 disaplines in one session, and doing brick is important for training specially bike-run, getting your body used to transition is important, legs feel like lead coming off bike.
ReplyDeleteI'm doing my first Olympic distance in November, Noosa triathlon (am in Australia). I've done a few enticer/sprint distance, olympic seems like a huge scary jump but very excited about it. Also doing swim/run on a half iron man in august. Like I said, nervous on the bike so doing team and have a friend doing cycle part.... need experience in the water! Ek! A fish I am not :-)
I love running, have done a few half marathons. Do u have a good half marathon training program? I followed one before my first event in 2012 and finished it comfortably, a good program is important.
Really looking forward to seeing how you go, forget times, they aren't important. Just do your best, triathlon is a sport where you can compete against yourself.
I see what you mean about fortnightly now. :) I plan to write some posts about my training schedule in the future, as it progresses, but right now, it is pretty simple with 2 runs, 2 swims, 1 bike and 1 strength training session per week. I have considered doing relays, but I really want to push myself in all disciplines - at least this year!
DeleteLove your blog. I have done one mini-sprint and placed 3rd in my Age Group. I am going to do the same race again this summer, but the sprint. I also have a blog, wrote diligently and then stopped when I hit a major burnout. Now back on track. I look forward to more of your entries. http://myascentfromhell.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteThanks! That is pretty awesome to place 3rd. I technically was first in my age group for my Aquathlon...of course I was the only one IN my age group. ;) I will check out your blog. :)
DeleteAs an FYI, it says I have to be invited to read your blog. :(
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