I have made it a goal to complete my first 1/2 triathalon by August, 2005 (despite the fact that I am currently 100+ pounds overweight). Anyone else have similar goals? I'd love to hear training tips and experiences!!!
I'd love to do a triathlon, but am scared ... yes, me beeeeg cheeecken !! So this is the first time I more or less commit myself to it.... I'm 47, 48 in January... I intend to weight train/jog/ and I need to find somewhere to swim this winter, or should I say, I need lap swimming lessons... I am in Cornwall Ontario... where are you?... They had a Try-a-tri here this summer and I was very envious of everyone who participated... I had been asked to participate but was cheeecken again because I was worried about the 300m swim IN the RIVER ... and the 5k jog outside, which I would have no problem now with because I go out regularly...For the moment I am jogging inside 5k takes me forever it seems 45 mins. and I want to work on my time throughout the winter...
I want to do a "sprint" triathlon in June (1/2 mile swim 12 mile bike 5k run) Of course at my pace there will be nothing sprint about it. My goal is to finish. I have never participated in an organized event. The school I attend has an excellent workout facility including an indoor pool so I have no excuse not to train (except my laziness). I have signed up for an adult’s beginner swim class so I can learn proper stroke technique.
According to the book I purchased about tri's the difference is distance
Sprint Distance is usually .75K swim 22K bike ride 5k run
Olympic Distance is 1.5K swim 40K bike 10K run
Half Ironman Distance 1.2 mile swim 56 mile bike 13.1 mile run
Ironman Distance 2.4 mile swim 112 mile bike 26.2 mile run (can you imagine!!)
So I am starting with a sprint distance and see how that goes.
Thank you J4M for the info... The one they had here this summer was sprint distance with those exact #s... I wouldn't mind trying it this summer... I've got some serious training to do!
I've been doing triathlon for just over a year now and I absolutely love it. It's a wonderful challenge to push yourself in 3 sports and really show yourself what you are capable of. Plus the cross training helps keep the whole body, upper and lower, evenly developed and reduces the chance of injury.
There are many sprint distance triathlons that have the swim leg in a swimming pool--no fish involved. If open water swimming is intimidating (or just yucky), I'd advise looking for one of them as your first race. Honestly, most people are nervous about it, but once you come to understand that being relaxed scares away the sea monsters, and the fast swimmers scare away everything else, there isn't much left to worry about!
There is actually an excellent book by Jayne Williams called Slow, Fat Triathlete, that talks about her weight loss, becoming a triathlete at a larger size, and is a good general beginner guide to the sport. Very inspirational! Her website is http://www.slowfattriathlete.com/ if you want to check it out.
There is also a Tri'ing for Weight Loss forum at http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/ that has lots of real people who've taken up the sport either after or during significant weight loss. Great stories there as well.
Thank you so much! I think that is one of the best pics of me in existance.
Forgot to mention that I'm racing today (Sat). Sprint distance tri with a pool swim, 400m/10mi/3mi. I'll try to check back in later and let you know how it goes. Could write a short race report if anyone is interested.
Triathlon rule #1: You will always do something stupid before the race. For this race, I did my strength training Thursday evening without properly taking into account I've had a couple week layoff due to a bad cold. So race morning comes around and my quads and hams are SORE. Ibuprofen is my friend.
Pre race: I packed up my triathlon bag last night with all my stuff, swim, bike, run, nutrition, and miscellaneous (sunscreen, watch, etc). Pumped up bike tires, and put everything in the car. Race morning 4:30, alarm goes off, eat a quick breakfast, put on race garb, and then drive for an hour to get to the race, the Desert Grand Triathlon in Casa Grande AZ. I got there early, picked up my race packet, got my number body marked, and went to set up my transition area. I scored an end of one of the racks, so I had more room for my stuff and easier access during the race. Woo-hoo! Set everything up carefully, then used the bathroom and milled about. Took some more ibuprofen, and hoped for the best with my poor poor legs. Did I mention I was SORE? The weather was perfect, I'd guess in the 70s, so not too cold for riding the bike soaking wet, nor too hot for dying on the run. Overcast as well, so no sunburn issues.
Swim: The swim was a 400 meter serpentine swim in a pool. That means everyone started at 10 s intervals, one swimmer at a time. Swim up one lane and down the next. The swim was easiest on my legs and the cool water felt good. I didn't have such a great swim though and finished about a minute slower than my expected time. Several people passed me, and I didn't pass anyone. But it wasn't a disaster.
T1: Swim to bike transition. I exited the pool relatively quickly and ran over to my bike. Put on my helmet & sunglasses, tossed swim cap and goggles down, and put on my shoes. I always get a little dizzy bending over after swimming hard. Stand up, grab bike from the rack and run to the mount area.
Bike: The bike was a 10.4 mile loop around farm country and the roads were relatively flat. I was pushing very hard, and my legs were screaming. I backed off a bit, but still managed to pass a bunch of people, and only got passed by a couple of guys. I ended up averaging 17 mph, which is a great speed for me, an awesome ride. Especially given how much it hurt! Drank some Gatorade on the ride to rehydrate and get some carbohydrate and salt back into the bloodstream.
T2: Bike to run transition. I dismounted my bike, ran it back over to the rack and took off my helmet and shoes. I had a hard time getting my still wet feet into my running shoes. Plus most of my toes were numb from riding! Did up my shoes, put on my hat and race number belt, and I was off. The hat is absolutely essential, because at this point in the race I had semi-wet swim cap hair, helmetized and frozen into bizarre shapes. There is very little dignity in the mechanics of racing, but when they take my picture, I refuse to look like an alien.
Run: The run was a flat course over relatively well groomed trails, 3 miles total. Should have been relatively uneventful, even though running off the bike is challenging under the best of circumstances. It is almost the same set of muscles, but used just differently enough to totally screw you up. I had pushed so hard on the bike, and my legs were just toast (are you seeing the theme yet?), so it was a very hard effort for me. People around me were starting to walk, and I just wasn't going to. It felt like I ran so slowly--I'm not fast to start out with, but it just felt like I was creeping along. Lots of people passed me on the run, but I kept going and did not walk. I made it to the finish line in 30 minutes exactly, 10 minute miles, which is very good for me--not quite as good as a stand alone run time, but better than I've managed in most of my races this year. I was shocked, since it felt SO much slower.
Post race: Finished in 1h 21m 30s. Reasonable time & I'm happy with it. Picked up my finisher's medal. Ate some of the food provided--racing is so stressful on the body it isn't a good time to count calories. Proper refueling is important for recovery. Just reminded myself not to go crazy and watch it again tomorrow. Drank a bunch of water, used the bathroom, and packed all my stuff to go home. The transition area is a lot messier after the race than before! Once I got home I iced my quads and hams, and actually feel a bit better now. The shower also helped.
Last triathlon of the season for me! I had a good time, pushed through some challenging moments and generally have reaffirmed my belief than I can do just about anything I decide to work for. Attaching a scan of my medal for ooo-ing and ah-ing purposes.
Ooo-ing and ah-ing appropriately here and for my new found hero!! Now I really want to do one! Next year for sure... Thank you for that great description of the event Dranne... It has really motivated me to try...Actually next week I'm going to sign up for some kind of swim lessons...
Triathalon Anyone?
... yes, me beeeeg cheeecken 
!! So this is the first time I more or less commit myself to it.... I'm 47, 48 in January... I intend to weight train/jog/ and I need to find somewhere to swim this winter, or should I say, I need lap swimming lessons... I am in Cornwall Ontario... where are you?... They had a Try-a-tri here this summer and I was very envious of everyone who participated... I had been asked to participate but was cheeecken 
and I want to work on my time throughout the winter...
fish, weeds, polution!! I shudder at the thought!! I guess I'll have to get over that fear...
for my new found hero!! Now I really want to do one! Next year for sure... Thank you for that great description of the event Dranne... It has really motivated me to try...Actually next week I'm going to sign up for some kind of swim lessons...
Thank you for a GREAT story, Anne! I'm in awe of what you've accomplished 
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