What Are The Real Benefits of Triathlon?
Well for me the sense of accomplishment is major! I am not the follow through kind of lady. I am a master starter but that’s it. This was a big deal for me. I trained and I finished. Who knew. One of the other things for me is the mental exercise. I find myself spending a lot of time thinking about my training. Am I riding enough? Do I have the right clothing? What can I do to improve my next experience? I was amazed at how much time this takes up in my thought process. I think that is a good thing. Can’t focus on other things when you are focusing on training.
I would love to know what others think. What are the important things about Tri’s for the rest of you? Let me know
First Triathlon – The Swim
I was pretty calm when we approached the water. I grew up swimming in the Atlantic and even though it was a bit rough, I didn’t have any trouble getting in. My strategy however wasn’t great. I thought the slower the better because I wanted to save my energy for the bike and run/walk. Well that’s okay but I was in the water long enough to swim three times the distance. Life Guards kept approaching me and asking if I was okay. I was. Just incredibly slow. The next time I want to relax an swim my regular swim.
Advice, if your triathlon involves open water swimming and you haven’t done this before (splashing around in the surf doesn’t count) please see if there are training swims on location so that you know what to expect. If you are uncomfortable with the swim, do several training swims. Then swim, your swim don’t let anything change your style.
Triathlon Journal
So this will only be helpful to potential triathletes or newbies like me. I was not prepared for my Tri. I thought that I had done enough training but I was slow in the water (I swim daily) and the bike almost killed me even though I had done the distance in the park where I ride. I don’t run due to knee issues but the walk was not bad. Not my fastest but not bad.
I think the worst thing was that as soon as I began to tire on the bike I lost my mental game. I began to think that I couldn’t make it. If Nancy Daly hadn’t come up next to me and convinced me to continue, I was going to stop and rest and try to start again. She rode with me and talked to me the last 3 – 4 miles.
So what’s my point? Make sure that you can do the distances with ease. The water is always an unknown but at least be comfortable with the distance. Ride, ride, ride and do your 5K runs/walks often. Lastly have a positive mental game and don’t let anything take you out of it. I can’t imagine an Ironman but lots of people do them. They must have a serious mental game because sheer will has to help you finish something that physically punishing.
2:22:57……First Triathlon done
Jersey Girl Finish
My First Triathlon: 2:22:57
Not sure where to begin this story. Yesterday I completed my first (and I vowed) my last triathlon. I was not a happy camper to be coming in near the end. I know that the time shouldn’t have been my priority but I was bummed out. Any way that’s not the beginning.
Thanks to the encouragement of my Brick City Masterswim pals, at the beginning of this year I signed up for Jersey Girl and Iron Girl. And in the spring I began training sans the bike because I didn’t own one. I think I bought my bike in the end of May. I was so fearful of the bike that it took weeks to get on it. It’s a hybrid and lighter than the mountain bike I had borrowed. Riding is not my favorite activity by far.
So, to yesterday. The rain really caught me off guard. I had thought of all sorts of conditions but not that. It was cool, dreary and rainy for the first hour in Long Branch. Tovah (Triwomen volunteer) had run a great seminar called Transition 101 for us newbies I had packed and double checked to make sure I had everything I needed.
Fast forward to yesterday, the transition area was as I had expected. My husband had made me a flag so I could find my bike and stuff. We were also at the edge of the transition area so we could clearly see everything. The rain kept me from laying out my event items even though I had plastic bags. Just seemed to complicated. So I pulled my helmet, shirt and glasses and put them on my bike seat and covered the whole thing with plastic.
The swim was okay. Pretty strong breakers. I was so slow in the water that people kept trying to give me noodles. I was fine but called myself saving my energy for the bike. I was in the water a very long time for the distance. But lesson learned. Did I mention the water was warmer than the air temp waiting to get in?
T1 was a bit of a mess because of the rain. Everything was wet and I didn’t have time to dump my Home Depot Bucket to sit on it which was my plan. Took me a while to change shirts, and do a balancing act to put on socks and shoes.
The bike ride was an 11 mile nightmare. My new friend Nancy rescued me at about mile six and rode the rest of the way with me talking to me the whole time. I was ready to stop. That course wasn’t what I’d call flat and we were riding into the wind coming back. I had on an open jacket which was like wearing a sail I’m sure. People have suggested that I might have done better with a road bike but one, I just bought my bike and two I swear people went by me on what looked to be the old Schwin bikes I grew up on. I just needed more training rides.
T2, I couldn’t feel my legs or hands. I asked my rack mate to take my helmet off because I couldn’t feel my hands. The legs were gone but I expected that. Again a shirt change and I started my walk.
The walk was not my fastest but not bad considering I had done swim and bike already. It took 53 minutes and the first mile or so I was just getting over “brick” legs.
I was bummed when I finished and saw the time clock. Duh! That was event time not my time. Today I saw my time broken down and I didn’t feel so bad. Except for the swim, the rest was about what I expected. Now I have room for improvement. Oh yeah and as of today Iron Girl is back on. I think!
My First Triathlon Is Eminent
I haven’ written anything here for months. The summer is moving so fast. Well okay time is time but it just seems that I always have something to do. I have spent the last two months training for this Sunday August 3rd. The Jersey Girl sprint triathlon. I am not sure that I am ready but on Sunday morning before light my husband and I will be heading to the Jersey shore. Long Branch to be exact. I just picked up my package and numbers for me and the bike. 452, that’s me so if your there let me know.
I will chronicle the day in detail so look to hear from me.
How Much Gear Is Too Much Gear?
I promise you that when I bought my bike a few weeks ago I had a conversation with myself about not buying unnecessary gear. Swimming is my first love and okay I have five or six bathing suits and about six pairs of goggles, two different types of flippers, ear plugs and several bathing caps that I don’t even wear. All essential stuff. But now comes the bike. Two weeks in I had to get a more comfortable seat and riding gloves. Now I am contemplating new pedals because my feet keep slipping off of mine. Oh for goodness sake, I do not want to buy bike shoes and pedals. Did I mention that I am riding in my baggy tee shirts and running pants. Don’t say it! Riding clothes? Where does one draw the line?
Memorial Day Ride
My third ride this month after a twenty year layoff. Better than the last but I still get numb, cold fingers and that makes riding tough. I am not sure how I can rectify this situation. I had on my new bike gloves not sure of their benefit actually. I did six miles but just couldn’t feel my fingers any more. Oh did I mention that I’m as slow as molasses?
Memorial Day 2014
The Bike……..Chapter One
So after not riding for over twenty years I bought a bike three weeks ago. They have a name for the category but I guess you would call it a hybrid bike. It’s a Giant Escape. I am not ready for a road bike and probably won’t ever be. My goal is to ride at a reasonable rate of speed and finish in a reasonable time (for me) in my triathlons. This bike is a major step up from the heavy borrowed mountain bike that I rode a few times this past fall. Anyway I am still learning how to ride the dang thing. I had no idea how to use the gears. Little by little I’m getting the hang of it. But here are a few things that I didn’t expect.
It’s still been cool in the morning and my hands have been freezing. I didn’t expect that. My right hand actually got so cold and numb that I couldn’t feel my fingers or change my gears without trouble. Part of the problem is that I have a death grip on the handle bars. This is related to the fear that I still feel when riding. I bought some riding gloves but haven’t been on my bike due to my ongoing knee treatments.
The second thing I didn’t expect was how excruciatingly uncomfortable a bike seat could be. It was so uncomfortable I had to stop riding. I bought a new seat but again I haven’t had a chance to ride with it.
Issue number three is that my feet keep slipping off of the pedals. I discussed this with the folks at Hilltop Bicycles where I bought my bike but they could only suggest cages or clip pedals. Both scare the life out of me but I may have to reconsider if my feet keep slipping.
So if biking isn’t your thing but you need to ride I suggest that you buy your bike from folks in the know. New or used a bike shop is a good place to go. Get the best bike that you can afford. Be ready to maintain it properly and take good care of it. Although I haven’t been able to ride with them I belong to a group of female riders HbWomen who ride out of the Hilltop Bikes in Summit and Cranford. They are supportive and helpful and know a lot about riding. If you are unsure, look for a group that can support you. Lastly, just go for it. I am still nursing a bit of fear but it gets easier every ride. More bike stuff later.
Where Do I Begin? — Tri 101
So I just read Leah’s comment to me and I do have to remember that I am not competing with those ladies that are setting their watches and running like hell into the water. I cannot promise yet that I won’t let them fluster me. In the end of April my buddies and I entered and indoor Triathlon at Montclair State University here in New Jersey. This was just for fun as far as we were concerned. I didn’t even know that the “winners” were getting prizes. So the deal was swim for 10 minutes, ride spin bikes for 30 minutes and run(in my case walk) on the treadmill for 20 minutes. Keep in mind that I swim three to four days every week.
We had to swim two in a lane. I was in the lane with Debra who is one of our teams best swimmers. When the man said go I began to swim and by mid length I had lost it. I couldn’t breathe and was convinced that I was going to swim in to Debra who was at least a half-length ahead of me. I would be embarrassed to tell you how few lengths I did in 10 minutes. The bike and treadmill were fine.
So what’s my point? Most of the Triathletes that I have met so far did one of the three sports when they signed up for the Tri. In my case swimming is my sport. That doesn’t mean I’m good but I’m consistent. So I was extremely upset when it was over and I had gotten so psyched out that I couldn’t do the one thing I am counting on in the Tri.
I must get control of the mental game to finish this thing. Some of those ladies can be pretty aggressive when they are doing their Tri’s. That coupled with open water (I am a pool swimmer) has me pretty nervous. Not to mention that I am incredibly slow in all three at this point.
At least I can swim with my age group not that there aren’t competitive, aggressive 60+ women but maybe they’ll be nicer? We’ll see won’t we. Jersey Girl Triathlon, August 3, 2014, Long Branch, New Jersey will be my first!
If At First You Don’t Succeed, Tri, Tri, Again
Haven’t written in a while but I am still here. My very first Sprint Triathlon is scheduled for August 3, 2014 and I am getting ready in my head. Now you know that I have talked about this for a long time. First steps were hard. I spent the winter having an on again off again swim season. Our pool was down for some time and I was lazy when it was up. I found out that stamina leaves in a short amount of time. It’s May and I’m really not ready to do the 300 yds yet. On top of that I bought a bike two weeks ago and had to deal with my serious fear of riding. I have been on the bike a few times but there is still a lot of work to do there. I had a needle in my knee yesterday and hope that after the three shot series I will have less pain in it which will make walking easier. I will be walking the 5K part of the Tri’s. Anyway I’m back and will be talking about my road to Triathlon in the upcoming days.
First Steps the Hardest 