Triathlon. Me?!!! page

[lizch]

So Tigerlily suggested a triathlon as a goal for me, specifically the Danskin next summer. It's been rattling around my head all morning, which is usually a sign I'm about to have a whim and GO FOR IT. I hate swimming (even in a pool), I'm dangerous on a bike, and (until discovering VFFs) dislike running. But hey, running is now much more fun. I just ran a mile around the soccer fields before watching my son play. Furthest I've run in probably 30 years.

So maybe I can overcome my fear of water and bikes and do this crazy thing? Seems no more crazy than not using shampoo, eating butter, or walking around barefoot

So...two concerns. Doesn't something like this translate into chronic cardio? And second....how do I approach something like this without getting injured along the way? I do have a tendency to overdo it. I downloaded Slow Fat Triathlete onto my Kindle, and that may well answer some of the second question, but I'm very interested to hear experiences/recommendations from primal-folk.

[TigerLily]

heh heh heh. I've gotten to you! That's what happened to me too when I was first introduced to the concept. Completely rocked my world.

Granted, something like the Iron Man IS overtraining (as Mark will tell you), but this is a short-distance ("sprint") tri: 1/2-mile swim, 12-mile bike, 3-mile run. I've seen a 250-pound woman finish (and finish STRONG!) in just under 2 hours. This is not chronic cardio! If you need to, you can walk the run part (or walk part of it). The swim is for sure the most intimidating, but you can do any stroke you need to -- I've seen backstrokers, I've seen doggy-paddlers! As far as the cycling goes, you can train out any clumsiness. I hadn't been on a bike since I was 8 years old when I began training for my first Danskin. And I could only swim to save my life. (I ended up having to take swim classes.)

Inspiration:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E9miwR-Ajk
(What did I tell you about the tears?! It's hugely emotional.)


There is a wealth of free sprint tri training info online:

http://www.danskintriathlon.net/

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/

Also, there will be an optional formal 8(?)-week training program leading up to the Danskin, but it's not free. (You meet up with the coach and other women in person and practice open-water swimming and the transitions together.)

They have the Danskins all over the US throughout the summer -- Florida, Texas, Chicago, NY/NJ area, California, Seattle, more....

[Grumpycakes]

A short triathlon like that sounds kinda fun, although a half-mile swim is a hell of a long way if you hate swimming.

[TigerLily]

I ain't gonna lie: The swim is the worst part for most folks (myself included). Luckily, it is up first, and then it's over and done with.

I wasn't going to let something like a little fear stop me, though.

For the Danskin, they have "water angels"--volunteers out in the water to help you if you panic and get into trouble. They have buoys and floats you can stop at and hang onto for a bit, if need be.

[lizch]

.... although a half-mile swim is a hell of a long way if you hate swimming.

True. And although barefoot running seems to make running more fun, I'm not willing to see if bare swimming makes that more fun, for both modesty AND hypothermia reasons

[TigerLily]

Oh, there are also such things as duathlons -- cycling and running. I'm not sure about sprint duathlons, however.

Regardless, event training with a goal to cross the finish line strong, rather than exercising for weight loss or getting a saggy butt lifted up, can be a very powerful, wonderful, paradigm-shifting thing for many women. (Sticking to the short-distance events, so as not to get into chronic cardio and overtraining.)

[lizch]

I think that's what has me intrigued by your fabulous suggestion....this would be a challenge mentally and physically, it would yank me out of my comfort zone. It would feel like I was missing out on part of that if I didn't face the swimming part!

How did you train for your first? With a group, on your own, or with a trainer? Did you train evenly for all three parts, or start with one and add the other two over time?

[TigerLily]

Liz: I've gotta head out to work, so I'll answer in more detail later. But, for now, I'll say that I trained for my first with a group of other women with a triathlete when I was living in the Bay Area. Especially for the first one, I'd highly recommend that rather than going at it solo. You'll make many new friends and will have all the support and formal preparation you'd ever need. Plus, race day is so much more fun with a bunch of people you know there with you; it's a party. I know for a fact that Seattle has many such training groups. The Danskin is huge in Seattle. (I'm not sure if Redmond is a suburb of Seattle? I'm on the other end of the state -- just across the river from Portland.)

[lizch]

Thanks TigerLily!

Yes, Redmond is east of Seattle, about 20 miles. Sounds like you're down in Vancouver?

[TigerLily]

more inspiration/info:

http://aliedwards.com/2010/08/seattl...triathlon.html