Triathlon Training

That’s it. I’m addicted. I’m addicted to the excitement, the high, the people, the joy, the thrill, the unknown, etc. What is it that I’m addicted to? It’s the world of triathlons. Have I completed my first triathlon yet? No. But the moment I cross that finish line on July 9th, 2011 I know that I will be a full-blown addicted triathlete.

I have toyed with the idea of completing a triathlon ever since winter / spring 2010 when I found out that some of my friends had successfully completed triathlons of their own. I thought, “I could do that!” I didn’t get the motivation to start training, however, until March 27th, 2011 when all of the sudden I asked myself, “What are you doing? What are you waiting for?” That same day I joined beginnertraithlete.com, found a training plan, and headed out for my first training run.

To start I was only able to run for about 8 minutes before feeling as though I was going to die. Yesterday, however, 10 weeks into my training I ran for 34 minutes straight for a total of 3.26 miles. The wonderful part of it all is this was completed after my 45 minute swim training. During the run I felt calm, comfortable, and in control. Three months ago I never thought this was possible.

Websites I now regularly check include runnersworld.com, traithletecompetitor.com, and of course beginnertriathlete.com. I read articles, join forums, and watch videos all related to the triathlon world. I’ve learned so much, but know I still have so much more to learn.

One of the things I enjoy about the sport of triathlons is that there are three different events involved; swimming, biking, and running. This allows me to mix it up throughout the week so that I do not get bored doing the same thing day in and day out. Someone once asked me which event I enjoyed the most and my response was, “It’s hard to say because each event has its pros and cons. I like them all.”

running

biking

swimming

I am so excited and nervous about my upcoming Triathlon (exactly one month away), so much so that my dreams have been taken over by triathlons. Last night I dreamt mostly about the open water swim portion. I dreamt that the swim course was a straight out and back. I did not have a wetsuit, but still found myself quite calm and smooth in the water. The swim went very smoothly and so did transition 1. This was all that I remembered.

I feel more confident in my body than I have in a very long time. I have my training to thank for that. With running, biking, and swimming I do not have a choice about eating healthy or not. Whatever I put in my body is how my workouts are fueled. A year and a half ago I was out of shape, obese, and not very happy in my own skin. Today I have shed 43 pounds, am starting to see some definition, and am feeling quite confident. I look forward to seeing where else my triathlon journey takes me.