In the Beginning

Around the middle of last year, I first heard the phrase "Triathlon" and a little later I learned of the crowning distance of these events, the Ironman.  While I have no desire to compete in the unfathomable distance that is the Ironman, my interest was piqued.  I already cycle and run, so why not combine the two and add in swimming?  Accordingly, I signed up for the Lake Logan International Triathlon, which will require that I swim .9 miles, bike 25 miles, and run 6 miles.  The plan is also to compete in some local sprint distance triathlons (750 m swim, 20 km bike, 5 km run) over the summer, so I can have some real time practice for transitions and (gulp) swimming with a huge group of people, all of whom possess flailing limbs and occasional sharp nails. 

My boyfriend recently completed his first Ironman 70.3, and used a training plan that came in a book on basic triathlon training.  I have decided to use this book's Olympic tri training program...if nothing else, I know these plans work!      

The decision to compete in tri's has also led me to the realization that I could not have picked a sport that needs more stuff.  When I first starting cycling last year, I was amazed by the number of accessories required:  helmet, gloves, padded shorts, jersey, hex key, tire kit, tire pump, bike rack, extra tubes, water bottles...and the list goes on.  Of course, now I can spend hours, quite happily, in my local bike shop, perusing the latest products and chatting with the staff. 

Helping support my boyfriend through his Ironman training introduced me to the accessorized world of triathlon. Transition bags, transition mats, cycling computers, heart rate monitors...granted, a lot of training can be done without these things, but the farther you delve into it, the more it somehow becomes critical to know what training zone you're in during mile 6 of your long run.  

So, this week I started.  It's going to be a long road, but I am looking forward to welcoming a truly fit mind and body back into my life.