Are you aware that my first ever triathlon is in less than two weeks? Uhm yeah, it kind of snuck up on me too. I am in general, fit, so I am hoping that just somehow miraculously carries me trough this gig... but I fear I may be, as they say, tri-screwed. Okay nobody says that, but I am saying it now.
The ironic part of this triathlon thing is where and when it all began. When I was young (say 12) I wanted to win things. I was super competitive. I was on various local sports team, including a swim team. I should note, I am from a very small town - where everyone gets to participate and everyone is told they are wonderful. It's nicknamed the Village Beautiful for crying out loud. So, in this village I road my bike to soccer camps and swam laps at an amazing Olympic-sized indoor pool. The pool, belong to the local prestigious college; I used to stare up at the wall of records and think that I was only a few minutes off so I must be amazing. I should also note that I ate breakfast every Sunday at my grandmothers a few feet away from an Olympic silver medal and world champion plaque. No, not in swimming - in wrestling and it belonged to my late grandfather whom I never met. But when you grow up with that being normal wall hangings - you think swimming once a week on a local swim team is going to get you to the Olympics. I mean, it's practically your birthright. Of course, it wasn't my right and I dropped off the swim team at age 13 when I was way too self-conscious to continue wearing a bathing suit for the world (or seven swim spectators) to see. But, before this tragic turn into the fully-clothed sullen teen, I decided that I could become more than just a swimmer, I could bike too, after-all (I did bike to soccer camp three whole miles away all those summers) - so I must be destined to be a triathlete - the most elite of athletes. The only issue was I hated to run, but one day if ever got good enough to just be able to complete the run, surely my superior swim and bike skills would carry me through to the podium.
This is ironic, like I said, because here I am ten days out to my first triathlon and I am very prepared for the stinking run portion - and very unprepared for the swim and bike. Oh to be 12 again and be so sure I had those two in the bag...or tri-kit, if you will.
Let's take a swim (400m), bike (11.4miles) and run (5k) through my tri-xiety...
My first fear has everything to do with the costume changes. I believe the tri-people call this a "transition" using their "tri-kits" - so not exactly a costume change, but eh, details. I'll admit, a giant chunk of the anxiety surrounding my tri is that I have no idea what I am going to wear. Which for me, at less than two weeks to go, is utterly uncalled for. I already know exactly what I am wearing for a half-marathon, which is four weeks away. So the fact that I don't have my outfit literally laid out is a cry for help. Help. A tri-kit is all the stuff you need for your transitions from swim to bike and bike to run. FYI, if you want to get really freaked out Google tri kits and see some of the images that show up and make you feel instantly "oh shit what am I doing".
I will show up ready to go for the swim - and since I am rookie and this is a pool swim not ocean or rivah, I will be donning a simple one-piece training swim suit. Not my best look but it'll have do the trick. I thought about getting an actual tri-suit and taking about the guess work of what to wear when and just keep on the suit for the while thing but they are expensive - and I have no intentions of needing to use it again (famous last words) and they are mostly made for swimming in open water - not clorine like my tri is, so I skipped the tri-suit. Another added bonus of not having a proper trisuit is that I want to look like a rookie. That way when I make a fool of myself people will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the reason is that I am NEW. I may even make a shirt that say's "first-trimer" or something else equally obvious; I will own this Rookie thing.
This is ironic, like I said, because here I am ten days out to my first triathlon and I am very prepared for the stinking run portion - and very unprepared for the swim and bike. Oh to be 12 again and be so sure I had those two in the bag...or tri-kit, if you will.
Let's take a swim (400m), bike (11.4miles) and run (5k) through my tri-xiety...
My first fear has everything to do with the costume changes. I believe the tri-people call this a "transition" using their "tri-kits" - so not exactly a costume change, but eh, details. I'll admit, a giant chunk of the anxiety surrounding my tri is that I have no idea what I am going to wear. Which for me, at less than two weeks to go, is utterly uncalled for. I already know exactly what I am wearing for a half-marathon, which is four weeks away. So the fact that I don't have my outfit literally laid out is a cry for help. Help. A tri-kit is all the stuff you need for your transitions from swim to bike and bike to run. FYI, if you want to get really freaked out Google tri kits and see some of the images that show up and make you feel instantly "oh shit what am I doing".
Ok - looks reasonable...
...ok, getting a little intense
Holy hell are we also filming with Bear Grylls?
I will show up ready to go for the swim - and since I am rookie and this is a pool swim not ocean or rivah, I will be donning a simple one-piece training swim suit. Not my best look but it'll have do the trick. I thought about getting an actual tri-suit and taking about the guess work of what to wear when and just keep on the suit for the while thing but they are expensive - and I have no intentions of needing to use it again (famous last words) and they are mostly made for swimming in open water - not clorine like my tri is, so I skipped the tri-suit. Another added bonus of not having a proper trisuit is that I want to look like a rookie. That way when I make a fool of myself people will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the reason is that I am NEW. I may even make a shirt that say's "first-trimer" or something else equally obvious; I will own this Rookie thing.
What I am swimming in...
What I wish I was swimming/biking/running in...
Shirt I might have to make/wear to let everyone know I am clueless - but I suspect my performance will let them know pretty darn quick...
Once I am out of the pool I'll head to my bike - which is housing all sorts of fears. First, costume change number one. I think I am just going to pull on tiny spandex bike shorts over my Speedo-esque bathing suit and call it a day. Seems logical right? Second, I haven't trained for biking - at all. And I not stretching the truth - I mean I haven't trained at all. My entire bike ride will be banking on two slightly ridiculous theories: One, I spin a lot - so fitness wise I should technically be able to bike and; Two, I run a lot (including 11 miles just a few days ago) - so fitness wise I should technically be able to bike 11.4 miles. Yeah, I am serious. Neither of these have much, if anything, to do with getting my ass on a moving bicycle. Other issues which are bike related include but are not limited to the fact that I have yet to make a few changes to my bike that I wanted to do months ago. I need to put on foot cages (I believe spin and bike people call these "stirrups" but if anyone else can hear that word and not think 'gynecologist' all the power to you - I myself, will call them foot cages). I don't have snap-ins or whatever they call them because again, big fat rookie. I also need to add a water bottle holder - yup don't even that! And I need to make a minor handlebar adjustment because it's not quite at the right angle I want it at. Wtf, ten days to til 'go'.
Finally I'll get to my new found comfort zone of running. I think I just ditch the bike and stay dressed as is - unless I take a few extra seconds to yank on a sparkle skirt - which is entirely likely since at this point I wont be worried about seconds or even minutes wasted. It's only a 5k. On paper I should be fine. But once again, my lack of training will come into play big time since I have yet to string all three disciplines together in order on the same day and seen how they affect me. Awesome. Running a 5K after swimming 400m and biking 11.4 miles may not feel like a only a 5k... it may feel more like a if only I had trained more...
It's not that I meant to be this unprepared but I simply don't have to the time watching to two kids all day to do all three. My gym has running and biking and childcare, but no swimming. My recreation center has swimming but no childcare. I could have trained harder (okay even a little) on the bike but that would have meant sacrificing my me-only-time away from my runs. And I needed to get my runs in for the half I am in a few weeks. Oh see, the list is endless of reasons I am where I am. But here I am. I will "tri" my best and when that doesn't pan out I will wave my rookie flag like no other and take selfies and just pretend this was being done on a dare and not on the fulfillment of a 12 year olds goal to be amazing some day.
@runliferunlove
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