With "marathon season" officially behind us now, at least here in Austin, one is faced with what to do next. As I mentioned in an earlier post, one option is to do nothing for six months and then start training from scratch again. But I like to think I've evolved beyond that, finally. There is also the option to run "those fun little races" such as the myriad of 5K's and 10K's that will fill just about every weekend here in Austin from now until September or so. I'll do some of those (the Daisy 5K and TNT 2 Miler next weekend 'fer instance) but am not really into the crowded short race scene anymore. Maybe because I feel like I still need another long run after the finish line. But there is one other option that folks are talking about, Triathlons.
Yes, it is the start of Triathlon season here in central Texas. This is something I"ve never done before, so the whole newness factor has both its upsides and downsides. But C has been talking about it for awhile, and she got me psyched enough to go along and drink the Kool-aid, so here we go. But first a few dilemmas. Since I think I've got this running thing down, from a purely amateur perspective, let's address the other two thirds of a "Tri".
The Swim
I kinda, sorta, maybe know how to swim. I grew up outside Chicago, so summer swimming lessons at Bangs Lake always consisted of about 3 lessons in freezing June water temperatures before I made enough fuss to drop out. This went on for consecutive summer vacations while I was a kid. Eventually as I got older, I just watched other folks swim, copied their form, and "Voila" - I was a swimmer. I even took lifesaving classes in high school to be a gym class "Leader" and that pretty much perfected my knowledge. Fast forward to adulthood, and swimming to me is something best accomplished with a life-jacket worn as a diaper, and a beer in my hand. Methinks this won't work for a triathlon.We changed gyms about a year back to 24Hour Fitness, in part because they have a pool. So I have swam (or swum) there and worked on my form. At first I could do one length before dying for air, but now I've surpassed that and can do two whole lengths before I need to grab the side of the pool. So . . . 25 meter pool X 2 lengths = I can swim 1/6 of what I need to swim for the Rookie, before I start to drown. This is apparently something that I will need to work on.
The Bike
I won't bore you with stories about how much I rode my bike as a kid, but I rode a LOT! We would get on our bikes in the morning and ride all day long, only stopping for lunch, and then back out again. And I rarely had to actually touch my handlebars, we just rode "no-handed" all over town for hours on end. My bike and I were one. (Hopefully you're not bored yet).My adult-riding adventures are not nearly as impressive. I have a mountain bike I bought about 10 years ago. A friend of mine was really into mountain biking, and I went out for a few rides with him. Today my bike hangs on the wall in my garage, covered in dust, and I have scars on my elbows. If anyone wants a lightly-ridden, lightly-scarred mountain bike - keep your eye on CraigsList.
So right now I am in the middle of evaluating road bikes. These appear to be very similar to the "10-speed" that I rode all over town as a kid, except they have 3X the speeds, weigh a lot less, and so far seem a little trickier to handle. But I do have the confidence that once I find a bike I am comfortable with, even one that pushes me to be a better bike rider . . . ok, cyclist . . . then I think I can safely master at least two-thirds of a triathlon.
Next Steps
So I think I'm about to sign up for some swim classes, clinics, or whatever the name is for the lessons that help you do more than blow bubbles from your nose, and hopefully get some endurance into my swimming program. That coupled with some increasingly longer rides, will hopefully get me ready for "Tri Season" in Austin Texas. I'm not brave, nor foolish, enough to actually sign up for something yet. But I do realize that I need a little more training to be able to at least make that decision.
Yes, I know stretching is important, and I've been very diligent lately. Just before I noticed my groin injury, I think I skimped a little because I was on vacation and thought I was taking it easy. But also I think it may have been due to my new shoes not being adjusted to fit properly, and the fact that the 10K I did in mid-December was mostly on trail, with some uneven ground, which probably caused more twisting of my foot upon impact. I also went back to using orthothotic inserts to keep my feet from rolling inward too much. I am much better now. I've also considered doing a triathlon. There is one in June that has both a competitive and a recreational division. What is holding me back isn't my swimming skill (good) or anything, it's a matter of equipment. I hate cold water, and in Washington State even in the summer, I'm not sure that the lakes get very warm. Most people here wear wetsuits, which can be pretty expensive, though maybe it's possible to rent one. Then there's my bike. It's only three years old, but it is just a $350 Trek hybrid, which weighs close to 30 pounds. I can't get much speed on any terrain that's not flat as a pancake. (Also Washington tends to be hilly.) I would like to get something lighter, but not pay a fortune. There are road bikes and there are also special tri-bikes. For just one or two triathlons, I think a road bike would be fine, if I can find one that's suitable for me, that is light enough that it doesn't require a weight-lifting work-out to put it into the rack on my car! (That's really the big thing--the weight, which, of course, doesn't bother my 6-foot husband but is a problem for the petite wife!) Have you seen this website about triathlon's? (It's quite interesting, with stories of people's first triathlons, and lots of advice.) http://www.beginnertriathlete.com Have fun! - annrose