First, 1K SWIM:
A couple days ago, I signed up for my first ever triathlon. To-date, I have ridden, at most, 30 miles in a single day and I often commute to and from work (roughly 15 miles each way) on a bicycle. But swimming. Oh, swimming. Swimming is not my thing.
At the age of 10, I began to surf and I continued surfing on and off for many years. For a while, I would routinely go surfing twice a week. During my third year of college, with a few extra units to fill, I decided that a surf class would be relatively easy and fun and so I signed up for “Beginning Surf Class” with no expectations. The first day of class rolled around and we were told that we would have to pass a “water-safety” test. Dog paddle for 20 minutes? Swim a certain distance? Easy!
We were asked to swim a certain distance…timed. There would be a cut-off for those who were too slow and they would not be allowed to surf. I missed the cut-off by a minute. Here I was, an avid surfer with confidence in the water and on a board, but unable to surf due to my speed.
Now, nearly 10-years later, I am signing up for an endurance event with a 1 kilometer swim in the ocean at the start. 1000 Meter Swim, 15 Mile Bike and a 5km run. and I need to go find a pool and start training. In 2 months I will need to go from not swimming at all to swimming the length of 10 football fields. I’m terrified and excited for the months to-come.
Next, 25K BIKE:
Although I typically ride to work 1-2 times per week at a distance of 15 miles each way, I have the wrong kind of bike for a Triathlon. For one thing, there are the shock absorbers. When jamming on the pedals for speed, the amount of energy absorbed by the shocks that is lost is probably worth at least a few MPH. Second, the seat angle is wrong for a triathlon and the handlebars do not have aero bars or even clip-on bars. While my legs are in shape and my aerobic fitness on a bike should not be a problem, I need to upgrade my gear to feel confident in the bike portion of the Tri.
5K RUN:
Survival seems easy. Speed and fatigue seem to be the only thing I am worried about. I have run two 5k races and I have surpassed 5k in my training runs. I have yet to run a 5k after riding and have no idea what the swim will take out of me prior to either event. More training must be done.
Total 31K TRIATHLON:
It’s interesting to note that there is a category for “Bigger Guys” that are over 200lbs. Clydesdales, we are called. Much like the hairy-legged horse that is always seen next to beer trucks, we are not known for our speed, but our larger-than average frame. I don’t know if this is a compliment or not, but we’ll see how I stack up in the line-up of other Clyde’s on July 12th.
For now, I need to find a pool and remember what to do with my legs while I’m splashing.
