First Total Immersion Lesson And I'm Finally Here

[Alex]

After watching Mr. Alex do 8 Iron distance triathlons (plus various Oly distance races) over the last 3 years, I finally find myself checking out the Triathlon forum on TE. After watching thousands and thousands of folks having so much fun, I guess it was inevitable! The final thing that pushed me over the edge was IM Coeur d'Alene last weekend. Not that I want to EVER do an IM, but watching everyone hammer by on the bike and do that beautiful run along the lake got me thinking and wondering about giving it a go (on a much smaller scale) myself.

Okay, the first challenge is that I don't know how to swim. Like not at all. Sort of a big deal, to be sure. DH taught himself through the Total Immersion DVDs and books and he actually showed me some drills about 2 1/2 years ago. At that point, however, I was just getting back into road cycling and fell so head over heels in love with it that I didn't want to take any time away from my bike. Since then, I've done several centuries, raced LOTOJA as a 2-person relay, raced a little cyclocross (totally out of my league in the B division but had a great time anyway!), and been out on my mountain bike, too. Maybe it's time to do something not on wheels? (The heresy!)

I have run in the past, up to the half-marathon distance, but wasn't ever very fast and haven't run regularly in several years. I went out on the high school track for a few miles this week and realized that I could do a 5K right now. Yeah for cycling and regular dog walks!

Bike? Check! Run? Check! Oh, yeah, that swimming thing....

I called up a Total Immersion coach and signed up for lessons. He thinks I can be swimming in 10 lessons. I didn't want to go the self-taught route like DH because I really don't want to take a year to learn how to swim (I'm not very patient) and I don't want to teach myself incorrectly (the whole x y axis stuff on the freestyle DVD made me run screaming from the room).

I went to the pool today and made it all the way from Superman through underswitch. I sure didn't expect to get that far in one hour! I don't know how many lengths of the pool I ended up doing, but I was pretty happy when the hour was over. The TI DVDs make it all seem so effortless and peaceful but I was feeling pretty tired by the time it was over. DH says swimming (you know, once you actually know how) is easier than learning all the drills. It gave me a new appreciation for all those folks at IM CDA who got out of the water last Sunday and promptly fell to their knees on the beach! My next lesson is on Saturday and I plan to go practice tomorrow before work.

I bought a couple books for women triathletes as DH has tons of Tri books that are not gender-specific. I started looking around on the Internet for a race. I was thinking I could try a pool sprint in July but, after today, I'm not so sure I'll be ready for the swim part that soon. I found an interesting women's only race a few hours from here. It's in the fall, which may be a more realistic time frame, but it's an open water swim. I just need to see how the TI lessons go, I guess.

I'm going back and reading all the old posts. The race reports are so freaking inspiring! I'm sure I'll have some questions along the way, but just wanted to stop in and say "Hi, my name is Alex, and I'm a wannabe triathlete."

Alex

[tctrek]

Alex-- you are inspiring! I've done the same envy reading of the tri posts and done some research on what it's like to do a triathalon. I can ride, I can swim but I sure can't run... and I'm (shhh.. don't tell anyone...) old.

I wish you luck and keep us posted on your progress. Float, hammer, jog... gotta love it.

[spindizzy]

Hi Alex, "will be a triathlete"

I can't wait to hear about the journey to your first tri....

[colby]

You should be able to find stuff in August/September - that'd be far enough away that you might be willing to commit

You can do it. Learning to swim is harder than actually swimming, I swear. Having to think about everything when you're being coached or trying to focus on something is sometimes really exhausting. It's so much nicer when you can just go.

[salsabike]

You can do this, Alex. I don't mean this in a goofy general "rah rah" way--I mean, I believe you can learn to swim well enough to do a late season tri. I really do.

[alpinerabbit]

"Hi, my name is Alex, and I'm a wannabe triathlete."

All:Hi, Alex!

He thinks I can be swimming in 10 lessons. I didn't want to go the self-taught route like DH because I really don't want to take a year to learn how to swim (I'm not very patient

uhmm, yes, you may be able to swim after 10 lessons but I would recommend to be tech-obsessed for at least a year. You want to do this for the long term? then learn that stroke until it is ingrained in your brain. So you't be well advised to give it a little more patience than 10 lessons. I mean, you can continue alone after that but you won't be finished after 10.

[HillSlugger]

Hi Alex,

Welcome to triathlon! Where is your home base and where are you looking for races? I'm sure you can be ready to do something this season.

Re: float, hammer, jog; I've got a shirt that says "Sink, Bike, Crawl"

[katluvr]

Love the shirt!