First Tri of the Year

[Bike Chick]

I completed my first tri of the year today and while I took 5th in my age group, I'm proud of my effort. This is the third year that I've been doing tris. I've decided to move from sprint to olympic distance this year, and maybe half ironman, and have been training very hard. The only discipline of the three that I could be competitive in has been the bike and I was so super slow in the swim and run. I've worked really hard and while I'm still not fast by any means, I am improving and that means a lot.

Today's tri was a 450 meter indoor pool swim, 15.5 mile bike and a 5 mile run--the longest distance I have ever attempted. Besides the distances being longer, the bike and run were VERY hilly (it was at a river town on the Mississippi if that gives you a clue) and it was really warm. I completed the swim without issue and only walked twice in the run on two hills. I finished in 2:10 and was happy with that. My first full olympic distance with open water swim is next month and after today I feel confident that I will be able to complete it.

It was a great day for me. I'm not very fast but for a 53 year old that just learned to swim 3 years ago, I think I'm doing pretty darned good.

I just want to tell other beginning triathlon TErs out there to keep training. It's a process and takes time but the benefits of the training do pay off. I just keep telling myself that I'm faster than all the folks still sitting on the couch!!!

[OakLeaf]

Woot! Congratulations, way to go!

You'll be totally ready for your race next month, too.

[roo4]

Nice!

[Tri Girl]

I don't know how I missed this. Congrats, Bike Chick!!! I'm always terrified of the first race of the year (and usually don't want to race at all), then so relieved when it's over. Congrats on completing your longest race so far. Sounds like this year is going to be a great one for you!!

[sgf726]

Congrats on your first race of the year and longest race to date.
Its always nice to get that first race under the belt for the season.

I did my first race of the season this past weekend as well.

[HillSlugger]

Congrats!

Good luck on your Oly.

[surgtech1956]

Congratulations. Keep up the good work.

[Susan Otcenas]

Congrats on your first event of the year, and on moving up to the next distance!

The only discipline of the three that I could be competitive in has been the bike and I was so super slow in the swim and run.

I've always felt this way too. My bike times are nearly always in the top 10-15% of all the women in the race, but I'm a poor-ish swimmer and a slow-ish runner. But I've always prided myself on how well I do on the bike leg, figuring that even if I'm a lousy triathlete, at least I can go balls to the wall on the bike and be proud of the bike leg.

Well. I hired a new coach this year and she is forcing me to re-orient my entire way of thinking, which has been hard for me. I'm training for an Ironman this year (my first!) and she is convinced that she can train me to run the entire marathon (at which I initially scoffed! ) But she has made me realize that the reason I do poorly on the run is because I ride too hard, leaving me too little left for the run leg. It's not a bike race, it's a triathlon. She's helped me see that, really, my time on the bike leg is irrelevant if I end up walking the run portion. What matters is my *overall* time, which will be much better if I save enough in my legs to be able to run strong, rather than be forced to walk. Sooooo, she will set limits for me on power (I use a power meter on my bike) and heart rate and forbid me from going over those levels.

This will be hard for me. It goes against all my natural instincts on the bike! But, I'm paying her to get me across the finish line in the best shape possible, and I trust her, so now it's up to me to follow her instructions.