Am I crazy?? - Triathlon Week

j-mo · 02-03-2005, 02:50 PM

Hi. I am a 36 year old mom to three little ones. Two years ago I left the couch for good. I began running in Jan.'03 and have since completed two marathons and many halves. I am ready for something else. I have absolutely no experience on a bike or swimming other than leisurely rides or teaching my kids to swim. I do cardio 5 days a week and weight training three. My weekends include a long run of 13 miles. I have access to an outside, non-heated pool but the weather here will be warming by April (Jacksonville, FL). I am not looking to be competitive with anyone but myself. Truth be told I want to be able to keep up with, well... beat, my younger, athletic sisters who are also wanting something more than running.
SO, am I crazy to think I can do this and what should "this" be? A sprint? When? To be honest, I want to do more than a sprint, but of course I say that without ever having done one...
thanks for your eyes and ears. Any advice with where to begin would be really helpful. I don't even know about any magazines or training schedules that could be helpful. Yikes!

swibikerun_boy · 02-03-2005, 04:37 PM

All triathletes are all little

crazy

you just have to eventualy except it.

By the sounds of it you seem to be very fit and in the right metal zone to do a tri. I would reccomend the sprint to start (getting things done fast is always best), but hey in the newxt few months you might be confident enough to pull off a 1/2 ironman.

As long as you can find time for your training (like you seem to be doing with your running) you will do fine. To start you should definetly work on your weak points. Whether that be biking or swimming. And since you are already an accomplished runner you can probably cut out one or two of those workouts and put in a good swim or bike.

Becoming a better swimmer is the hardest part. Because swimming is 80% technical and 20% physical. See if you can find a masters program in your area so that you can have a trained coach help you with your stroke technique.

Biking is like riding a bike, you never forget how. It's just a matter of putting enough time into it.

So in conclusion, i have never met you but you don't seem crazy. If you are not a strong swimmer swim (but make sure you are swimming right, if you have a bad stroke it is very easy to develope shoulder and back problems), and if you are not a strong biker bike. Good luck and have fun.

If you are wondering about a training schedule see if you can find a local triathlon club, coaches there should be able to help you with a basic setup for training. I would also suggest picking up a book, "Triathlete's Training Bible" covers a wide range of the things you should know, in detail.

Hope this helps and if you have anymore questions don't be afraid to post

Peace
Tyler

**daphne** · 02-04-2005, 11:57 AM

You are absolutely NOT crazy!! You are just adventurous. I think triathletes have a special DNA..may be. Last year, I was working full time (60+ hours), studying for my Ph.D, and training for triathlon. Although I did not have the responsibilities of raising a family..I had a lot on my plate. Yet, i finished the Escape from Alcatraz the day after i graduated. THAT was my best race ever.

I agree with swimbikerun_boy advice. From my experience, taking a Masters class was a bit intimitating for me. It still is. Although I had lots of experience with swimming, when I took my first masters class I felt so inferior to all the super fit people going double as fast as I was swimming. The instructor was a jerk also. I decided to not join a Masters class but train by myself. I had a coach check my stroke making sure that I had the right technique down. I place in the top half overall in the swim from Alcatraz among 3/4 of men. That was a great swim!! The point here is to just figure out what best supports your training.

My biggest competitor is myself. I have to keep in mind that this should be fun!!