New Goal / Tri Coach

April 2, 2013
New Goal - Outdoor Sprint Triathlon / Tri Coach

Now that I know I know I can survive the distance of a sprint triathlon, my next goal is to do an outdoor triathlon with a lake swim.  I have my eye on a couple of events in August so I have about three months to get ready.

Tri Coach!

I found a triathlon coach in my area through Triathlon USA.  I was pretty nervous about asking a "real" coach to work with an overweight, 60-year-old woman.  But, I told myself not to be controlled by my feelings of embarrassment and contacted him by email.  I gave him plenty of "outs" but he said that he was "born to coach" and that while most of his clients were people working on the Ironman, he also worked with young kids, old people, overweight people, all types.  Bingo!  Perfect match.

Our first meeting was a "sit down."  I talked about my journey and told him about my goal to do an outdoor triathlon.  He was a good listener and didn't laugh!  Actually, he was quite encouraging.  There was no contract to sign and I only had to commit to a month.  That was good for me, but I also got the impression that arrangement was good for him too.  I think he wanted a way to exit the relationship if a client started to not be serious about training (wasting his time).  So, I sent him a check and now I have a coach!

Our next meeting was at the local YMCA.  My coach had me do a warm up that left me sweating!  One thing he had me do was walk while raising my leg to the side like a dog peeing.  I felt so silly but I had promised myself and my coach that I would be coachable.  A little kid looked at me in puzzlement and then laughed.  So it goes.

Coach said my run was ok.  He wants me to focus on my cadence (90 rotations per minute), keep my elbows back and look up.  Great goals.  Then we got in the pool.  This meant that someone who knew me by name was going to see me in a bathing suit.  Again, I focused on not letting my embarrassment control me.  Coach asked me to swim a length and when I did, I saw him pop off his chair to follow me down the pool.  When I got back, he seemed genuinely excited.  For most triathletes, swimming is their worst event and I think he expected this overweight, sixty-year-old woman to splash her way down the pool.  He said that my technique was excellent and that he thought I could do the swim part of a triathlon right now, and that I was a much better swimmer than many of his other triathletes.  Wow!  That really built my confidence!

So, Coach sends me a workout every Sunday by email and I send him feedback at the end of the week.  My first week of training was:

Monday:  Swim - intervals (100 meters, 15 sec rest) with different focuses
Tuesday:  Run - intervals (5 min jog / 1 min rest)
Wednesday:  SPIN (my request)
Thursday:  Swim - more intervals
Friday:  Run - intervals (3 min medium / 1 min rest)
Saturday:  Bike (one hour)

So far, so good.

First Bike & Garmin "Watch"

April 2013

Tri Gear

So . . . if I'm going to do an outdoor triathlon, I need tri gear.  Here is what I purchased:

Giant Avail 5 Road Bike:  This is an entry level road bike that I purchased for around $650.  I went to a zillion bike stores and tried all kinds of manufacturer's bikes.  The first time I did a little test ride on a bike was a hoot.  Since I had not ridden a bike for 40 years, I was just a tad nervous as we rode in the parking lot.  I learned that fitting a bike is not just measuring to see if the horizontal bar fits your height.  Each bike has it's own geometry that makes the rider bend over at different angles, etc.  This bike just felt good to me when I road it which I'm told by elite triathletes is more important that the fork material and the other things you pay big bucks for.  They also advised that I do a major test ride - at least an hour.  So I took the Giant Avail to a paved "people trail" in town and road for an hour. 

Oh my gosh!  The ride was exhilarating!  I don't know if they just improved the technology of bikes in the last forty years or if the little skinny road bike tires made the difference, but I felt like I was a bird flying as I road down the path.  There seemed to virtually no resistance with the road.  It was amazing and I came back to the bike shop on cloud 9 and grinning ear to ear.

There is one thing that I will do differently the next time I purchase a bike.  There are professional bike fitters who will help you find the bike with the right geometry to fit you.  The take body measurements and flexibility measurements, and then recommend various bikes.  I am going to take my new bike for a fitting in the near future.

Garmin Forerunner 910XT HRM:   I just ordered this yesterday online.  The 910XT is a serious watch that can monitor activity in the pool, bike and run.  It normally retails for $450, but I found it on sale for $347.  It is a big splurge for me and is much more watch than I really need.  I purchased it mainly for the convenience.  I had been using the Run Keeper and Road Bike aps on my iPhone to monitor my pace and could have just purchased a $60 heart monitor.  The Forerunner also monitors data in the pool and will also do cadence which will be nice.

First INDOOR Sprint Triathlon! RUN! ---- FINISH!

March 3, 2012
First Indoor Sprint Triathlon!  RUN!  FINISH!

Before the run, I went into the bathroom on the third floor and splashed cold water on my face to help me cool down.

The track was on the third floor and it was HOT in there.  I brought a water bottle and put it on the ledge at the start, but I didn't want to slow down during the run, so I didn't drink much.  Looking back, I wish I had carried it with me or brought a water bottle that straps to your hand.  I should have drunk lots of water during the run in that hot, humid environment, but I didn't.

When I arrived at the track, I gave my timing card to the most wonderful young lady named Anna.  She was in charge of me during the run.  She counted and recorded each of the 30 laps and as I finished a lap, she told me what lap number it was.

The run was hard, hard, hard.  I was so tired from the swim and bike, that I think I leaned too far forward in the run and the joints between my toes and my feet (metatarsals) started shooting searing pains up to my knees, but I was determined to finish without walking.

Around, around, around and around the track I ran.  The track was not closed for the event so there were walkers there too.  I'd pick out a walker and make it my goal to pass him or her.  I finally figured out that if I looked up, my toes/feet didn't hurt so much.  That helped.

The kids in the university swim club were amazing.  They knew my name (from my score card) and about 20 of them would cheer me on every time I came around the track.  "Come on Sue!  You can do it!  Only 10 more laps to go!"  I couldn't wait to see them every time I can around the turn where they were all standing.

As I started my last lap, Anna yelled, "LAST LAP!"  Oh my gosh!  I was going to make it!  I was going to finish!

As I approached the finish, my husband couldn't contain himself.  He ran down the track and gave me the biggest hug!  The only problem what that I hadn't crossed the finish line!!  So I had to kind of push him aside and keep going.  I don't think my feet ever stopped moving.  It was an "on-the-run" kind of hug.  Ha!

After I crossed the finish line, I collapsed into my husbands arms.  There were cheers from all the college kids.  I was so proud!  I could see how proud my husband was of me too. 

I DID IT!!!!!

I came in dead last.  Who cares?!  I was a winner!  I have never been so pleased with an accomplishment.  I have never been so thankful for all the people who encouraged me to exercise and eat healthy - my husband, my adult sons who texted me encouragement for walking half a block, for doing a 5K, for swimming; my colleagues at work; and the coaches at the gym who provided (and still provide) alternative exercises that I can do.  While my overall place was last, I was not last in the swim and my bike was in the middle of the pack!

After the race, I took my timing sheet to registration where they had bagels and t-shirts waiting for the finishers.  I couldn't wait go put my t-shirt on!  I wore it proudly the rest of the day, to work on Monday, and to SPIN class the following Wednesday!!   I am a triathlete!  Oh my gosh!  I AM A TRIATHLETE!

First INDOOR Sprint Triathlon! BIKE

March 3, 2012
First Sprint Triathlon!  BIKE

After I left the pool, I went to where the spin classes were always held in the facility and no one was there!  After spending a lot of energy running up and down the halls trying to figure out where I was supposed to be, I finally found a row of bikes in the hall on the third floor.

I also ate a little.  The rules said you weren't supposed to eat or drink anything but water in the facility, but psychologically I felt like I just had to have a power burst, so I ate half a protein bar hiding in the restroom!

I climbed onto a bike and spun for a minute while setting the resistance to something that I thought I could do for a long time.  Then I told the volunteer that I was ready to start.  She started her stop watch and then put it at the base of my bike.  Once again, I was sooooo nervous and sooooo excited.  The spin bike had a computer on board so I could see how many miles I had gone.

After my SPIN classes at the gym, the bike was not easy but very doable.  I just put my legs on 80 revolutions per minute and kept a steady pace.  As you an see in the photo, I was drenched with sweat.  I valued every drop!  I was working!  I was doing it!  Woohoo!

We were told to let the college-age volunteers know when we were close to 8 miles.  When I hit 7.5 miles, I got the attention of one the volunteers who called my timer over.  She watched the computer and at exactly 8.0 miles, she stopped the stopwatch. 

I did it!!!!  Two events down, one to go!

First INDOOR Sprint Triathlon! SWIM

March 3, 2012
First Sprint Triathlon!  SWIM


I am now a triathlete!  Can you believe it!?  The event that I entered was an "indoor sprint triathlon" sponsored by the swim club at a nearby university. 

I'm not sure what made me think I could do this.  I added up my average times for the race course:  1/2 mile swim, 8 mile bike and 5K.  Then I looked at the race times for the previous year's participants.  My time would put me dead last but not so far behind the person who finished last the year before.

 Just like I did in my first 5K, I called the race coordinator and told her that I thought it would take me 1 1/2 to 2 hours to finish the course.  I explained that I was an almost 60-year-old, overweight woman and didn't want to inconvenience anyone, but if she thought it would be ok for me to finish in 1 1/2 to 2 hours, I'd think about registering.  She gave me a green light and I signed up - thinking that I could always be a no-show.

I decided to pretend that I was a real athlete and I did a carb load the day before.  I'm not sure you need to do a carb load for a 2 hour event, but it was fun to pretend that I was a real athlete!  The morning before the race, I was a nervous wreck.  The swim started in heats so I got there early to watch others swim.  Then it was time for me.

I had purchased a new swim suit for the big event that did not have a skirt!  I just put a towel around me until it was time to jump in the pool. 


An official wrote a big number on my arm and thigh (embarrassing) with a marker.  I felt so athletic!  I was nervous about not being able to get out of the pool after the swim.  Luckily, the lanes were not assigned so I picked the one closest to the ladder.  I asked the young lady who would be timing me if she had brought a book because it would take me so long to finish.  She laughed.  I was afraid that I would be the only one starting in the water, but everyone did.  Phew!  The starter said over the PA, "Swimmers ready!" and then BANG!  We were off.

I have to admit I got a little choked up as I swam the first 25 meters freestyle -- not from inhaling water but because I was holding back tears.  Who would have thought that I would be doing a triathlon.  I was so proud of myself.  So grateful for all the people who had encouraged me and helped me along the way.  But . . . crying and swimming don't mix so I got down to business.

Up and down the pool I went, alternating freestyle and breaststroke.  The girl timing me was terrific.  Since I was doing breaststroke on the return lap, I was always facing her and she had something encouraging to say every time I took a breath.  Finally, she was holding a red board in the water to let me know that there were only two laps to go.  And then it was over - and I didn't come in last!  I beat a very muscular young man who didn't know how to swim!

The girl timing me gave me my time card and off I went to bike.  I looked at the card and noticed that she had written, "is a superstar!" under my name.  I still get choked up thinking about her kindness and how much it meant to me.

Then it was off to the locker room to change cloths and head to the bike.  That's the one nice thing about an indoor triathlon.  You get to change your cloths and the time you spend in transition doesn't count.

Crazy Idea! Triathlon! That means bike!

Crazy Idea!  Triathlon!  That means bike!

It occurred to me that since I could run a 5K and swim a mile, the only thing I was missing for a triathlon was the bike.  As an experiment, I swam a mile, immediately got out of the water and ran two miles.  I was exhausted, but I had done it.  So, I didn't tell anyone but made it my private goal to do a triathlon.  I read a lot and discovered that there were different triathlon distances.  I adjusted my goal to be a sprint triathlon.  The distances vary depending on the course, but it's basically 400-750 meter swim, 12 mile bike, and a 5K run.

BIKE

I didn't own a bike.  I hadn't been on a bike for 40 years.  But . . . the gym where I did my bootcamp had a spin class so I signed up.

Oh my gosh, is SPIN ever hard.  At my first class, the instructor was so nice and patient.  She helped me adjust my bike and I suspect she made the class a little easier that night.  But, it was the hardest thing I've ever done.  When I got off the bike at the end of the hour, my legs would not support me.  They literally buckled and I had to support myself with the bike.  When I stepped off the curb on the way to my car, they buckled again.  For four days, I could barely walk and going up and down stairs was out of the question.  But . . . I recovered and was there the next week for a second attempt.

My biggest challenge was getting "out of the saddle" which means you are standing as you pedal.  My first goal was to be out of the saddle for 20 seconds before my rear end came crashing down on the saddle.  Our instructor told us to control the transition from standing to sitting.  Fat chance.  I crashed every time.  But with time, I mastered 20 seconds, then a minute, then five minutes.  It still isn't easy, but I'm doing it every week.

Swim!

Swim! 
June 2012

I was a competitive age group swimmer growing up.  I did pretty well - age group state champ and set two state records.  At the time (before Title 9), there were only two sport that girls could participate in:  tennis and swimming.  So for me, it was swimming.  But . . . at age almost-60, I had not swum laps for 40 years!

I was scared to death to start swimming.  For the entire first summer, I wore a bathing suit with a long skirt attached!  The first time in the pool was terrifying.  I made sure my emergency information was in my swim bag just in case.  I walked down the stairs into the pool and kicked a very slow lap with a kick board.  Then another lap.  Then I did a lap of breaststroke, and then 1/4 of a lap of freestyle.  I think I did 5 laps total that day and felt extremely satisfied.  Then, I felt faint.  

Passing out in the pool was not something that I wanted to do so I got out.  I walked to the bath house, stopped to steady myself as things started getting dark, walked into the dressing room and sat on the bench with everything getting fuzzy.  I debated whether or not I should tell someone that I might pass out.  I imagined the young people who worked there would call an ambulance which would have embarrassed the heck out of me.  So I just sat there and eventually, everything became normal.  I slowly drove home, ready to pull off the road if things got fuzzy again. 

I'm not sure why I came back a few days later.  I think it was because I just love swimming.  I love the way the water supports you.  I love hearing children playing and shouting.  I love feeling my muscles.  I think in a past life, I must have been a seal or a dolphin.  I just love the water.  I was very cautious on my second attempt at laps and everything was fine.  So . . . I kept coming back day after day, week after week.  By the end of the first summer, I could swim a mile without stopping.  At first I used hand turns and then flip turns.  I was incredibly slow (3:05 for 100 meter freestyle), but I didn't care.  I was swimming!