2/3 of a Triathlete

I have been a “runner” for nine years. I consider my first 10K my entry into this category. I have been a “marathon runner” for five years, with my first race being the Rock N Roll San Diego in June 2005. For the past five years I’ve been working to improve my time in the hopes of one day being able to qualify for Boston. As of my last race (Rock N Roll San Diego – June 2010), I’ve unofficially given up… I think.

Moving Past Running

I’ve burned out on running, or should I say on running and training and not achieving my goal. I’ve often found a liking for things that I’m good at, and I’m not sure that running is one of those things. I think I’m a decent runner and have shown progress in between marathons 1 and 12, but I don’t know that I have it in me (or the time or commitment) to take it to the next level to get me to even a sub-4 hour finishing time, much less a Boston qualifying time.

 

After moping for a few weeks after my last marathon and then deciding to move on a few weeks after that, I’ve spent the last month or so just running for fun or for a reason to exercise, unsure of what my next challenge will be. Granted, I’m registered to run the Long Beach Half Marathon in October, but I don’t consider that something that I’m really training for. Yes, again said with my full marathon nose tipped up in the air. :o) If I were smarter I would train for these shorter races to improve my time, but improving my long distance time is all I’ve ever really cared about.

 

Forced to Swim

Last year when I visited my mom in Paris I arrived with a suitcase that contained my running clothes and shoes, optimistic that I would be able to continue my daily runs in the streets of Paris. Oh, how I was so wrong! The streets were so crowded and there was so much traffic that I would never have been able to get a decent distance in. This past year when I packed for Paris I was a bit wiser and left my running clothes at home, but packed my MBT shoes instead. Well, it was so hot in Paris that I never would have gone out for the day in my MBT shoes and socks so those, much like my running shoes the year before, lay hidden in my suitcase for the duration of my trip.

Enter swimming into my pool-hating life.

My mom absolutely LOVES to swim and frequently goes to the public pool three blocks from her condo in Paris. After the second day there I decided that the only way I would be able to workout would be to swim with her. The first day at the pool (in my mom’s grandma cut bathing suit) I managed to swim 1000 meters and took a break after almost every single lap. The next day I swam 1000 meters and only took a break every 5 laps. By my third swim I swam 1500 meters non-stop! Yay me! I know, 1500 meters isn’t that far, but it’s the furthest I’ve probably ever swam in my life.

Hating the Water

Growing up I think I used to like to swim. Don’t all kids? I can’t remember ever liking to swim, but pictures of me in the water in Hawaii tell a different story. Somewhere along the line in high school though I really lost my taste for it. I don’t like the feeling of being too hot or too cold, and the initial plunge into a cold pool was torture for me. I’ve always loved the beach and loved being near the water, I just can’t remember a time when I loved being IN the water. For as long as I can remember my mom has wanted me to become a swimmer. I’ve disappointed her for almost 30 years .. until now! I hate to admit that after my forced week of swimming in Paris, I kind of enjoyed it! Why? Because I could see the progress I was making in performance! I like things I’m good at. Don’t we all?

Learning to Love the Water

About two months ago I bought a treadmill at a garage sale across the street. It wasn’t a fancy treadmill, and it sold new for about $350 at WalMart. I got it for $100 which I thought was a steal! I have a membership for 24 Hour Fitness which I almost never use. I have it in the rare times that it rains here in San Diego, and with that membership I have a place to run rain or shine. I bought the treadmill with the intention of cancelling my gym membership, but after taking to swimming in Paris, I thought that I’d try out swimming at my gym here.

The first day I went I wasn’t sure what to expect. How would the pool be? Would it be warm? Were the showers at the gym going to be gross? What other types of people would be swimming with me? Well, its basically the senior citizen power hour at the gym pool in the morning, but that’s okay. I swam my 1000 meters the first day, and 1500 the next day I went that week.

I felt strong swimming, and I liked that. I’ve never liked lifting weights for some reason but do enjoy that pushing off and ‘charging’ feeling of running, and somewhere in those laps I was swimming I realized that I liked the feeling of power and resistance from swimming through the water.

The next week I swam 1000 meters, 1500 meters, and then 2000 meters! Wow, I felt pretty accomplished! The next week I swam 1500 meters, 2500 meters, and then 3000 meters. I swam three thousand meters! At first I wasn’t sure how to put the distance into perspective to running, but decided that if I could swim the distances that were paired up with running in various triathlon races, then I was doing about the equivalent enduring workout.

For the shortest triathlon (sprint tri) the swim is 750 meters, for an Olympic distance it is 1500 meters, for a half Ironman it is 1900 meters, and for a full Ironman it is a 3860 meter swim. So wow, I swam almost as far as a full Ironman! I know, it was in a pool and not in the ocean, but still, I felt good about myself.

Dreams of Trying a Tri

So as you might already be able to tell … I’m now temped to try a Tri. I feel like it’s the next logical step in testing my athletic performance. There are a few obstacles in my path towards a triathlon of course.

• I don’t own a bike

• I’m afraid of getting hit by a car on the road during a practice ride

• I don’t own a wetsuit

• I’m afraid of swimming in the ocean

• I’m a MAJOR germ freak and the idea of getting sea water in my mouth turns my stomach

• I really don’t think I’ll look good in a full lycra outfit… :o)

So I have some obstacles, but I think I might be able to overcome them by next year. My friend Christina emailed me a link to a women’s sub-sprint tri in the Bay Area next month called See Jane Run. We tossed the idea back and forth about registering, but in the end decided not to. So for now, I think I will aim at trying my first tri next year in 2011. That gives me time to work on my swimming form, try out open water swimming, buy a bike, and get over the many mental issues I have with the swimming and running.

My Inspiration

I have to give credit of course to someone who has helped motivate me towards the goal of running a triathlon – my friend Todd! Todd is currently training for his first triathlon, an Olympic distance race here in San Diego next month. We are facebook friends and dailymile.com friends, so I see the feed of his training log each day. Watching his progress has made me want to make that same transition from running to tri-ing myself. He’s told me that he’s not a fan of ocean water swimming, but he’s still powering through. He also seems to be right on track with all of his training, which I truly admire. (You should see my planned vs actual marathon training plans – its sad.)

Another inspiration in this new quest for me is my friend Robin who is an accomplished swimmer, biker, and runner. We met last week to talk about swimming, tris, and bikes. Her advice has built up my confidence somewhat, but I still need another push to take the plunge. For now I’m going to keep running in the park, swimming at the gym, and watching bikes on sale online.

I’ve noticed that being a triathlete is a much more expensive endeavor than being a runner. All you need to run is a pair of shoes! Well, okay, you need clothes too but everyone probably has something they can run in. To participate in a triathlon though you need a wetsuit and a bike, two things I don’t own and I’m not sure I want to fork out the money for right now. Since I’m giving myself until next year to try a tri though, I have time to get geared up for a race.

Next Steps

For now I’ve decided to try to move myself towards a triathlon with minimal financial investment. First up is to take a swimming class in an Olympic pool. My first coached swim will be this Wednesday!

Next, I will try to buy a bike to get acquainted with biking again. Its too bad they don’t make a Hello Kitty road bike. The Hello Kitty beach cruiser is pretty cute though. :o)