I’m about a week and a half out from my first sprint triathlon and I’m starting to think “Do I even have a clue what I’m doing?” First of all, I didn’t follow a training plan like I would with a running race. That’s probably because I decided to do this well under any training plan timeframe. Most were 12 weeks and I think I decided about 6 weeks out. So I’m pretty much winging it but, hey, it’s not like I’m going couch to triathlon or something. Right? I hope. Don’t mind that I signed up THEN bought a bike and THEN got some swim lessons. Whatever. I’ve got this! Right?
I got the first spill on my bike out of the way a few days ago. On about mile 30 of a 34.5 mile bike ride, we pulled up to a traffic signal and (just like I’d been warned I would do at some point) I clipped out on one side of the bike and leaned to the other. Luckily, I landed on the meaty part of my leg and nothing was hurt to include my bike. A friend of mine told me later “Falling is funny, crashing is scary”. Yikes!
My swimming has really come together from when I started. I’m pretty darned proud of myself even though when I got out of the pool last night at the Y, a guy I just met said “swimming is my weak point too”. I was like “What? Did I look weak?” He recovered by saying “Not at all but I can tell you’re a runner.” Hmmm. Okay. I feel good about my bike rides except that I haven’t seemed to pick up any speed! That’s okay. Practice Practice Practice. The run I’m not too worried about but I know it is going to be crazy hot on the 19th and around 10 am by the time I start that portion. That brings me to another thing I’ve learned recently. Hydration!
Over-hydrating is always a concern when I’m running. I definitely don’t want to dehydrate but can’t stand that sloshy feeling in my tummy either. A lot of times, I’ll just swish water and spit it out. On the bike, that’s not an issue but it seems that on really long rides, I can’t keep enough fluids ON the bike. I go through my water bottle in a hurry. So I’m going to mount another bottle cage or get one of those large water reservoirs that attaches at the handlebars.
So, again, I’m still not sure I have any idea what I am doing or what to expect at the triathlon. I asked one friend for advice on the transitions and he just said “Don’t forget to put your shoes on.” Okay, easy enough. Everything seems to take me a long time to do. I’m planning to go very minimalist on this. No gloves, no socks, etc. Just the basics. That’s the latest. Will keep you posted. I’m starting to get nervous. Eeek!
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