Deciding to Tri

(Note: thanks for bearing with me as I keep changing my color schemes... I'm searching for just the right one!)

So, folks, if you may have noticed, there’s been a new race posted to my list of upcoming events: the Summit Solstice Triathlon on June 15. Yep, that’s right, I’ve decided to try the big T. It’s been coming, I’m sure you’ve guessed, since I started swimming. But I haven't been totally convinced that I wanted to try a triathlon-- mostly because the swim portion seems like a weak spot for me and because I don't really want to kick out a bunch of money on gear (especially the bike stuff). But finally last week that I made the leap and decided to give it a try.

As I’ve mentioned, I started swimming shortly after my Half Marathon in November, in hopes of finding a way to keep up my cardio fitness without doing quite so much running (because I was a little tired of it after my big race, because winters are tough for finding time/places to run outside, and because I didn’t want to feel like a gerbil on a treadmill or elliptical more than once or twice a week!). So I took to the pool and started making baby steps, errr strokes. I actually was using a Beginner Swim Plan that’s somewhat similar to the Couch-to-5K plan I used when I was first learning to run).

So around the first of the year I decided to sign up for the Aquathlon at the Pond, a race in Frenchtown (just down the road from our house), which entails a 1000 yd swim followed by a 5K run. I know the 5K is totally do-able now, but the swim is a daunting distance, and will keep me diligent in my training.

Hoping to get some good instruction, I signed up for Adult Intermediate Swim Lessons at my gym. Turned out, I was the only one who signed up, so they put me in a class with two beginners. While the instructor tried to accommodate, it became quickly obvious that she is much more skilled at teaching the beginner levels, and admitted that she wasn’t sure she could help me.

That evening, a little bummed after my much-anticipated lesson, I remembered my yoga instructor saying something about a Triathlon Training Class. So I inquired at the gym and found that yes, there was one being offered, and there was an informational meeting about it the next day. That was last Wednesday, so I went and checked it out.

The instructor is a local school teacher/triathlete who’s been running for over a decade and triathloning for about 5 years, and just completed his first Ironman last summer (e.g. much more credibility, in my mind, than the lady who teaches beginner kids’ swim lessons!).

So, I signed up for the class. We had our first real sessions this week. There are several other ladies in the class, a few of whom have completed a few sprint-distance triathlons, and some of whom have not been on a regular fitness routine in a while but are willing to try and want to get in shape. So I feel like it’ll be a good group to work out with, and a good way to get to know some folks in the Kalispell area where I work and live during the week.

We’ll be meeting on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and will do combinations of biking, swimming, and running, and some core work. For now, it’s all indoors, but once spring rolls around we’ll be heading outside for some workouts.

So, heck, I’ve been running and loving it, I’m swimming and starting to make progress, and I’ve always felt pretty confident and strong on a bike. So why not tri?





(By the way, this means I'm now on the hunt for some gear. Especially the kind that doesn't cost much, as I'll be spending plenty on entry fees, new shoes, padded bike shorts, etc. this year. But if anyone has or knows of a used road bike and/or wetsuit, I'd love to find those things at a discounted price. So keep your eyes out.)