I’m Going to Do A Triathlon
What the hell am I thinking? About a week ago, I decided to do a triathlon. It happened when I had a conversation with a friend who lives in Germany. I asked him if he was going to do a triathlon this year. He said he might do one in September. And then he asked me if I would come over and do the triathlon with him. I thought about it. It kept nagging me all day. So I told him, yes, I would ‘try a tri’ with him.
Keep in mind, I’ve never learned how to swim.
I took my first swimming lesson last Saturday. Water has always scared me. It has intimidated me to no end because I’ve never learned how to swim. Now, I’m just sick of being scared. I will beat this stupid fear. Even if I am dead last in the swim, I will complete it. If I finish no other part of the race, I will consider this a win for me.
So why a tri? I’ve asked myself this over and over. I’m doing this to really push myself to do something that is way above my head. I’m doing this because it is a huge goal I will have to work really hard to accomplish. It is said that the person who starts a triathlon is not the same person who finishes a triathlon. I want to meet her and shake her hand. Something about doing this ‘feels’ like the right thing to do.
My friend and I discussed what we’d do to celebrate if we finish such a huge thing as this. We’ve decided to get pierced: me in the belly button and him in his unpierced nipple.
Make no mistake: I will come home with a belly button ring!
Good for you! You first triathlon is always nerve racking - but after you finish, you’ll want to sign up for the next one. I would recommend putting yourself on a workout schedule, it doesn’t have to be too insane, but its good to split up your workouts throughout the week. Some people only do 2-3 workouts a week and are fine. Checkout my site Triathlon Week, there are lots of friendly people in the forums there and they can help you with any questions you have about training.
Good luck!
- R
Comment by rgourley — February 5, 2007 @ 9:46 pmHeather,
Congratulations on your decision to do a triathlon. You’ve already got the right attitude.
You didn’t mention the race distance, so the swim really depends. For a sprint triathlon, you’ll do just fine. I’ve found that most sprints here in the US are held in pretty shallow water, so you can stand up if you need to in an emergency.
In the meantime, check with your local YMCA for swim lessons. Also, look for local races that ( http://www.trifind.net/triathlons/texas.html ) and spend some time observing; better yet, volunteer! That’ll get you attuned to the atmosphere and flow of things. Plus, that’ll boost your confidence that this, in fact, something you can do.
Most of all, have fun!
Bill
Comment by Bill — February 11, 2007 @ 10:59 am