Category Archives: Fitness

Aug10

What You Need To Do A Sprint Triathlon: Planning & Gear List

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What You Need To Do A Sprint Triathlon: Planning & Gear List

This is what you will need to do a sprint triathlon: Planning & gear List

Step 1: Find a race to sign up for, check  usatriathlon , active.com or trifind.com

Step 2: Set up a training Schedule (see here for an example)

Step 3: Set up any travel plans, (it’s good to stay somewhat local your first time though)

Step 4: Since you may need to ride your bike while carrying everything bring all of the below in a backpack.

What you need race day:

1. a bike  I used my mountain bike for my first race which was fine because I just wanted to finish, but subsequently have rented or borrowed a road bike which is really what you want to use, they are so much lighter and  faster.

2. a tri suit  I got mine through danskin, this is the most efficient way to dress and will save you time on your transitions. Even for the Nantucket Triathlon I did not find that the water temperature called for a wet suit, and personally  I find them constricting when I swim.

3. a number belt (see photo below) available at any sports shop.

4.sneakers

5.socks

6. a small towel

7. a water bottle to rinse your feet with

8. water bottle with spout for your bike

9. bike helmet

9.sunglasses

10. goggles for the swim

11. 1 packet gu or other energy gel I usually eat this when I am half way through the bike. Try it before the race to make sure you like it and are familiar with the texture.

 

 

Aug9

Try A Triathlon!

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Try A Triathlon!

My friend Jo at the starting line

I know my friends I grew up with just fell off their chairs laughing at the thought of me as a triathlete. In a way they are right.  I am not an athlete, never have been, but as the gangly physique of my youth morphed with age, four babies, and a traitorous metabolism, even I have had to turn to exercise for help.  It was just before I turned 40 that my body seemed to turned on me, I could no longer indulge in my hedonistic ways without consequence (I hate that!).   I am a somewhat healthy eater, but with a big appetite.   You know the formula,  I had to ramp up my physical activity .   I needed a goal, and one that I really had to work for.  I had heard about sprint triathlons and had always wanted to give one a try. After all I thought, individually I could handle each leg, swim a ¼ mile, bike 12 miles or run 3 1/2 , maybe I could string them together and complete a triathlon.   My fear of drowning or collapsing had me on a 12-week training schedule and I was amazed at how well it actually prepared me for my first race.  I convinced several girlfriends to do it with me, because I sure as hell wasn’t going to do it alone and, as a first triathlon for all of us, we had a blast.

After finishing our very first sprint triathlon

Since then I have completed four more sprint triathlons, never placing mind you, but each time achieving my goal of completion and beating my own time from the previous race.  The group of girlfriends we race with has snowballed and we have turned our triathlons into fun girls weekends in different destinations.

2011 girls triathlon weekend

I love encouraging other women to give it a try.  The truth is that if I can do it, anyone can, with proper training of course .  My kids always ask me if I won, and I do have to admit that I love that they think I possibly could win. Some of my friends that I do it with actually do.

What you need

 

Check out tri find, usatriathlon  or active.com  to find a race near you.

 

 

 

 

Below is my text exchange with my 11-year-old son just after I finished my last triathlon.

Me: “I finished my race!”

Him: “Great, what Place did you get?’

Me: (Pause) “712”(this was out of 950 & you can read about why I did so poorly, yet it was my favorite triathlon so far in an upcoming post)

Him: “Is that good?”

Me: (This is why I love him so much!) “Yes, it is good for me because I finished the race, didn’t get hurt, had fun and wasn’t last”