"But the Rusty Old Engine sighed: "I am so tired. I must rest my weary wheels. I cannot pull even so little a train as yours over the mountain. I can not. I can not. I can not."
I am stressed and lets just say anxiety isn't flattering on me.
When I signed up I thought... "It's only a sprint. I can totally do that. No problem."
This particular sprint triathlon consists of a:
400 yard SWIM
12 mile BIKE
3 mile RUN
I mean seriously, that doesn't sound that bad, does it??
Well, I had quite a rude awakening this past Sunday when I attempted the course at Shaver Lake. The swim is an open water swim in Shaver Lake.
I tried it.
I paniced.
I swam back to shore.
I wanted to vomit.
Then we ran the 3 miles. I almost died.
Completely out of breath. Feeling intimidated, overwhelmed and totally out of shape. Seriously worried that I am not going to be able to do this. Defeat took over my body and I haven't even competed yet.
Since NOT competing is NOT an option and failure is definitely NOT an option, I have to change my attitude.
Then she said, "I think I can. I think I can. I think I can." And she hitched herself to the little train.
Steve and I are doing the triathlon together. Trying to stay motivated and encouraged. Not much time left for training.
Wish us well...
4 comments:
Hey there!
You can do this! I know you can! Ok - here's my advice in one very long nutshell:
For the swim. Take it slow and steady. Do what you can throughout the swim to just calm your breathing down as much as possible. Exhale slowly when your face is in the water and and steady breaths when you stroke to the side. The swim is about survival.. just getting through it. If you have to breast stroke, backstroke, dog paddle.. don't worry about it. Just get through it. Make sure to keep your bearings by spotting often. Preferably a landmark. Before you start - count the buoys and know when you'll turn. Don't spot off other swimmers. They may be going off course and you don't want to follow. Realize that 90% of the other swimmers out there are scared of the swimming part too and want to vomit.. even if they don't admit it.
So, once you make it to land, head to your bike. Put your helmet on first and buckle the chin strap!! The quickest way to get disqualified is to mount your bike without your helmet properly fastened. Pull on your shoes and head to the mount line. You will not be able to get on your bike in transition. They will have a very specific spot for you to get on and off your bike. Remember your transition is timed, so scoot your butt out as quickly as possible. On the bike, start in an easier gear, just to get started. There will always be people ahead of you, but most likely it's because they started the swim ahead of you. Focus on your own race and don't get down if you get passed. It's all about pacing. Stay in a comfortable zone. Don't push yourself so hard that you feel like you want to quit. If you push too hard, you're going to blow up your legs for the run. Make sure to drink water!! Preferably every 10 minutes or so. It's easy to forget to do and it is extremely important to stay hydrated. Again, it's important for the run portion too!
When you get to the end of the bike, you'll hit the dismount line (typically the same spot as the mount line). Rack your bike in the same spot that you started in. The transition from the bike to the run is the most difficult on your legs. If you can practice it a couple times before the triathlon, you'll be prepared to how they will feel. Basically they will feel like cement blocks that do not, under any circumstances want to move. Sadly, this is normal.
Do what you can to finish the run. If you have to walk, then you have to walk. It's okay. It's your first triathlon. You're just figuring things out. It's an awesome accomplishment! You'll probably cuss at the race the first few hours and then hopefully.. after a well deserved nap, you'll wake up - take a look at the medal that you earned and think, "Hey, that's pretty freakin' awesome" and decide that you want to try another one. Then the real training begins (because you know you could do better if you had only done ______ or if you had _____" Then the obsession begins! Ha! At least that's how it worked for me! :)
As far as tips:
1) If it's sunny, wear tinted goggles. This will help a lot to keep the sun glare down in the water.
2) Chew gum on the bike and the run, it will help you feel less thirsty between aid stations.
3) Practice setting up your transition area before the race and make a list of what you'll need so that you don't forget anything.
4) I use sidewalk chalk to mark the end of the row where my bike is racked so that when I come out of the swim, I can find it quickly. A big star works and the other people racked near you will be thankful too!
5) Bring extra TP for the port-a-potties in the morning. The lines are usually long and the paper goes fast. Not. Kidding.
6)Take some time to visualize the race as much as possible. Setting up transition, starting the swim, going through the bike, run. Be mentally prepared.
7) When you're scared *hitless at the race start, focus only on the swim. Not the entire race or anyone else. It's you and the swim. Know where your buoys are and try the best you can to slow your breathing down. Breathing fast will get your heart rate up and cause panic. Slow, focused.. Repeat. Sing to yourself, if you have to or count your strokes.
8) Not everything is going to go perfectly. That's what makes this sport so addicting. We're constantly trying to improve. Get faster, go longer, whatever. Your first race is about finishing and enjoying it as much as you can. It's not easy, but it sure is a heck of a lot of fun! :)
Go get 'em Schmidty's!
You can do it, I have never seen you fail at anything, all you have to do is finish, but I know you will do great
Girl, you can do this! I trained for my first sprint Tri, and placed 1st in my age group. Then, last year in Korea I decided to do another (longer) sprint Tri the week of the event, and I felt like it kicked my butt. BUT, I was passing other chicks on the course and ended up getting first again! My prize was a Jimmy Choo purse (kOREA, LOL!).
YOU CAN DO THIS. IT IS CAKE!!! It really is! You can seriously finish in less than an hour. Think about it, that's less time than one grueling spin class!
LOVE YOU!
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