Twelve weeks to go

The triathlon is twelve weeks from yesterday. It was about three months ago when I started training, so I guess I’m halfway there. Let’s do a progress report based on the eight disciplines of triathlon training that I wrote about.

FIERCE TORTOISE TRIATHLON ACADEMY

MID-SEMESTER PROGRESS REPORT

1. Swim: Much better than when I started. I have a full swim stroke, but I’m not very good at breathing yet. I get out of breath very easily – maybe I’m swimming too hard or not enough. I’m confident I will make the distance. If I have to, I’ll just backstroke.
Progress: B

2. Bike: I’ve only done one real outside bike ride. It was very difficult! I’m concerned. In the race, it’s legal to walk your bike, or stop to rest, but I very much want to ride the full distance. I need to get more saddle time once it warms up.
Progress: Incomplete/not started

3. Run: I’ve been doing interval training for about two weeks. I walk for two minutes and jog for 90 seconds. Gradually the time will increase until I’m running a full 5k. I already plan to walk part of the run, but maybe I won’t have to! That would be great. And I absolutely have to be able to run across the actual finish line, even if I walk the three miles before it.
Progress: A-

4. Transitions: Haven’t really practiced these, but since I don’t care about time, I don’t really have to do them quickly. Mostly I will need checklists so I don’t forget anything. I still don’t know what I’ll wear. I won’t be able to change after swimming, so I’ll wear the same thing for the whole race. Do I bike and run in my bathing suit or swim in my gym shorts?
Progress: N/A

5. Mental: This is not a problem. I’m motivated, I’m focused. I will do this race; it’s not even a question. I mix up my training so I don’t get bored.
Progress: A

6. Nutrition: Ah…well. Yes, Mr. Hall, and what exactly are you eating these days? My food choices are not stellar. I like having pizza and chocolate and nachos! Not every meal, but more than I should for an athlete in training. I’m tracking my nutrition and calories, which makes me more aware of what I’m eating. Sometimes when I’m making a choice I picture myself in full race gear saying “Dude, please just eat one cookie. It will help me out a lot in April.”
Progress: C-

7. Recovery: I’m great at this. I stretch all the time, before and after exercise. I warm up, I cool down. I listen to my body and if I need a day to rest, I rest.
Progress: A

8. Studying/Learning: Still all over beginnertriathlete.com and other sources of tri knowledge every day.
Progress: A

Instructor’s notes: Overall, Matt is showing strong progress towards his goal of completing a triathlon. He could benefit greatly from better nutrition. In the spring, he needs to get on the bike as much as possible. Additionally, he is a fierce tortoise.

Triathlon class at my gym

Yesterday morning after Pilates, I chatted with the instructor a bit, and as with any conversation I have now, the word "triathlon" came up. She told me the gym used to have a triathlon training class, but hasn't for a while. I was bummed that they "used to" have a triathlon training class.

And then!

This morning at the gym I saw a sign - they are starting a triathlon training class next week! It specifically states "sprint triathlon" which is the distance I'll be doing. How exciting!

I think my training has been going okay on my own, but it will be great to train with a coach. The main danger in do-it-yourself training is imprinting bad habits. (For example, I can't watch myself swim, so I don't know if my arm is too low or my head isn't tucked or whatever.) The saying is "practice makes perfect" but the truth is "practice makes permanent." If you practice bad form, you will learn bad form.

If you want to attend, the meeting will be at the Farragut TN Rush on January 25 at 7:30 pm in the bike room. I'll buy you a Gatorade.

A real run

Since I started this journey, I have been "training to train." I've been up (almost) every day working out, mostly generic stuff like the elliptical machine to train my system to breathe hard for a long time and get used to sustained effort. Not least of all was just getting used to working out all the time.

But now the new year has arrived, so it's time to start Training.

Swim: I've been swimming at the pool for a while already. I was doing drills and resting whenever I needed (wanted) to. Now I will focus more on actual full-stroke swimming and getting used to distance. I'll increase my distance each week without stopping - this week I'll swim 25 yards and rest, next week 50, next week 75, etc. which will get me to the race distance of 400 yards just in time for race day.

Bike: I have my bike now, so I need to get it out on the road. Unfortunately it's January, so it's cold. (Right now it's 18 degrees outside.) I want to set a minimum temperature of 40 degrees for outdoor training, but is that really an option? Do I need to just HTFU (Harden Up) and get over it? There are indoor trainers that attach to your bike but right now I can't spend the money. Spin class? Hmmm.

Run: I found a website (www.podrunner.com) that has free downloads of workout music. One program is the "Couch to 5k", which is a nine-week series of podcasts. Each week is an interval training set. The music is mixed at two tempos, one medium, one fast. This week there was a five minute warmup at medium tempo, followed by alternating periods of 60 seconds of uptempo (running) and 90 seconds of medium tempo (walking), then finally a three minute cooldown. Each week the times increase until finally you're doing a full 5k. I did it last night around the pond at Pellisippi State.

More about yesterday's run: I came home from work, dressed and headed to the track. It was 39 degrees and very breezy. The sun was going down. I brought extra clothes in case I was cold, and after one lap I went to the car and put on everything. I was wearing:
Shoes & socks
Workout shorts under yoga pants under warmup pants
Long sleeve athletic shirt under a windbreaker (with the hood up)
Nylon ski mask with earmuffs
Gloves
(and I wish I had worn another shirt and my wool mittens!)
About twenty minutes in I had a "what the hell am I doing?" moment. I was freezing, breathing hard, wearing a pretty ridiculous outfit, running in the dark dodging goose poop. I knew Cortney was at home making dinner and I could be on the couch in front of the fire. Then it really hit me hard: yes, I could be home, but I wasn't. I was on a damn track, doing something very difficult, just because I wanted to. I knew then that I would complete the triathlon in April, and my eyes teared up (whether from emotion or biting wind, it's hard to say).

Hooray for me! Fierce tortoise!