This week I have been busy reflecting on the path ahead toward that first triathlon. I realize I have progressed greatly from my initial days involved in this triathlon undertaking. In the early days of training what kept me from signing up for a triathlon, even a short sprint, was the knowledge and realization that I was so out of shape, finishing it would be improbable. There is a point where you have to honestly realize your true limitations and at that time I had no fitness or even a shred of endurance. Most activity including walking to the car left me out of breath and sweaty. A little bit of activity left me napping the rest of the day. Now, after six months of training, I truly realize it has started to pay off and barring physical injury I should be able to successfully complete a triathlon in March.
The Lagrange triathlon has a 300 meter swim, 12 mile bike ride and a 5k run. When I started this venture I could run 30 seconds, not sure how long I could bike ride and I could barely swim 100 meters. As I mentioned before in earlier posts I realized I needed to build to a base that I could build from. I needed to fit enough to do some major endurance training. For a few months I did nothing more than work on getting my run to 20-30 minutes, swim I became more efficient with my stroke and got to 250 meters of continuous swimming and I began to do spin classes to prepare for actually riding a bike.
All of this lead up to the start of October where i started the base of my periodization plan. The entire focus for the last two months has been endurance, endurance endurance. I wanted to be able to run a 5k, swim a mile continuously and bike 12 miles including hills. Weight training has become a method of preventing injury and stabilizing leg weakness. After two months I can tell you, my current distances are enough that I could finish the projected triathlon. Here are the components and the current numbers:
By my reckoning, I should be able to do this triathlon within 2 hours based on my current levels. Of course those levels are not accounting for the fatigue of roping the disciplines together. Obviously my times in all fields are really slow. But my focus has been on covering the distances prescribed. I am still working on increasing endurance further to prepare the muscles of the rigors of stringing all three together next year. The great motivator here is that if I would attempt today, I should be able to finish the race. Slow, but finish.
With little over three months of training to go this is exciting. It does not mean I can slack off, but it means the next three months will make me stronger, faster and able to go farther. Its additional motivation to continue to prepare for next March’s triathlon. I am there distance wise. Imagine how far I can go with three plus more months of training. I am excited at that prospect. Up till now, if you said you think I could do a triathlon, I would have had serious doubts about finishing, unlike now where it is clear to see that I can finish with all the pieces and base I currently have. Still more fun to come. Til next time.
Chatter Gets Fit 
That’s incredible! You’ve really come a long way. It’s good that you are looking back on your progress.
Some of it was a fluke. After swimming my 1500 meters worth of drills the other day I started thinking about the triathlon I was preparing for and I realized I was at the cusp of achieving my goals. Its all gravy from here.
That’s still awesome 🙂
Good work dude, keep it up.
That is fantastic. nothing like achieving goals! Keep at it.
Great stuff, well done.
One thing that’s worth thinking about now is starting to link the events – so go for a cycle immediately after a swim and go for a run immediately after a bike ride. You don’t have to do the full distances, but get used to the feeling in the muscles as you change discipline. I’ve only done a couple of triathlons, but it really threw me at first.
I actually have these planned on my workout schedule closer to race day. I still have one more phase of base building, then build phase. But yes, that will be on the schedule eventually. I need to get faster and be able to go longer.
Great job! It can be really hard to start from such a low level of fitness without getting discouraged and giving up. That you’ve stuck with it is a a huge accomplishment in and of itself. That you’ve improved so much in just two short months is incredible. You’ll have no problem finishing the tri in March – and your times might be faster than you think. Great job, too, on taking time to appreciate and enjoy how far you’ve come.
[…] today. Last week really was the first week I realized I could finish my planned triathlon (post here). Of course, I do not want to just finish, I want to finish with confidence and strength, meaning […]
[…] able to currently complete the distances that would ensure I finish a my selected first triathlon (here), but I have not talked about my swimming progress in detail. When I first started training for […]
That bike time, 14 miles in 45 minutes, is really quite good – about 18 mph average. That’s very respectable. To get to a place where I was comfortable finishing my first Tri I tied the run and bike distances together for my Saturday training… Once I could do that comfortably I knew it was just a matter of adding in a little swim. Keep it up, you’re doing great.
That is my flat, few hills time. I am much slower with allot of hill climbs. Still time and a plan to get even more comfortable on the bike.
Even on the flat that’s pretty decent. You’re doing great. Hill climbs always slow the average down.
When I was super out of shape back in May, I would not have been able to climb any of these hills. I would have given up and walked up the hill or found a ride back to the car. I can feel a difference in my leg strength. My last outing I was barely pulling 10mph on average, but that was on very dead, after running 5k race pace, legs and some tough hills. I figure if I keep riding that course I will improve over time. Thanks for the compliment, I still have more work to do to get even more comfortable with my abilities by race day!
[…] Realizations and Progress (chatterdoesfitness.wordpress.com) […]
[…] Realizations and Progress (chatterdoesfitness.wordpress.com) […]