If you're here, then you're at least a little bit intrigued at the possibility of completing a triathlon. And, if you are at least a little bit intrigued, then you can definitely do it. Trust me, if I was able to do it, then you can too. Here's the scoop...
The Pasadena Triathlon will take place on Saturday, March 15th, 2009. It's a reverse triathlon at the Sprint Distance. What's that you ask? Well, since the swim portion takes place in a pool instead of the open water (good news for all of you who weren't exactly keen about swimming with the fishes), they start with a 5k run, then move to a 15k bike, and finish with a 150m swim. It all takes place at the Rose Bowl with about 800 other people just as crazy as you!
If you're thinking, "That's a piece of cake. I could do it tomorrow," awesome. We'll see you there. If, on the other hand you're thinking, "I would love to do it, but I can't imagine how on God's green earth it would be possible," then keep reading.
Drumroll please... almost anyone can be ready for a sprint triathlon in less than four months! If you can commit to just 2-3 hours per week for the next 16 weeks, then you can easily (yes, I said easily) finish. Triathletes typically train one long day each week (called a brick) and 3-4 shorter days. Each week, I'll post a training plan on this blog for you to do at your convenience in the comfort of your own home (or neighborhood at least). Once a week on a Saturday morning, anyone who wants to can join in the group brick training at the Rose Bowl where we will either run/bike or bike/swim. Of course, if you can't make the group brick training, you can certainly do it on your own.
As the race gets closer, we'll also talk about things like the transition area, what to wear, and how it all works. For now though, this blog will serve as a place to find a training plan, encourage each other, and log any questions or concerns. Along those lines, let there be no one who rejects the idea of doing a triathlon simply because they aren't a "good swimmer/cyclist/runner". I hadn't been on a bike in 25 years and was frankly scared to death, but thanks to some helpful friends who patiently instructed me on the basics of, well, stopping and starting, I was able to get through it. We'll do the same for you.
Training kicks off on November 23rd, just in time to pre-shed the seemingly inevitable Thanksgiving poundage. For those who want a preview, here's what the first week looks like.
Day 1 - 12 minute run
Day 2 - off
Day 3 - 35 minute bike
Day 4 - 20 minute swim
Day 5 - off for the holiday
Day 6 - off for the holiday
Day 7 - off for the holiday
Also, don't feel like you have to do things on the exact days indicated, but do make sure that you get at least two days of rest each week and that one of those happens before the long day. If you have any questions, please email me or post them as a comment and I will respond asap.
Remember, this will be awesome!
6 comments:
we'll see how i feel after the 16th. but sounds like fun. It's time I invest in a bike too!!
oh this is dianna by the way! :)
Tricia - i am so excited for this, I am in! I have already started a mini-training but the outline above is much more structured than my "should I run or swim today" thoughts. I just ordered a watch that I am going to wear when I swim in the ocean or pool. It is 100m waterproof and can track laps. I will let you know how it works out. We "found" Corona Del Mar beach Saturday (it wasn't really lost I guess, we had just not stumbled on it yet, we need to get out more) and it is alot like the bay we swam in for the OCRF tri. There are some breakers but not too bad and it has a jetty on one side and the beach curves out the other side so it is a nice little bay. We saw a TON of people swim so that is going to be where I do my open water training. I also learned there is a community pool 1/2 a mile from the house that has adult open swim from 6am to 8am Mon-Fri all year round. I am going to check that out as well. We both know swimming is my weak point. I am very excited for this!
OK, I went to Corona Del Mar on Sunday and swam for 10 minutes. Should have brought the wetsuit, all I had was a short sleeve swim shirt and I was COLD! I got my new watch and was able to note the landmark I wanted to use as my lap marker. The swim overall was easy, this is a great place to practice open water swimming. Once you are past the breakers it is like swimming in a lake (only much cleaner, you can see to the bottom!). I ran a 5K on Monday down at Salt Creek Beach. I kinda tricked Chris into it, told him I wanted to run slower and longer instead of a fast 2.5 miles (our usual run). What I failed to tell him was that I had programmed my Garmin virtual trainer to a 5K! He wasn't too mad and we finished in 28 minutes. Not too shabby but I was beat afterwards. I think he was too, what a trooper. We have softball tonight and tomorrow will be a bike day. Been neglecting that... need to get it back in the rotation.
I'm excited!! Here's a dumb question: do we need to buy a bike?
If anyone wants to come take my classes at either Pedal Spin Studio in Montrose or the YMCA in La Cañada, let me know!
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 9:45 a.m. (Montrose)
Fridays, 8:30 a.m. (La Cañada)
Hi Leslie,
There is absolutely no reason to buy a bike if you can borrow one from someone. There will be a lot of people riding non-racing bikes. Tons of hybrids, some mountain bikes with slicks, and even some cruisers. I actually trained primarily on a cruiser and then was thrilled by how much faster an actual road bike was. Hope that helps!
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