I know this is always something that needs to be taken with a thought process that allows you a learning curve that is outside an obvious physical exertion but the relationship between the thought and the action is very conected
Tracey’s Triathalon Trials Story of Olympic proportion
I am so proud of da girl .Tracey and I met online whilst doing a totally unrelated to sport program called the 30 Day Challenge which is a great no cost highly informative internet marketing course.
When she is not looking after her family she is occupied with her canine connections and their health running a great site at http://www.exercisemydog.com/
With the Olympics out of the way, us mere mortals can look at resuming an existence away from the idiot box.
Many thanks to Tracey for sending me this report as it is a theme that I like to promote here.
You do not have to be a super star ( not saying Tracey isn’t 
to get out and get involved there are many people with all types of reasons why they can do it, hey just be sensible get good advice and step up to the start line
I was more active when I was younger, but with marriage, kids, job, etc., I hadn’t made activity a priority in years. But I wanted to be more physically fit, not just to lose weight (I had gotten to 200 lb) but to be able to keep up with school-age children and just feel good. Doing a triathlon had always been one of the things on my “list”. It was time to get going.
Big Girls Tri
I started training last June. And I was slow. Let me rephrase: S-L-O-W: a slow swimmer, a slow runner, a slow bicyclist. OK time to evaluate–let me make my goal to just finish the whole triathlon–at any speed. I decided to concentrate on 2 things: good technique and more endurance. It took a while but I got into a good rhythm of training 5 to 6 days a week (swim 2x, run 3x, bike 1x, strength 2x). I read books, participated on websites, and solicited coaching from high school coaches and YMCA instructors.
By the time summer rolled around, I could really see improvement in my speed and stamina. Not great jumps, but definite improvement. So I register for a tri that occurs the day before my 40th birthday in August and am determined to be ready.
Race Day
First challenge: getting the family up to leave at 4:30am to drive 2 hours to the race site. Strategy: have the kids go to bed in their clothes, pack a picnic breakfast. Strategy is successful.
We get to the race site and I check in. I had to register in the “Athena” category–women over 165 lb. Yea, thanks–please call attention to weightiness. Whatever. This just lets me know, there are more than a few of us big girls who are starting out and we all start somewhere.
I set up my transition spot and concentrate on not getting nervous. Strategy: do not compare self with the more muscled bodies, the fancier bikes, the expensive wet suits. Strategy is dubious. I catch myself thinking about scouring eBay tonight for a better bike.
Finally after pacing and chatting with family, my wave, all Sprint females, starts. Amazingly I am not nervous at all.
Strategy:
do at least 1 open water swim. I did 4 and I totally know what to expect and how to deal with it. And I start in the back, so I don’t get kicked. The swim it’s still a bit of work for me. By the time I get to the 1st buoy I’m thinking, boy this took a long time, please don’t let me get embarrassed by getting towed to shore. Strategy: keep stroking and stop sighting so often, go 10 strokes. Before I know it I’m close to the beach.
Out of the water and into transition. Strategy–take my time in the trans area and have a gel bar (as advised by one of my coaches). I didn’t like that strategy–I’m already slow. I got the bike down and started going.
The bike ride was killer–there were several, like a million, rolling hills. Was this someone’s idea of funny? Note to self: train on hills, duh. At the top of each hill, I have slowed to a crawl. But I’m determined not to get off, ever. And someone is always cheering me on–as they pass me. I chomp an energy bar and keep going pedaling.
The Slow and The Furious
By the time I get back to transition and dismount, I feel my thigh muscles twitching and think “I absolutely, positively do NOT want to run”. Strategy: think about how many people I told I was going to do this and how I am going to feel if I have to say I didn’t finish. I change into running shoes (taking way too long), swig some water and run out the chute.
OK ‘run’ might be an exaggeration. Shuffle was more like it. It takes me nearly a mile before I can feel my muscles transition from pedaling hills to running, but then I actually feel a mini-surge of power and can actually pick up my feet. Note to self: my first serious triathlon investment, high-quality sport bra, is so worth it for the robust woman.
Just as with bike ride, several people–who are on the return leg of the run–cheer me on as they pass. And so do several people who are passing me in my direction. Do I let the 60 year old running past me dishearten me? Yes! But I keep running and think maybe if I keep this up, maybe I too can run at a brisk pace by the time I hit 60. To be completely forthright, I did take 2 walking breaks which I kept to 60 seconds. Not good for my time, but wonders for my energy and mental state.
Of course, as you start nearing the finish line, there is no stopping. Too many people can see you, but who are cheering you on, even for the back-of-the-packers like me. Finally I cross, thrilled that I actually did this thing! Thrilled that I can finally stop now! Not thrilled, but grateful that my super supportive husband makes me continue to walk and does not let me sit down. This was quite an accomplishment–but I think I have it out of my system now, thank you very much.
I write this the morning after and I don’t feel too bad at all. I spent the remainder of yesterday alternately eating and napping. My shoulders are a little stiff, but I feel good. It was a good experience and I fulfilled my goal. I rock!
Then I check my times on the Website. Yea, I am slow, with a capital S. I finished in 2 h 05 m (8 minutes transition-abysmal). I am 190th of 192 people. And 191 and 192 didn’t finish the race! On the other hand, all my individual times were faster than at least a couple of other people. OK, I know–not the point. The point was to finish and I did and am so proud and my family and friends are too. And I lost 15 pounds since last year and 1 dress size and I feel great. So I am an all-around winner.
Triathlon training
But I really think I could get my swim time down with more work on my stroke. And I can certainly shorten my transition time a lot. I wonder if there’s another tri in my area, maybe in about a month….
PS: I put my husband in charge of pictures–I had enough other stuff to think about. He picked up a camera he hadn’t really worked with. Long story short: I have NO pictures of my big day except one my daughter took with my phone. I am DISTRAUGHT. If he weren’t so VERY supportive and so very sorry, he would have been sleeping on the couch for a long time. Note to self: test the camera along with all the other equipment
Triathlon Addiction
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It seems that it is not only the western countries that have participants involved in triathlon who are ill prepared or just not trained properly In the wake of the death of 17-year old national triathlete Thaddeus Cheong and 25-year-old Captain Ho Si Qiu after races this year, what do rookie and veteran sportsmen have to watch for while training and racing? |
| Figures from the Triathlon Association of Singapore (TAS)
showed its popularity has been increasing over the years. For instance, numbers for the OSIM Singapore Triathlon, organised by the association, swelled from a humble 500 participants in 2002 to 3,800 this year when it was held in July. And such events and its supporting biathlons and marathons - where athletes sometimes take part to train for triathlons - have also been filling up the sports calendar. Last year First Women Only Triathlon got its debut flag-off, only to be cancelled midway due to safety concerns following a thunderstorm. However, jumping into the deep end may not be advisable for newbies who do not have some help with training. Glad to read that there is a sensible voice out there in the sometime wilderness of good training advice The Head and Senior Consultant Sports Physician of Changi Sports Medicine Centre said being past your active years I am not sure what he means by that as long as you are kickin I would call that active It should not stop you from taking part in endurance races. He said: ‘There is no upper age limit for triathlons. There may be physical and medical limitations, but this is not the same as age limitation.’ However, he noted that as people age, the risk of certain diseases such as hypertension, coronary artery disease and diabetes increases. To counter this, he suggested precautions such as a pre-participation screening, training progressively, and ensuring proper hydration and nutrition during training and competition. In addition, he said older participants should monitor themselves for injuries and be aware of the symptoms of heart diseases. TRAINING: HOW INTENSE? A sports surgeon from the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Some of the common injuries include stress fractures (on bones), pain over the shin bones, muscle and tendon tears. When this happens, try to ease off for a while. Dr Tan noted: ‘The tolerance level varies greatly from individual to individual. Some can tolerate high distances without injury while others get injured at one-tenth the volume.’ He recommended increasing distance covered by 10 per cent a week and keeping a training log to monitor training volume, intensity and how one feels. Any injury incurred should also be noted down. ‘For instance, if you developed a stress fracture when you raised your running distance to 40km, then you would want to hold your weekly distance at 35km for a longer period before stepping up to 40km.’ HOW MUCH TO DRINK? On race day itself, the beginning of the race can cause potential injuries due to competitors jostling for position. ‘Always maintain awareness of other competitors, surface conditions, and look out for potential hazards.’ for events over an hour, ’special attention’ needed to be placed on both fluid and sugar intake during the race. 500ml of fluid should be consumed two hours before the race, while during the race, athletes should have planned drinks of 125-250ml every 15 minutes. A heavy meal before race is a no-no. But athletes can take some energy gel or sports drinks to replace lost fluids. After a long race, don’t stay stationary immediately. Walk it off and do proper stretching to loosen taut muscles and minimise soreness. A massage the next day would help. ADDICTED TO RACING? A prominent sports psychologist in private practice, said addiction is a possibility for some enthusiasts. He said: ‘It would be considered an addiction when the sport literally controls a person’s life. ‘Their lives become structured in such a way that study, relationships and work take a back seat to their participation in the sport.’ Other warning signs: when a person becomes irritable, nervous, guilty and anxious if he or she is unable to exercise. Mr Tham said some ways of managing such an addiction is to have watchful coaches, social support from spouses or family, and adhering to a prescribed training programme. They should be referred to a sports medicine doctor or sports psychologists when necessary. A spokesman for TAS said: ‘It’s all about striking a balance between work, family and training. Managing your priorities in life is the key.’ |
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