I’m a 46-year old, female Ann Arbor townie who’s been running for 23 years. I am a runner. I love it. It’s who I am. My first race was the 1991 Cherry Festival 15K and since then I’ve run about 75 races, including six marathons, eight half marathons, three 25Ks, five 10 milers and a slew of 5ks and 10ks.
From the Marathon to the Sprint Tri: How Hard Can it Be?
A few years ago, I was training with a friend for the Ann Arbor Marathon and she suggested using a training program from Runner’s World Run Less Run Faster. We reduced our running days by two and started spinning and swimming. I really enjoyed the new variety and, to my great surprise, I fell in love with swimming!
After the marathon was over, which, sadly, was actually at about mile 10 that day, I continued to cross train throughout the summer on the bike and in the pool and later that fall during the 2012 Detroit Free Press/Talmer Bank Marathon I finally PR’d my marathon—4:17:15!
After finishing this year’s Bayshore Half Marathon, and trying to figure out what my racing calendar was going to look like for the rest of the summer and fall, I stumbled upon the Traverse City Triathlon. After some gentle encouragement from my aunt (long-time Traverse City resident and runner Lynne Mixer), I registered for the sprint distance. My first triathlon! It’s on Sunday, August 17, and I’ll be up in Elk Rapids for vacation. Why not? It seemed like a no brainer. Besides, I’ve been swimming, biking, and running together for two plus years and I knew I could complete those distance (750 m, 20km and 5km respectively). Again, how hard could it be?
Again, Ha!
This is what I will say. I am not really having any difficulty with level of the work outs; quite honestly, I look at a 35-minute run and I think, “Why bother?” What I am struggling with—what I am finding to be a bit overwhelming— is honestly logistics, equipment, and cost.
I did NOT see this coming.
But I dove right in. I picked my training schedule (Triathlete Magazine’s Essential Week-By-Week Training Guide: Plans, Scheduling Tips, and Workout Goals for Triathletes of All Levels by Matt Fitzgerald) and started to read Triathlete Magazine—I wanted to absorb as much as I could.
My First Triathlon – What Equipment do I Need?
I started doing research on equipment I needed and how to “set up” my transition areas and the more I dug into it, the more overwhelming it became.
I obviously had all the running gear I needed, and a bike and swimming suit were the other two must-haves, which I have, but….well, it’s not the right bike or the right suit. And I really don’t like that. Because I’m kind of a sporting apparel snob.
But I wasn’t naïve enough to think I was going to buy a new $1,000 triathlete bike (low grade), a $250 wetsuit (good, solid grade) and a top-of-the line tri suit for $200. And yet, I had to do something.
With as long as it took for ice to melt on Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay this winter, I knew temps in Bowers Harbor were going to be wet-suit worthy. Actually, I didn’t really know this; I just suspected this and had to do some online research to confirm. USA Triathlon rules state that wetsuits are legal if the water temperature is less than 78 degrees. So…now to rent a wetsuit.
I looked online at some places in Traverse City and nothing jumped out, so I ordered one from triwetsuitrentals.com. I wouldn’t wear and use new running shoes for the first time the day of a race, so I certainly am not going to use a wetsuit for the first time the day of the event. Thankfully, you get the wetsuit for close to a two-week period. That was $56.
My 1990-something Trek mountain bike wasn’t what I wanted to use to for a 12-mile sprint ride across the rolling hills of Old Mission Peninsula. So…now to Performance Bicycle for new tires, pedals, a tune up, and helmet. That was about $200. I had purchased my shoes a few months before when I started taking Power Cycling classes in Ann Arbor; and as much as I tried to go on the cheap with those, which was before I knew I was doing the triathlon, I walked out of there with the most popular shoes they sell to women. $80.
Me with my new helmet and sunglasses, tuned-up bike with “skinny” road tires (ha!) and new pedals. Why am I riding on grass? My aunt told me that the first time I ride the bike with the new pedals and shoes to do it on grass because it can be tricky to get your shoes out of the pedals as you learn to stop. And you can fall. And she was right.
Running—check.
You’d think at this point I’d be all set, right?
Not exactly.
As I mentioned earlier, I was a bit bored with the running workouts of 35 minutes, so I stopped those for a while. A week-long vacation was another good reason to fall off the exercise band wagon (although it did result in my first open water swim). Factor in a healthy dose of lethargy as a result of losing my running training partner of the past 2 ½ years as I embarked on this triathlon journey of my own—and you have the perfect storm for…..NOTHING.
Next step in preparing for my first triathlon? Join the Ann Arbor Triathlon Club! An investment of only $40—this is the best one I’ve made so far. I’ve only been to one of the workouts, but it was the one I need the most: open swimming. There I stood in my swimsuit with cap (not my best look as you can see from above) getting ready to get in the water and surrounded by five, lean men who have all competed in triathlons before, two of whom are training for upcoming Ironmans. I’ve had MORE awkward social moments, but….
GPS display of my open water swim in Silver Lake with a handful of Ann Arbor Triathlon members. Despite what I thought was an improvement in my sighting skills…clearly that wasn’t the case.
My First Triathlon: Getting Ready for Race Day
Here it is, almost one month to the day of the triathlon and I finally have my workout schedule nailed down (and it’s realistic—which is huge), new bike parts on (now I just need to learn how to ride on the open road), wet suit ordered, two open swims under my belt (now I just need to keep practice sighting) and I think I might actually have a good grasp on triathlon logistics and future expenses.
Running has never been this “difficult.” I bought shoes, I bought clothes, I opened my front door and I ran. But I decided to train for the triathlon because I wanted to do something different. As I said, I’m a runner. I love running. I hope to have an exhilarating experience with my first triathlon in August. I hope to consider myself sooner rather than later a triathlete. I hope to fall in love with triathlons. We’ll see. Stay tuned.
P.S. Does it seem crazy that I’ve actually thought about setting a goal to do an Ironman in 3 ½ years to celebrate turning 50?
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