Sweat With Your Sweetheart "Mini" Triathlon
Last weekend, I did a triathlon at the gym where I workout. It feels so good to have set a goal, and to accomplish it. I changed my workout schedule three months ago to include swimming twice a week so I would be ready. I swam on a swim team when I was younger, and then I swam one year in high school, but I never really was that into it.
It had been almost twenty years since I put a cap and goggles on. That was the biggest challenge for me to overcome, but I knew that my end goal was to complete this triathlon and there was no way I could accomplish my goal unless I overcame my fear of getting back into the pool. After about two weeks of swimming, I felt a lot more confident in my abilities, and realized there were a few things I did not forget about how to swim. The training was tough. I worked out every morning at 5:00. It's the only time I can fit it in the day.
I feel like this has been four years in the making because it was about four years ago that I started to get into a exercise routine. I started doing 30 minutes of exercise, 3-4 times a week. In the summer of 2006, I ran a 5K on the 4th of July. I came in dead last. As I ran the final portion of that race, I passed a police officer who was helping with traffic. I heard him yell back to another officer, "she's the last one"! I'm hoping I can run a little faster now than I did back then. I was actually pregnant with Mason as I ran that race but I did not know it at the time. About a year after that race, I did not exercise much. Being pregnant was my excuse. About 6 months after Mason was born, I decided to get back into exercise, again, starting slowly, 30 minutes a day, 3-4 times a week. Thanks to a good friend of mine, in the fall of 2008, I started going to spin classes three times a week. I think at that point, it is really when my workouts were given a shot in the arm. It really boosted my self-esteem when I realized that I could do something that I thought my body was not capable of. I had gone to a spin class a couple of years prior, and my body hurt for two weeks straight. My body did go through an adjustment again this time, and I did hurt a lot, but the difference was I kept going this time.
Last summer, I started to train for a marathon. I wanted to run the 24th of July Deseret News Marathon, and I had some really nice, long, runs. I love to run. It clears my mind, and allows me time to myself, which I love. I can reset when I run. I trained for two months, BUT, then I injured my foot and I had to quit running long distances. I was heartbroken, but also knew that I needed to be wise and not run on my foot as much anymore. Luckily, my injury has healed, and I can run again. The triathlon training has been great because the running is not as hard on my foot. Hopefully, I won't injure it again. I still want to run a marathon, and my goal is to run one before I turn 40, but it won't be this year. I still have 3 1/2 years to reach my goal.
So, that is everything that has lead up to last weekend, when I did the "mini" triathlon. It was a 500 yd swim, 10 mile bike (super fast on a spin bike) and a 3 mile run. It was all in-door. I felt really good about it. I felt prepared and the training really helped. The swim went good. I finished in just under 11 minutes. About half way though the swim, on a flip turn, I got water up my nose. I think it was a self-full filling prophecy, because I was afraid it would happen. So, at that point, I stopped doing flip turns. After the swim, I put my bike shorts on and my bike shoes. It went really fast, I think I finished that portion in about 19 minutes. If I had to pick the one thing that is my strength, it would be the bike. Then it was on to the run, upstairs on the track. Twenty seven times around the track. I was wishing I had brought our MP3 Player, but it really was not so bad. I got to watch Mike and Mason every time I came around. That really kept me going. I was so glad they were there cheering for me. I finished the run portion I think
in about 35 minutes. My time for the entire race was 1:11:09. That accounts for transition time, and a bathroom break that I had to take in between the bike and the run portion. I was very surprised that I finished first in the Novice Women's Division. (Do I need to mention there were only two other women competing in that division?) BUT, for my first time racing, I can't help but feel pretty good about it. There was a competitive division as well, and if you take into account the two women who competed in that division, I finished 2nd overall. I was on a high for the rest of the day on Saturday. All I wanted to do was finish, and I did. It was amazing! Here are the pictures.
The Aquatic Center did an amazing job putting this all on. It was such a great experience for my first one. A big thanks goes out to all of you who have passed this way before and inspired me in my journey. You are truly an inspiration! I look forward to training over the next three months for another tri in May in St. George.
It had been almost twenty years since I put a cap and goggles on. That was the biggest challenge for me to overcome, but I knew that my end goal was to complete this triathlon and there was no way I could accomplish my goal unless I overcame my fear of getting back into the pool. After about two weeks of swimming, I felt a lot more confident in my abilities, and realized there were a few things I did not forget about how to swim. The training was tough. I worked out every morning at 5:00. It's the only time I can fit it in the day.
I feel like this has been four years in the making because it was about four years ago that I started to get into a exercise routine. I started doing 30 minutes of exercise, 3-4 times a week. In the summer of 2006, I ran a 5K on the 4th of July. I came in dead last. As I ran the final portion of that race, I passed a police officer who was helping with traffic. I heard him yell back to another officer, "she's the last one"! I'm hoping I can run a little faster now than I did back then. I was actually pregnant with Mason as I ran that race but I did not know it at the time. About a year after that race, I did not exercise much. Being pregnant was my excuse. About 6 months after Mason was born, I decided to get back into exercise, again, starting slowly, 30 minutes a day, 3-4 times a week. Thanks to a good friend of mine, in the fall of 2008, I started going to spin classes three times a week. I think at that point, it is really when my workouts were given a shot in the arm. It really boosted my self-esteem when I realized that I could do something that I thought my body was not capable of. I had gone to a spin class a couple of years prior, and my body hurt for two weeks straight. My body did go through an adjustment again this time, and I did hurt a lot, but the difference was I kept going this time.
Last summer, I started to train for a marathon. I wanted to run the 24th of July Deseret News Marathon, and I had some really nice, long, runs. I love to run. It clears my mind, and allows me time to myself, which I love. I can reset when I run. I trained for two months, BUT, then I injured my foot and I had to quit running long distances. I was heartbroken, but also knew that I needed to be wise and not run on my foot as much anymore. Luckily, my injury has healed, and I can run again. The triathlon training has been great because the running is not as hard on my foot. Hopefully, I won't injure it again. I still want to run a marathon, and my goal is to run one before I turn 40, but it won't be this year. I still have 3 1/2 years to reach my goal.
So, that is everything that has lead up to last weekend, when I did the "mini" triathlon. It was a 500 yd swim, 10 mile bike (super fast on a spin bike) and a 3 mile run. It was all in-door. I felt really good about it. I felt prepared and the training really helped. The swim went good. I finished in just under 11 minutes. About half way though the swim, on a flip turn, I got water up my nose. I think it was a self-full filling prophecy, because I was afraid it would happen. So, at that point, I stopped doing flip turns. After the swim, I put my bike shorts on and my bike shoes. It went really fast, I think I finished that portion in about 19 minutes. If I had to pick the one thing that is my strength, it would be the bike. Then it was on to the run, upstairs on the track. Twenty seven times around the track. I was wishing I had brought our MP3 Player, but it really was not so bad. I got to watch Mike and Mason every time I came around. That really kept me going. I was so glad they were there cheering for me. I finished the run portion I think
in about 35 minutes. My time for the entire race was 1:11:09. That accounts for transition time, and a bathroom break that I had to take in between the bike and the run portion. I was very surprised that I finished first in the Novice Women's Division. (Do I need to mention there were only two other women competing in that division?) BUT, for my first time racing, I can't help but feel pretty good about it. There was a competitive division as well, and if you take into account the two women who competed in that division, I finished 2nd overall. I was on a high for the rest of the day on Saturday. All I wanted to do was finish, and I did. It was amazing! Here are the pictures.
The Aquatic Center did an amazing job putting this all on. It was such a great experience for my first one. A big thanks goes out to all of you who have passed this way before and inspired me in my journey. You are truly an inspiration! I look forward to training over the next three months for another tri in May in St. George.
Comments
-Jessica
PS... I LOVE that picture of Mason! It totally made me laugh out loud!