If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I refer to myself in my bio as a “wannabe triathlete”. It’s a goal, a vision and a dream that I’ve been wanting to make a reality for a couple of years now. This past Saturday, I got one step closer to my goal by competing in my first ever event!
I became a try-a-tri, triathlete!!
It’s winter here in the Great White North so this unofficial event was held indoors for obvious reasons. I woke up at the ungodly hour of 4:45am (I know…this is sleeping in, in triathlon terms), got dressed, grabbed my gear and headed to the pool.
4:45am is not kind.
Once there, I registered and got my numbered swim cap.
Lucky number 10?
Then it was off to the cardio/track area to get my bike set up. I don’t own a bike trainer as was the case with about half the participants so we used stationary bikes instead. Can I just say that this bike seat was enormous!! I never thought I’d long the (dis)comfort of a spin bike seat but I did.
My cardio companion.
Then it was back down to the pool to change and get inked up.
Inked! (boy do I need a tan)
Awkward arm ink. My tricep is bigger than my shoulder. Eek!
After that, we got some last minute instructions on who to see, where to go and a quick few warm up laps then the horn sounded and off we went! The try-a-tri did a 300m swim. I was pretty nervous about that because I’ve never swam that far without needing constant breaks. I knew I could take breaks at each end as I needed (the major advantage to indoor swimming) but I wanted to push myself. I ended up swimming my lengths with breaststroke because it was less taxing on me and I could see more of what was going on around me. I knew I was going to be the last one out of the pool so I wasn’t panicking when the other swimmers were lapping me. I think my swim time was 9:36. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. I’m guessing it’s a bit on the slow side.
Me and my Saucony Guide 6′s about to run up to the bike.
Transition was interesting but I managed to change out of my suit and into my shorts/shirt and get up to the cardio area in under 3 minutes (boom!). After that it was 30 minutes on the cardio (I would have preferred a distance goal here to see if I could have caught up to the pack but because not everyone could track distance, this was the fairest option for everyone).
After the bike was a 1km run which I did in about 4:36!
All done!
After our swim pack coach, Wanda, made us all a fantastic oatmeal breakfast. I wasted no time diving into mine!
Mmmmmmmm
There were also a tray of these bad boys. It’s an entire head of kale and some freshly squeezed orange juice so I was a bit afraid to try it. I’ve heard it referred to as a “meaty” drink. I’m not gonna lie. It was hard to get down. The aftertaste was much better than the initial taste but man…it’s definitely an acquired taste. More power to those who an drink it without making a scrunchie face after.
Recovery fuel.
All in all, it was a really good into into the triathlon world for me. There are a few more of these events before open water swim starts in 6 months (the ice will barely be off the water, I’m shivering just thinking about it) so I’m hoping to improve my times and possibly do a sprint swim before then.
So…do I get to call myself a triathlete now?
Yeeeeeeeeee!!! How awesome is that!!! You rock!
Good for you! Sounds like you had a great time doing it. I think the writing is on the wall and you have to go for an outdoor sprint this summer!
Woohoo congrats on your try-a-tri! I need to look into that here in SK to see if any of our leisure centers offer that!
Woot Woot!! Yay Steph!! Way to go!!
Congrats! Yes, definitely call yourself a triathlete! I just read about a different kind of triathlon here in Ottawa in January – the only outdoor triathlon you can do in the winter here – cross-country ski, snowshoe and run! Sounds interesting!
So happy for you Steph! And thanks for taking so many pics. Now I know a little more of what I’m getting myself into!
Wow! I had never heard of an indoor tri … then again, I live in Florida (LOL) we have triathlons in December! Congrats on going for it, and as someone mentioned, you should definitely try a sprint this summer. Nothing like being outside and riding your own bike, but beware … there is a chance you will get even more hooked!
Yes you do – you are a triathlete!! I’m so excited that you gave triathlons a try (I’m such a triathlon “pusher”) and that you enjoyed it! Do you think you’ll do another?
Congrats! I’ve heard of indoor triathlons (and time-based ones too), but never encountered one. I’ve done my own at my gym by getting into the pool before a spin class, then cutting out before the cool-down to hit the treadmill… it’s good preparation for the ‘real’ thing, I think.
As I said on twitter.. time to take out the ‘wannabe’ term…
Great job Steph!! What a great way to get accustomed to moving from one discipline to another for a triathlon! You rocked it!
That sounds like it was a lot of fun!! Great job!! An indoor triathlon is a pretty cool concept. I think it would help in getting used to the order of events and transitions. I wish my gym offered these!
I had never heard of an indoor triathlon. Does the event have all the elements of standard triathlons?
Congrats! You ARE a triathlete. And, the more you do, the better you will get. Tris are definitely one of those sports where experience pays off.
Make sure there is a reputable, experienced triathlon coach on hand, they can offer you their knowledge and expertise, helping you to fast track your learning process. A good coach will motivate you to train, give you a kick up the bum when you need it but also know your limits. They may have been a high level athlete themselves which can also provide a personal insight and an additional level of understanding
training for a triathlon