I Am Going To Tri

Yes I am going to attempt to complete my first triathlon this summer.  It's a sprint distance triathlon so hopefully it will be manageable.  I am nervous about the swim and the bike.  So basically I'm only comfortable about running a 5K.  So when Chris from OC Tri Running started talking about putting together a swimming group to prepare for triathlons, I was all about it.  My first swimming session was a disaster.  I really thought I was a much better swimmer than that!  I couldn't get the breathing right, the stroke felt awkward and I was really slow. 

Last night was our third session of swimming.  I have definitely made a lot of progress from that first session.  Coach Kelly is awesome and really helps us out a lot.  She told me that my biggest problem is that I don't put my head down far enough.  I'm working on getting better at that.  She also told me that I have a gorgeous stroke!  YAY!  So I'm not as bad as I thought I was the first session.

Now I have to find a bike...that's kind of important in a triathlon.  I have a dear friend named Abby who lives in Columbia MD.  She does all sorts of "crazy" races like ultra marathons, triathlons and the Bay Bridge swim.  I go to her often with questions and concerns about running and training.  I emailed her last year with one sentence:  To Half or Not to Half.  She knew exactly what I meant and of course she encouraged me to do the Half!  She has always told me that she's afraid of the bike because she doesn't like to go downhill.  The more I think about it, the more I agree with her!  That's kind of scary.  So the triathlon I picked as my target was a sprint distance and the bike course was clearly marked as a flat course.  We shall see how flat it really is!  And as with any new type of race, my goal is first to complete it.  The second one will be for time!