Wednesday, 3/4/09 at 3:35 PM
by Kelli Poindexter
by Kelli Poindexter
The First Triathlon
I’ve signed up and my training is underway for my first triathlon. I’m very excited to expand my fitness into three sports. I think I’ll always have a soft spot for my bike, but training in three sports has kept me motivated and on a tight schedule. The Stanford Treeathon is now three weeks away. It is a sprint triathlon. Distances for each sport are short; 500 yard swim, 12 mile bike ride, and a 3 mile run.
A friend helped me come up with a five week training plan. She was a huge help. I really didn’t know where to start. She has participated in several sprint triathlons and just completed her first half Ironman this past November. The condensed version of the plan is swimming twice a week, running three times a week, and biking twice a week. Each week the swimming distance increases by 200 – 400 yards. Running distances don’t increase more than a half mile for any workout over the training period up to 3.5 miles. Bike rides get to be what ever I want twice a week since that is my strongest sport. This keeps my training fun.
What I’ve learned most over my first three weeks of training is that my training schedule must be flexible. As a wife and a mom of a one year old, I need to be able to switch training days on the fly (e.g. swimming workout for running or biking). Being flexible in my workout days and times keeps me motivated and makes each workout more interesting.
I’m very excited to participate in my first triathlon. I have come to really enjoy all three sports during my training. My biggest concern is my competitive spirit or lack there of. I’ve never had a huge drive to beat other people. I’m focused on improving myself because that’s where I find the biggest challenge. But, do I lack a necessary edge to be successful? Maybe I will find something new in myself during the race, maybe the edge is there hidden somewhere. I can’t wait to find out.
Kelli
A friend helped me come up with a five week training plan. She was a huge help. I really didn’t know where to start. She has participated in several sprint triathlons and just completed her first half Ironman this past November. The condensed version of the plan is swimming twice a week, running three times a week, and biking twice a week. Each week the swimming distance increases by 200 – 400 yards. Running distances don’t increase more than a half mile for any workout over the training period up to 3.5 miles. Bike rides get to be what ever I want twice a week since that is my strongest sport. This keeps my training fun.
What I’ve learned most over my first three weeks of training is that my training schedule must be flexible. As a wife and a mom of a one year old, I need to be able to switch training days on the fly (e.g. swimming workout for running or biking). Being flexible in my workout days and times keeps me motivated and makes each workout more interesting.
I’m very excited to participate in my first triathlon. I have come to really enjoy all three sports during my training. My biggest concern is my competitive spirit or lack there of. I’ve never had a huge drive to beat other people. I’m focused on improving myself because that’s where I find the biggest challenge. But, do I lack a necessary edge to be successful? Maybe I will find something new in myself during the race, maybe the edge is there hidden somewhere. I can’t wait to find out.
Kelli
Comments
Add a Comment