Post by corybarrett on Aug 15, 2007 14:30:26 GMT -5
It all started on a bet at work, and from what i've read through out the forum, that's not all that uncommon. Four of us decided that we needed to loose weight, so we would pick some thing to do... triathlon. Two of us weren't swimmers, two of us weren't runner, and none of us were bikers. But hey how hard could this be, i mean we were just planning on doing the sprint at the GCT.
We had nearly 4 and a half month to prepare, more than enough time. I started running in late march, and joined a ymca shortly there after. Swimming twice a week (i was a swimmer for 12 years so it should be easy, that was 10 years ago ouch) and taking a spinning class once a week. Come mid april i took my fresh tax refund check and dropped it on a Felt.
Now i haven't ridden a bike in over 12 years, but you know what they say... "just like riding a bike" bull sh*t! My first time on this thing: fell once, didn't know how to get unclipped, nearly died when i went over a pot hole in the areo bars, almost went in the ditch when trying to get a drink, had to ride ride in the rain on a 45 degree day in april, could barely make it up a small roller in the RRR... all of this happened on a 7 mile ride... 7 miles. I was humbled quickly.
This wasn't the same as being 175 swimmer that i was in high school, the one that did the 500yard free in 4:43, and was looking at a D1 scholarship. This was different. This is being 225 pound pastry chef, who eats more sugar than anyone he knows, Stands on his feet for 12-14 hours a day, Goes to bed at 3 am usually after a bottle of Bordeaux and some ice cream. This was different than any thing i had done before. This was triathlon... to me.
I couldn't go back and just do some crash diet to loose weight, i couldn't just run, or swim, or just exercise, or even just work out. No at this point i was 2 thousand dollars in the hole after only a 4 week period, i have no choice. Now time to watch the eating, the drinking, bed time, and waking up earlier. My first race was the 10k at the Cleveland marathon, and i nearly stopped if it weren't for a friend pushing me down the last mile... Thanks Paul.
After that some things seemed to get easier. I suddenly like to run, i never thought i would say that in my life. But the bike, oh the bike how i hate that thing. I've never been so chewed up and spit out by anything in my life, and still this is the one that kills me... the aquathlon sounds better and better all the time.
We spent a week at Yellowstone in wy for vacation, and i went running nearly everyday there. Elevation 7,800 feet i don't know how much this did to help me, but by the time i got home i really appreciated low level oxygen. And i had decided that while the others that where partaking in the bet would sit till GCT, that i would do maumee bay. And so i did, without any disaster... good swim, slow bike, slower run. But something changed at the end of that race, i wanted to go faster. Not just "finish" anymore, everyone told me it would happen, and it i did " i am addicted".
Two more races over the summer, and my first 1/2 marathon coming this sept in Akron. All i can think about is how i'm going to set up trianing for the winter, race schedule for the summer, my first 1/2 iron man next august... and my first iron man in a couple more years. And getting faster!
Well sad to say that out of the 4 of us at work only two did it... the 2 swimmers i might add. But what this season got me:
225lbs to 189lbs... My feet and knees are so happy
50min 10k to 42 min 10k
17mph avg on bike to 21 avg on bike (over 25 miles)
Swim: learned to relax and still be quick
first sprint1:20
pr 1:12
All in all a great beginning to what i hope is a very long relationship.
We had nearly 4 and a half month to prepare, more than enough time. I started running in late march, and joined a ymca shortly there after. Swimming twice a week (i was a swimmer for 12 years so it should be easy, that was 10 years ago ouch) and taking a spinning class once a week. Come mid april i took my fresh tax refund check and dropped it on a Felt.
Now i haven't ridden a bike in over 12 years, but you know what they say... "just like riding a bike" bull sh*t! My first time on this thing: fell once, didn't know how to get unclipped, nearly died when i went over a pot hole in the areo bars, almost went in the ditch when trying to get a drink, had to ride ride in the rain on a 45 degree day in april, could barely make it up a small roller in the RRR... all of this happened on a 7 mile ride... 7 miles. I was humbled quickly.
This wasn't the same as being 175 swimmer that i was in high school, the one that did the 500yard free in 4:43, and was looking at a D1 scholarship. This was different. This is being 225 pound pastry chef, who eats more sugar than anyone he knows, Stands on his feet for 12-14 hours a day, Goes to bed at 3 am usually after a bottle of Bordeaux and some ice cream. This was different than any thing i had done before. This was triathlon... to me.
I couldn't go back and just do some crash diet to loose weight, i couldn't just run, or swim, or just exercise, or even just work out. No at this point i was 2 thousand dollars in the hole after only a 4 week period, i have no choice. Now time to watch the eating, the drinking, bed time, and waking up earlier. My first race was the 10k at the Cleveland marathon, and i nearly stopped if it weren't for a friend pushing me down the last mile... Thanks Paul.
After that some things seemed to get easier. I suddenly like to run, i never thought i would say that in my life. But the bike, oh the bike how i hate that thing. I've never been so chewed up and spit out by anything in my life, and still this is the one that kills me... the aquathlon sounds better and better all the time.
We spent a week at Yellowstone in wy for vacation, and i went running nearly everyday there. Elevation 7,800 feet i don't know how much this did to help me, but by the time i got home i really appreciated low level oxygen. And i had decided that while the others that where partaking in the bet would sit till GCT, that i would do maumee bay. And so i did, without any disaster... good swim, slow bike, slower run. But something changed at the end of that race, i wanted to go faster. Not just "finish" anymore, everyone told me it would happen, and it i did " i am addicted".
Two more races over the summer, and my first 1/2 marathon coming this sept in Akron. All i can think about is how i'm going to set up trianing for the winter, race schedule for the summer, my first 1/2 iron man next august... and my first iron man in a couple more years. And getting faster!
Well sad to say that out of the 4 of us at work only two did it... the 2 swimmers i might add. But what this season got me:
225lbs to 189lbs... My feet and knees are so happy
50min 10k to 42 min 10k
17mph avg on bike to 21 avg on bike (over 25 miles)
Swim: learned to relax and still be quick
first sprint1:20
pr 1:12
All in all a great beginning to what i hope is a very long relationship.
