It's official, I am a Triathlete!

Completed my first Triathlon Sunday, September 23, 2009. Came in 415 of 485 at 1:25:50. This was a 250 yard swim, 9 mi bike and 2 mile run. I have another Tri September 27, 2009. I hope to improve my swim time, so I'm going to take lessons on Sundays with a guy one of the other athletes from Sunday recommended. The pools in the area are all closed during the day now that school is back in session so I'll have to get creative with my training. My Triathlon training group has scaled down their swim training opportunities because one of the local YMCA's is doing some remodling for the next few weeks. That means I only have one day a week to train with the group, one day with the swim coach and I'll obviously need at least 2 more days to practice on my own.

Had a great time with the Tri. Awesome support and wonderful women participating in this event. However, with yet another Tri so soon, I've got to get refocused and keep on training. My hope is to improve my swim, T1 and bike times. I was pretty happy with my run time, however, it's my least favorite part of the tri. Nevertheless, I start fartlicks today to hopefully increase my speed. I'd love to get a running coach to work with for the next 5 weeks, but cash is an issue. Many of the women in the race had bike shoes and road bikes which give you an advantage. I'd love to get some bike shoes, but again, the budget is still the issue. I have a "loaner" bike, so I'm keeping my eyes open for a road bike. Checking craigslist, but not real sure about possibly buying someone elses' "clunker". I have a friend who purchsed a used bike and ended up spending almost $300 to get it up to speed. She could have just purchased a brand new bike for another $150.00.

Anyway, things are going well. I'm still "high" from my first Tri experience and would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in setting a goal and pushing themselves beyond their comfort zone. What a life-changing experience! I'm hooked!!

Heidi