Those of you who know me well know that I took up this crazy sport of triathlon in the summer of 2010. At that time, I was really just in an exploratory mode. I didn't have any significant sports background. I just wanted to see what this multi-sport thing was all about and find out what my limitations were. Since then, however, I've become a full fledged tri junkie. I eat, breath, and sleep this stuff. I'm also fairly certain that I've spent the equivalent of a small country's GDP on triathlon gear...but that's another story for another time.
I don't want this to sound like a sob story or overly dramatic, but I was a bit of a sickly kid. I don't mean boy in a bubble kind of sick, it's just that I had asthma, bad allergies, and inner ear issues. The asthma, especially, kept me from doing a lot of strenuous exercise and I didn't play any sports...not even T-Ball. As I grew into my late teens, the asthma got better. But, being an undersized guy at a 5-A high school meant I didn't have a remote chance of making it on the squad of the school team sports (football, basketball, baseball, etc.). I guess I could have played golf or tennis, but those were sports for the kids with trust funds and country club memberships so I didn't fit in there either. While I wasn't really athletic in the traditional sense, I was always a decent runner. I just couldn't run long distances. The one thing I was really good at was snow skiing, thanks to my parents starting me when I was around the age of 5. Needless to say, living in Louisiana meant that was a once/twice per year adventure, at best. Otherwise, I think I would have seriously pursued that.
Fast forward about 15 years...
I found myself working on a project out of town for much of 2010. I was living in Houston, TX during the week and coming home on most weekends. I decided to start working out...it's not like I had much else to do in the evenings. I bought the P90X workout plan, and got started right away. 90 days later, I was amazed at my new fitness and health transformation. (As a side note, that program really works if you follow it...highly recommended!) There was a health club down the road from my townhouse. I went in one day to see about joining. In the front area was a brochure for membership to a triathlon training group lead by a certified triathlon coach. I was intrigued. I'd always liked the thought of getting into cycling and I knew I was a decent runner, although I also knew I would need lots of help to develop my endurance. And swimming; anybody can swim, I thought. Besides, I just finished P90X. What could be harder than that?
After meeting the coach (Carolina Carstens with TriMAC...she's awesome!), discussing the training regiment and each of our expectations, I took the leap and joined. It was June, 2010. At my first workout with the group (run training), I realized just how much of a challenge this was going to be. But it was my second workout that I'll never forget. It was swim training, and as I stood at the edge of the pool, thoroughly intimidated by the spandex and Lycra clad folks effortlessly ticking off laps, I remember thinking to myself: "...just jump in and do what they're doing. You've been swimming since you could barely walk...you got this! That girl over there looks barely 15. If she can do it you can too!" Halfway to the other wall, the next thing I remember thinking to myself is: "If I get out of the pool, grab my bag, and immediately run to my car, I'll probably never see any of these people again!" I've never been so humbled (and exhausted). I honestly didn't think I'd ever be able to swim properly. I guess it was just my pride that wouldn't let me quit.
Such was the entirety of my summer of 2010. By late summer, I had improved significantly and finally felt like I was prepared well enough to sign up for a super sprint or mini triathlon. I was still very nervous about my swimming ability, so I purposely chose a race that had a short, pool swim. It was the Yam City Triathlon in Opelousas, LA. That race totally cemented my love for triathlon, and by November 2010, I was relaying with a friend in a half-ironman distance race. I haven't looked back since. My only regret is starting this sport(s) so late in life.
This finally leads me to the purpose of this blog. I intend to review the races that I participate in, both for the purpose of recapping my performance and tracking what I hope is improvement, and to offer a racer's perspective of the venue. If others who may be considering doing the same race get a bit of useful information from my review, fantastic! If all anyone gets is amusement at my pain and suffering, that's fine too!
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