Introduction from a future triathlete

The journey to becoming a Triathlete has made me take many new steps in my life and the latest groundbreaking step is writing a blog for the first time! The first goal is to compete in the Wallis Sands Triathlon on September 23. It is a Sprint Tri- 1/3 mile swim, 14 on the bike, and a 5k run.

How exactly did I become obsessed with triathlons before participating in even one race? A few things…first, at 39 years old, I’m not getting any younger. Second-I would occasionally run in a 5k and I noticed that my times got a bit slower over the past year. I hadn’t trained much and I’m not trying to win these races, but slowing down significantly and lacking not training much has made me feel a bit unhealthy. Lastly, I want a new challenge and competing in a triathlon is the solution. I’ve always been an average runner and loved cycling, so taking up this challenge has been very exciting. The only obstacle I need to overcome is the swimming portion. I can swim like most people but I am not a swimmer. That may not make sense, but there is a difference between swimming in the water and being able to swim a distance. I need to work on the distance part. 

Since my training began at the beginning of the summer, I have really enjoyed the challenge of all 3 disciplines. I need to make the most improvement in swimming and it turns out that this has become the most exciting part of my training (more on this at a later date).
              

There are only 4 weeks of training left before becoming an official triathlete! The race is in Rye, NH. You heard that right-Rye Beach, Atlantic Ocean here I come! Why would I want to do an ocean swim for my first tri? It’s pretty simple: timing and location. The end of the tri season (Sept) will give me a little more time to train and the location is…spectacular. For those that are now from New England, the stretch of the New Hampshire seacoast between North Hampton and through Rye is incredible. RT 1A offers many great views of the Atlantic coastline and the Wallis Sands race is mostly on the seacoast. Choosing this tri as my first was an easy decision…I was even able to convince a friend to take part in this race too (his first tri also).

Now that I’ve made up my mind and handed over my registration $$, it is time to get serious about my training. Stay tuned…