Posts tagged triathlon

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I’ve been avoiding running all this month because I have realized how much I absolutely hate running. I want to buy one of these shirts and wear it every time I run, because for me, it is 100% true. 

Like Lena Dunham says in “Girls” the running high that everyone talks about doesn’t exist, at least not for me… or at least not yet, though I hope it kicks in eventually.

Today, with Team In Training our practice was hills. While the Nation’s triathlon is mostly flat, hill running develops leg strength, and higher end cardiovascular conditioning.  We ran one mile up 72nd Drive across East Drive to the Loeb Boathouse. The hill at the boathouse didn’t look too intimidating, however it was in actuality, really hard. I went up and back about five times (which is nothing in comparison to some of the other runners!) for 15-20 minutes and was exhausted. After running another mile back to where we started, my hamstrings were completely sore. 

The hill after the Central Park Loeb Boathouse, up to the light and back! 

With nearly 45 days left until the actual day, I’ve really got to step up my game. I’m forcing myself to wake up early tomorrow morning to get in a 10-12 mile bike ride before work (which should help with strengthening my hamstrings). I’ve decided that all my time and money for the next month and a half is going to go into swimming, biking, running and eating at Whole Foods (that’s a whole other post - eating well ) because I am officially paranoid that I won’t be ready for the race.

And this time, I promise I’ll keep you posted on how it goes! 

To make a donation in support of my efforts with Team In Training and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to help advance the research for cures, donate here! 

I know I haven’t been the most diligent about blogging about my triathlon training. That’s because unfortunately, with the start of July I embarrassingly, haven’t been very diligent about training for all three sports…

Though recently, I spent the weekend with the most lovely couple. Arvind, (my bf) as you may know is an avid biker. He often would bike with Bob, someone he met through his med school. Bob and Dorothy (his wife) live outside of Boston, and over the weekend I was lucky enough to meet them and support Bob and Arvind as they biked over 60 miles through Massachusetts and New Hampshire in the Memory Ride. 

At one of the pit-stops

Now, I haven’t spent as much time with Bob and Dorothy as Arvind has; Yet, in the time that I did, I can say that they are hugely inspirational. Both strong and determined in their own ways, they are equally loving and supportive of one another.

Bob, who is in his sixties biked 62 miles with Arvind. Biking 62 miles would be a huge feat for me and I’m 23! After the race, he seemed ready to finish 40 more miles! In college, he played football for Holy Cross, and today is a strong swimmer and athlete, having done countless bike races and completing a marathon. In his sixties, he’s one of the most physically fit persons I know and someone I aspire to be like when I’m older.

See, for all of June I’ve had adrenaline to keep me motivated to keep practicing. However, lately with work and travel it’s been hard to remain dedicated while the summer flies by. Meeting Bob though showed me how committed someone can be to their physical health- and how at 60, someone can be as fit as someone in their 20’s. 

I’m inspired not because I’d like to bike 60 miles today, but because I’d like to bike them in 40 years. So when I’m swimming, biking and/or running, am tired and want to stop, I am reminded of Bob and how he truly enjoys the sport and pushes himself to be better at it every day; And how I need to push myself to be better so that I myself can continue to do it years from now.

At the finish line! 

To make a donation in support of my efforts with Team In Training and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to help advance the research for cures, donate here! 

Today was my first day tackling a swim. I don’t think I’ve swam in a swim cap and goggles since my sophomore year of college. I oddly wasn’t nervous at all despite everyone saying to me “I can’t believe you’re doing a triathlon, I’d be most worried about swimming!!”

I mean, after all- my memories of swimming were at pool parties at the Pro Club, and summers on the lake in Washington, and I love the water so how hard could it be? Well, let me tell you… I discovered a couple things:

1. I suck at tiling my head for air. Instead, by the end of my lap I am taking my entire head out of the water.

What you should look like:

What I probably look like:

      2. I’m not the best at swimming on my side, which apparently is the “more efficient” way of swimming because it conserves energy so that you are able to complete the biking and running portion of the triathlon. AKA I SWIM ON MY STOMACH = NOT GOOD.

I didn’t realize there was so much… technique in swimming. I thought that I’d just swim and that would be it. I sat there in the middle of practice (this was the moment I got a severe toe cramp and the coach told me to get out of the pool and advised I drink a Gatorade before coming to practice next time) massaging my middle toes wishing I could get Michael Phelps to coach me. A. Because Michael Phelps is a hottie, and B. Because the technique is probably second nature to him so he’s half fish and just swims without worrying what side he should breath on. (Hence - he is the best person to make me into a mermaid come September 9th!!) It’s just too bad he’s in London right now. 

Though, I have to say - other than the toe cramp and epiphany that I am not an awesome swimmer, it was so much fun!! I think I’ll be adding on one more swim day to my schedule of training. It’s a great workout, and unlike running or biking, you can’t really stop. While swimming, I am unaware of what muscles I am using (which is pretty much ALL of them) to propel me forward and swim harder and faster. I know my technique isn’t perfect, but the coaches are great and told me they have full confidence that I’ll be ready by race day. I swim at a decent speed, so if I can just swim more “efficiently,” I think I’ll be okay!!

My next formal swim practice with the coaches is next Monday, so I’ll keep you updated on how my swimming technique goes and if I’m still belly floating across the pool or actually lapping it and breathing on my side like a pro!

To make a donation in support of my efforts with Team In Training and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to help advance the research for cures, donate here! 

As many of you know, I’m participating in the Nations triathlon. I’m super excited and also a bit nervous since I was never a big athlete in high school or in college (I played a little bit of volleyball and basketball, but in my case you can sort of count it as playing recreationally). 

It’s my first triathlon, and really first endurance sport-activity. I’ve never done an organized 5K, marathon or century. I know how to swim, but I’ve never done it competitively. So signing up for this is a bit of an ambitious undertaking for the summer considering I’ll be swimming 0.9 mile, biking 25 miles and running 6.2 miles. 

Therefore, I’m doing it with Team in Training. It’s a great organization that was started by a man named Bruce Cleland of Rye, NY. He formed a team, raised funds and trained to run the New York City Marathon in honor of his daughter Georgia, a leukemia survivor. It is amazing how much money Team in Training (TNT) has raised for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Because of TNT, so many lives have been saved and now, the rate of survival from Leukemia is 90%. It’s really moved me to train with this organization because no matter how hard a run, bike ride, or swim is, they make me realize that it is no way harder than battling cancer. 

It makes me realize how much my world would change if tomorrow I went for a check up and was told I had cancer. How devastating it would be if a family member of mine or a child of mine in the future was diagnosed. It can honestly happen to anyone. So really, I am blessed to be healthy and able to swim, bike and run this triathlon.

I’ve committed to this cause so I’m really excited to train and condition my body for this. All I have to do now is fundraise! If you’d like to donate to my triathlon, you can see my TNT fundraising page here or by click the widget below. If you’re unable donate, but know someone else who is able to, I would be very appreciative if you could let them know about what I’m doing!

Additionally, if you have ANY advice about swimming, running, biking or anything related (i.e. fundraising, preparing for the race, buying a bike, etc!), I would love to hear from you.

On the George Washington Bridge, biking 25 miles