Tri Tuesday: Week 14 The Finale

Today marks the last installment of training recaps for my first triatholon :)  The week was really pretty easy since it was a taper.

Monday 8/6/12 - Scheduled OFF - Completed Swim 0:20 for about 600 yards.  The thought of only working out 2 days this week made me get in the pool for an easy swim.

Tuesday 8/7/12 - Scheduled Bike/Run Brick (0:30/0:10) - Completed Bike/Run Brick.  I biked 7 miles in 29 minutes and then ran an uber fast (for me) 9:46 mile for the Shrinking Jeans Virtual Olympics 4 x 4 mile relay (my team took GOLD - but I think we were the only ones who entered - LOL).  It felt so badass to know I still could crank out some speed for at least short distances.

Wednesday 8/8/12 - Scheduled OFF - Completed OFF

Thursday 8/9/12 - Scheduled Swim/Bike Brick (0:10/0:20) - Completed Swim/Bike Brick (0:12/0:23) I really pushed on the bike and finally got some speed back up there, averaging about 13.8 mph.

Friday 8/10/12 - Scheduled OFF - Completed OFF and packet pick up :)

Saturday 8/11/12 - Millennium Triathlon Day!!! I finished a 500m swim, 14.8 mile bike ride, and 5k run in 1:52:56.  You can read all about it here!

So, what did I learn from this little endeavor into the world of triathlons?

• I really do like swimming :)  My technique may not be the best, but I don't completely suck at it either.  I even think my swimming ability improved along with my endurance. Having specific workouts and drills really breaks up the boredom of just swimming laps.
• Biking is really scary at faster speeds but I LOVE my Trek Lexa.  I have friends who are REALLY fast on their bikes and the thought of going 25 mph on a regular basis, not just when zooming down hills, scares the crap out of me.  That being said, I don't plan on upgrading from the road bike I bought this year any time soon.  Now, maybe cycling shoes, new pedals, and a trainer from Santa for Christmas might be nice. (Granted this would also slow down my T2 time since I'd need to swap shoes, but I can work on that.)
• My running is still no where close to where it needs to be (or where it used to be).  I'm still having some achiness in my injury site that I think I just need to accept is going to be there unless I want to quit running completely, which I don't want to do.  The real test for my recovery will be to see how the shins behave as I ramp up my mileage and start doing speed work for the Wine and Dine Half in November.
• Triathletes are really nice people.  Even with all the jostling in the water, people were saying "sorry" when they hit you :)  A couple of ladies that I passed on the bike were super encouraging and then I returned the favor and kudos when they blew me away on the run.  Golden Rule certainly applies.
• Practicing your transitions is necessary.  I wouldn't have been nearly as fast in transition if I'd been worrying about where all my stuff was and what order to swap everything out.
• Biking and swimming are great for cross training.  I hope to keep them up as long as I can (which is why I need a trainer at some point because I'm not going back to riding those awful stationary bikes at the gym and will NEVER ride my bike in the snow).
• Stretching and foam rolling are still important.  I did neither all weekend, then did a decent 2 mile run on Monday and I'm paying for it today.  Ouch.
• ANYONE can TRI.  There were people of all shapes, sizes and ages at Saturday's race (and I got my ass handed to me by a ton of people older and bigger than me - so high 5s to them - they freaking ROCK!).  Plus, if I can do it, you can too!

There you have it, folks.  I'm now a triathlete and I fully plan to do more of these.  Hopefully my running improves enough that I feel comfortable registering for the September tri I have my eye on.  It's longer: 880m swim, 18 mile bike, 5 mile run and REALLY hilly.  Plus, it'll be a wetsuit swim for sure because the lake will have cooled way down  by then.  Apples to oranges in comparison to Millennium but I want to give it a shot.

Now I want some feedback from you.  Have you liked reading these recaps?  Should I keep them up for November's half or would you like to see a different type of post in their place?  Leave me some ideas in the comments, please.

Thanks for all the support the past 14 weeks, too :)  I wouldn't be able to stick with this and do what I do without your encouragement.  ((hugs)) and *kisses*