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So how did this all come about? In the past few years, I have thought about doing a triathlon. That's generally where it stopped- I thought about it and then never acted on it. I am a busy mom to two little ones and for the past 5 years that has been my focus. Having a family and just trying to keep up with life. After having our second child in 2010, I found myself starting to want to focus more on me. Sure I do like to exercise- running primarily. In fact, I have been running since junior high (that's what they called it way back when). However, we're talking more jogs of 2-6 miles max off and on through the years. My last big race was the Country Music 1/2 Marathon in 2003. That was the last time I had really trained seriously for anything. Since then, it's been more of a jog here and there with a dash of swimming and occasionally weights thrown in whenever I felt like it. Sometimes I would jog several times a week and sometimes I wouldn't exercise for weeks. But I always came back to it. I need exercise. I can't go too long without getting outside and getting my heart going.
Having run for years, I started feeling towards the end of 2011 that it would be cool to actually try a triathlon. I craved variety in my exercising. I craved a challenge. I craved focus. Don't get me wrong, I love being a full-time mommy and find it completely challenging in its own way but wiping poo and pee and crusty noses all day long was starting to take its toll. I needed to do something for me. Running alone was getting a little stale. And I have no interest in pounding the pavement for 26.5 miles.
So towards the end of last year, I called the local Team in Training chapter. They said they would call when their season started up again. That was November 2011. I forgot all about it but I patted myself on the back for having at least made the call. Fast forward to the end of January 2012 and guess what, I got a call from...drum roll please...Team In Training...asking if I wanted to come to an orientation meeting for their upcoming triathlons. I mentioned it to my husband in case he wanted to go to the meeting. And then I thought, wait...this is what I wanted to do. So I sat on the idea for a few days. Got another call from Team in Training asking if I was interested and I said maybe I would. Then we started exchanging emails and I felt kind of like we were in the awkward "get to know you" phase of dating- me and TNT. Did I want to commit to TNT? Did I or didn't I? Did I or didn't I? As my wise husband says, the hardest part of most things for me is the decision to commit. Once I do, I am in 110%. So I hemmed and hawed about it for a few more days (all the while realizing that training for the group had already begun and...yikes...I was getting further behind the longer I remained idle). Yet the little voice inside kept saying, "Just do it." Trust me, I could have countered with a thousand reasons why I shouldn't do a triathlon much less one with Team in Training-
1. I am way too busy to train.
2. I am way too tired to train.
3. I don't have a decent bike.
4. I don't have access to a swimming pool.
5. Did I mention I am too busy and tired to train?
6. I haven't ridden a bike since I don't know when.
7. I am not sure I can even swim 5 consecutive laps at this point even if I had to.
8. Gulp- can I actually raise $2300 albeit for a wonderful cause?
9. I don't know if I can do it and so on and so forth.
But the gut said to go for it. And this time, I made the leap...
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So, I finally decided to commit around the beginning of February 2012. I felt like this was something I really wanted to do. And that it was okay if I was scared maybe even better because I will be stronger- physically and mentally- for having weathered the challenge. It makes me think of a quote I heard in my 20's- Gospel group Sweet Honey in the Rock offers this introduction to the gospel song, “Wade in the Water.”
And when there is a promise of a storm, if you want change in your life walk into it. If you get on the other side, you will be different. And if you want change in your life and you’re avoiding the trouble, you can forget it. So as the prophet says, wade on in the water. It’s gonna really be troubled water.
I chose to commit to Team in Training for several reasons. I felt like I needed the group bonding and support to get me through this. I needed coaching. I needed inspiration. I needed motivation. Let me remind you, I do run and I can swim and bike but not so much in those latter departments. In fact, I can't even remember the last time I went biking. And I was just hoping that I still fit into the one swimsuit I did own (prior to my 2nd pregnancy) for doing laps. Okay, you get the idea. I am starting from some place close to scratch. The TNT staff assured me that I would not be alone and I took their word for it.
And the other main reason I wanted to sign up with TNT is because of what they are all about:
Helping patients with blood cancers, live better and longer lives.
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Now you know why I am doing this triathlon. Let me explain what's happened to date. I signed up online, paid my $100 (woo-hoo, only $2200 more to raise towards my goal) and waited. It didn't take long before I started getting emails from local TNT staff and then my Team Coaches welcoming me to the group and charting my training course for the coming month of February. I had already missed the first week of training and wanted to get going ASAP once I signed up. Unfortunately, I came down with a bad cold (refer back to the wiping noses part of my other job) and was in bed for the rest of the week unable to train. I had only exercised sporadically since the first of the year so I needed to get in gear. My goal, though, was to make it to the "brick" (what's that?) training on Saturday. I guess that's what they call a bike/run or some kind of 2 sport workout. So I started scrambling for gear- literally. I ran to REI and scoured their sale racks for bike gloves and bike shorts. I found bike gloves 1/2 off but no such luck on the shorts. Oh my tailbone. I didn't know much about biking but I knew enough that after riding for even just a little while, I needed to have some padding between me and that bike seat. I scrambled around town trying to find shorts. I found some Sugois that were great but I feared a size too small (xsmall). So I found the same shorts online in size Small and 1/2 off and ordered them right away. The bad news is that I would not have them for the first bike ride of 14 miles. Ugh. More on that later.
My other dilemma was my bike. At this point, I only had a yard sale mountain bike that had a bent rim. I went out to get that fixed and sheepishly asked the bike guy if he thought I could train for an Olympic triathlon on the thing. He said, "People have been known do it, I suppose. But I wouldn't recommend it." Crap. No bike. What was I thinking signing up for a tri-sport event for which I am minimally equipped? We couldn't afford to pay for a new bike too on top of all these other little costs that were starting to add up. Could I train on a mountain bike? I left the shop feeling defeated about my bike situation but actually inspired at the same time. It turns out the bike guy who handed me the bad news about my bike was passionate about bikes. To the point that he started showing me pics on his cell phone of his ultra-carbon bike that he was building from scratch. Keep in mind that he knew I knew nothing about bikes but that didn't matter. This was his baby and he was going to show me his baby whether I liked it or not. I oohed and awwed but had no idea what he was talking about. But back to being inspired, this bike guy was training for a timed trial in a few months after having had a kidney transplant in 2010. Wow...how cool... and all of a sudden his pictures really meant something to me. He was going for it. We had something in common.
Anyway, the biking portion on an Olympic triathlon is 25 miles. I emailed the coaches to get their opinion on my bike situation. Could I train on this thing? It didn't sound promising but I lugged that pile of metal to the training practice and found out for myself that the yard sale heap-of-junk was in fact NOT going to cut it. Here's how it went down: I showed up a 1/2 hour early so I had plenty of time to figure out how to assemble my bike after having to lug it with the front wheel unattached in the back of my car. I did it. I assembled the bike on my own (patted myself on the back) and wheeled around to the front of the parking lot waiting for my Team in Training. I was so nervous. I asked anyone I saw with a bike, "Are you with Team in Training?" No. "Are you with TNT?" No. Shucks. Finally, I saw a group of bikers assembled in the middle of the parking lot which is where I finally found my crew. Yes. Here they were. A handful of people on bikes. And serious looking bikes at that. And they had those cushy pants. Carbon bikes. And fancy sunglasses. Not me. I had none of it. I shudder to tell you what I did to ease the tailbone pain but let's just say it involved layering some padded feminine products plus at the last minute stuffing a spare (but clean) diaper changing pad down my running tights. Voila. Cushion.
I introduced myself to the team and was warmly welcomed to the group despite my protruding rear end. No one asked about it thankfully. Come to think of it, even the riders who had the "real" bike pants on looked like they were wearing diapers. So it was all good. Then we had our Mission Moment and I learned that another teammate was a lymphoma survivor who was given a 20% chance of living about 6 years ago (suddenly the diaper changing pad quandary seemed so much less important in the scheme of things). His wife (another teammate) told us that is was the medicines provided from TNT funding that helped save his life. WOW! How cool. So after a few brake adjustments, Team Coach Tom went over the route. 14.4 miles of it! I am awful with maps. I was hoping someone would shepherd me through this ride. Truthfully, I was hoping I would make it period. I had never been on a road ride before and I again sheepishly let them know that. I think there were 3 of us who were in the same boat. Yikes.
As we started out, one of the seasoned bikers came along side me and gave me a pep talk about not getting discouraged with my bike. This should have been a sign. They knew I was going to have a tough ride. Then Coach Tom came coasting beside me and tried to feel out my biking prowess. "So Caroline, you've been biking around town?" "Not really," I said. He probed further. "So you've been on trails with your bike recently?" "Uh, no again Tom. The truth is I don't know when I last rode a bike," I said. Awkward silence. But sometimes ignorance is bliss because I pedaled on. Unfortunately, one rider had to turn back within the first mile. Maybe something was wrong with her bike. The veteran bikers of the group took off and the next time I saw them was in the parking lot at the end of the ride! So it was me, another teammate and Coach Tom navigating the country roads. My bike told me a lot during that ride but mainly that it was not cut out to carry me on long distances. My body also told me that I needed to get in better shape. My other TNT teammate was very encouraging. This was only her 2nd ride! I huffed and puffed my way along. Coach Tom stayed right with me most of the time and as a result we got to know one another a little. You can do that when you're moving at a 2mph clip up a hill. He would talk up the hill and I would listen and then I would catch my breath and carry on the conversation on the downhills. I managed. We took some wrong turns but that was okay by me. Then Coach Tom mercifully cut the ride short so we wouldn't fall too far behind the others. He apologized several times about missing some turns but I was so cooler than cool to be turning back. So we did a 10 mile ride last Saturday and I was never so glad to see that parking lot! I MADE IT!
And then came the 2 mile run after we stowed our bikes away. I am happy to say that for me the 2 mile run was no problem. It was flat and totally doable even after the painful ride. I was really happy with myself. I survived my first TNT triathlon workout! I felt good. I felt inspired. I felt humbled. But my bike had to go.
When I arrived home, I was so glad to see my girls and husband. Poor dad had to take care of the girls much longer than I had anticipated. I thought we would train maybe an hour and a half. "Be back by 10:30," I assured my awesome hubby. I didn't get home until closer to noon. Oops. Here we go having to make some sacrifices to make this all happen. I must say though I was more energized to be with my family having been away all morning. My 5 year old listened attentively as I described to husband the trials and tribulations and successes of the morning. She heard me say that I came in last in the bike ride. The look on her face let me know she truly felt bad for me. Winning is everything to a 5 year old. Then she asked me why I did the bike ride if it was so tough. And I took the moment to explain to her that sometimes in life it feels good to simply give your very best whether you win or lose. And that's what I did this morning. I tried my very best. She seemed impressed because she then went to go get her shiny medal necklace and put it around my head (too small for mommy). Cool. I realized then that maybe I could teach my daughters something positive about life through all of this. I could see how this experience was already going to be great.
Next hurdle: find a good, reasonably priced, used road bike. ASAP.
Remember my tailbone incident? TNT sends out weekly emails to inspire and educate the participants. The day after my bike ride, I saw a bike that was being sold from a former TNT participant and it was local! It was 13 years old but solid. I went to take a look at it last Sunday. The bike seemed to be in good working order. Better yet, the owner/rider of the bike is a lymphoma survivor. In her email to me describing the bike she ended by thanking me for what I am doing. She even said I was a hero. Wow...we all know who the real hero is here. Thank you Patti! You are an inspiration to me. I am honored to be riding your bike!
Bike. Check. Swimming here I come...
So this past Monday (2 days ago), I rejoined Lifetime Fitness as I knew I had to practice in the water. Sure I could swim but for how long? Well, my goal on Monday was to swim 20 laps. You have to swim a mile (or 30 consecutive laps, I think) for the Olympic Tri. The good news is that I made it 20 laps but certainly not consecutively or very fast I might add. Swim practice was the following day but I opted out. It was Valentine's Day yesterday and I felt I wanted to be home with my family. Sure I felt guilty not making the swim practice but I knew this was an exception. There would be plenty of cutting out early on the family for practices and training coming up. On Valentine's Day- I stayed put. And I am glad I did. Tomorrow is running and I am actually looking forward to it. This cross-training is great. I have a feeling that having to train on the bike and in the pool is going to make running more fun again. As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Stay tuned!
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