Yesterday marked the one month countdown until my first sprint triathlon of 2024, which will only be my fourth ever! My first sprint tri was April 8th, 2023 so I guess my rookie year is ending in a few days. I still remember that first one like it was yesterday with all the splashing and gasping and getting passed by a lot of people. I crossed the finish line, exhausted, and said, “I’m never doing that again!” and I meant it. The race was a 600 yard swim, a 19 mile bike, and a 5K run. It was my first and that was obvious because of my beach bathing suit, a bike from 1975… I had only a vague idea of what to expect that day.
Since then I’ve completed 2 more sprint triathlons and 2 duathlons (run, bike, run). There are so many benefits to taking part in these races. One of them is simply staying in shape. Another is this: it’s nice to have something to work towards. When I run, or bike, or do an outdoor workout, I love having a goal in mind, especially when the workouts get difficult. It’s all for a purpose.
The upcoming triathlon is May 4th in the panhandle of Florida and I’m feeling a range of emotions each day. Mostly I’m excited. But also, nerves. It will be set up close to the same as the first one from last year. There’s a 600 yard swim, a 16 mile bike, and a 5K, so it’ll be a good test of my progress in the last 12 months. Have I improved? Will the swim portion go more smoothly? Can my new bicycle help me perform better? What will my energy level be when it’s time to run the 5K?
So many questions! I have a training calendar that takes me right up to race day and I’ve added something new. I’ve included “two-a-days” where I’ll have 2 workouts per day (although not every day), along with rest days, of course. Two thoughts are driving this…
- I want to be faster than I was last April/May
- I’d love to finish in the top 3 of my age group
I have a fast class of athletes ages 45 to 49 so my work is definitely cut out for me. I just hope that I can live up to my potential. Training continues to be my favorite part. Without training, someone could just show up and probably finish the race. Enduring each part of it, the swim and the bike and the run, just well enough to cross the finish line. But I genuinely love that feeling of accomplishment when the training helps me to endure and to actually be better than I was the last time. Practice the familiar feeling of swimming, cycling hard, and running even when my mind wonders if my body can hold up.
-Out of the Wilderness
Out of the Wilderness 