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What got you started on Tri?
comanighttrain
Posts: 682
in General Chat
why did you start doing this moronic sport?
I got started when i was asked to do the swim for a 3 person team. My boss had found out i got a silver medal swimming in school. So I worked for currys and they paid for us to go down so long as we got sponsors.
I like it right away, big crowds of people cheering on total strangers. Seemingly impossible distances and a lot of very attractive women in skin tight tri suits (any guy who denys that appeal is a liar). then i got in the water and realised that although i was fit, everyone else was fit in a different way and i was soon on my own at the back doing a side stroke (i couldnt breathe in crawl and a neck injury stops me doing breast stroke). I nearly quit but...what can i say, im too dumb to quit and kept swimming, everyone cheered when i came out of the water half dead. felt really good especially knowing everyone thought id quit and i somehow managed to make it.
I got started when i was asked to do the swim for a 3 person team. My boss had found out i got a silver medal swimming in school. So I worked for currys and they paid for us to go down so long as we got sponsors.
I like it right away, big crowds of people cheering on total strangers. Seemingly impossible distances and a lot of very attractive women in skin tight tri suits (any guy who denys that appeal is a liar). then i got in the water and realised that although i was fit, everyone else was fit in a different way and i was soon on my own at the back doing a side stroke (i couldnt breathe in crawl and a neck injury stops me doing breast stroke). I nearly quit but...what can i say, im too dumb to quit and kept swimming, everyone cheered when i came out of the water half dead. felt really good especially knowing everyone thought id quit and i somehow managed to make it.
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Not quite as easy peasy as I first thought in those post-op blurry days, but 5 triathlons on, I am still obsessed.
blurredgirl
I didn't really get back into it till much later and after being off the bike for about four years.
For one reason and another I just happened to be in Taupo, New Zealand staying with friends in 2003 & 2005 when Ironman came to town. I volenteered as a helper joining the course team setting out and taking in the 6 tons of cones and barrieres for the bike and run courses. We did longer days than the athletes but also got to see a lot of the action. My friends threatened to enter me for the following year but they didn't.
I took the plunge in Ironman New Zealand 2007 after reacqainting myself with my bike back in the UK.
From zero to Ironman in 6 months, yes you can.
I loved it so much I went back and did it all again in 2008.
I was already a regular swimmer, easily capable of the 440m distance required, and thought the 20km bike and 5km run would be a just like my gym sessions, where my weekly 'aerobic' workout was 40mins bike and 20mins treadmill. The other 2 gym sessions per week were just weight training.
I thought it would be easy.... slick tyres on my MTB, vaseline around the speedos and some talc in my socks and I was away.
6th of 90 overall for the swim split 440m in 6:22. [8D]
84th of 90 for the entire event. [&:]
I crossed the line a sweating exhausted mess, but it took about 2 weeks to come down off my Tri-High! With so much room for improvement (I like a challenge) I was addicted. [:D]
2008 I trained for the Great north run and the Great north swim. I ran 3 times a week and swam twice.
I hadnt ran much before in fact last yr was my first real year of running. I had always been a good swimmer but still had some coaching for the open water aspect.
I fancied the idea of open water swimming, so entered the first ever Great North swim last september, 1 mile open water in lake windemere with over 2000 other people (not all at the same time!) A few weeks later I was doing the Great north run with 51999 other people too.
I thought hell I love open water swimming now, fell in love with my tri wetsuit and had really got hooked on running- joined Doncaster Athletics club after the half marathon and carried on from there. After the run and swim I fancied a go at triathlon. Just needed to work the Bike part in, thought it would be a while tho til I could train for one, but then one day about 2 months ago i thought stuff it, I am just gonna register for one and see how i go!
31 days and counting til Triathlon no 1
[:D]
To be honest even though I've not done an event yet, I think I love this goddam sport. Well, I'm in love with the idea if nothing else.
Funny story... Did an 8mile run (Kingston Breakfast run) last Sunday and after about 2 miles my guts were churning up and I was wishing I'd got there on time to make use of the facilities. I was trying to sneakily let out a bit of the pressure so to speak when I got caught. Two guys behind heard me let rip and gave me a more than a decent amount heckling. Fair enough. I graciously let them past only to catch them about 4miles later. Tried to give them a wide berth so they wouldn't see my in the crowd but I get about 5yards past and hear "SO YOU GOT YOUR SECOND WIND THEN MATE?"
I nearly had to stop from laughing so much.
I'm already thinking about next years season and I spend waaaay too much time checking this site when I should be working.
hahah, nice one dude :-)
Funny story
I'd have worried it was more than the pressure that would get out...[:'(]
I ended up doing 4 tri last year and ended up in the top ten in my age group at the nationals. So this season my second have decided to really go for it and have a winter of training. But need to increase my bike speed
so to cut it shortdown to my mates and know my new mates at the tri club
So i purchased a new bike and subsequently fell off on the maiden ride breaking my arm!!!!!!! My lucj seems to have changed somewhat since...
I did the windsor Olympic in 2007 then did several more last year, im moving up to 70.3 this year but cant quite get motivated to train at the minute with a bit of a hip pproblem.
Sometimes bloody mindedness is all it takes-and someone to tell you you can't!
But remember to listen to your body, if it says stop due to pain. then stop as you may be putting yourself back if you get injured.
Have you any tri races planned for this year
I got into triathlon the same way as mum 3 years ago in a super sprint and did terrible so gave up. January this year entered a duathlon and have been hooked since.Already signed up for the UK IRONMAN 70.3 and London olympic!. Am i mad???
I have the same tri as I did three years ago booked, which is the Try a Tri on 10th May. Little sprint; 250m swim, 10 mile bike, 3 mile run. Should be a comfortable distance for me and although I won't set any records I hope to give a fair account of myself. The results Triathlon club do a few through the season so I intend to do as many as I can as well as anything else that looks interesting. I suspect that my forte will be over olympic distance in time as I take a while to get going but once I do I can trundle along ok rather than have a great turn of speed over shorter distances. My son is doing Wimbleball 70.3 in June-can't see me ever doing that though!
Your mum seems a good egg , wish mine was as active as your and also seem like she is good for a laugh
Is that the Canford School Aquathlon that you were talking about in relation to smileys on the other thread? I'm meant to be doing that for my first ever event. Am doing some 10k run thing this Saturday too- heavens knows why I agreed to that! Just recognised the beachfront in your son's pic and put two and two together that you must be very local to me!