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Ballet Dancer turned triathlete?
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 2005-08-06 11:59 PM |
 1 |  Subject: Ballet Dancer turned triathlete?Hello everyone! I am 20 years old, and will be a junior this fall at Columbia University, studying Astrophysics and Political Science (I know, I know, random combo). I was trained as a ballet dancer for seventeen years of my life (remember I am twenty), and this summer I decided I wanted to try tri. I am in shape, to say the least, but I am in ballet shape, which is not the same as tri-shape. Any suggestions on training would be helpful. I have been training for a little over a month now, and hope to race in the September Danskin Sprint Triathlon. Each week I add another mile to my run, another 250 yards to my swim, and another 3 miles to my bike. I do at least one discipline each day of the week. Is this enough? Dancers are never ones for moderation so I do not now if I am doing too much or too little. I also stretch and do a serious calistetics each day, and weight training twice a week. Why am I interested in doing a triathlon? Several reasons, but mostly because I want to be strong. I have spent the last nine years of my life struggling with eating disorders. There have been times when I could not stand up I was so weak, I could not dance or lift my own body from the floor. This is the first year I have been able to almost eat normally, and I want to prove to myself that I am strong enough to run a race, strong enough to live a whole life again. Again any training and or race preparation tips are most welcome. Thanks! |
| 2005-08-07 8:26 AM in reply to: #218479 |
| New user 7 | Subject: RE: Ballet Dancer turned triathlete? Welcome!! I think the rule about the training volume is 10% max increase per week. You should have some days off (and easier weeks) to give your body a chance to adapt and advance. More is not always better!! Edited by funcut 2005-08-07 8:27 AM |
| 2005-08-07 1:40 PM in reply to: #218479 |
Elite 2796     Texas | Subject: RE: Ballet Dancer turned triathlete? Welcome to BT. http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=28 Even though your race is only a month or so away, you sound like your baseline fitness level is good enough to just go for it. As long as you know you can swim well enough to cover the distance, there's nothing to stop you from finishing. Because that race is so soon and this is new to you, it might be a good idea to think of the race as a long workout. Just go out and do it at a comfortable pace and get the feel of things. After that |
As far as training volume and type is concerned, your best bet is to follow a training plan designed with a specific goal in mind. There are several plans here on BT:| 2005-08-08 11:14 AM in reply to: #218479 |
Champion 13323   Gold member | Subject: RE: Ballet Dancer turned triathlete? astrophysics...cool...i had one semester of that...pretty cool course. a little more math-involved than i like. moderation is key in triathlon training...the body needs the rest for the best performance. you cant always be building, you need rest weeks and maintenance phases where you just hold your distance. there are a few good sprint programs to use or model off of here: http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=28 good luck and welcome...have fun in astrophysics...newtons law of gravitation, plotting stars routes, inclinations, declinations, spherical and polar coordinates...fun! |
| 2005-08-08 12:18 PM in reply to: #218479 |
Expert 1274 Jackson, Mississippi | Subject: RE: Ballet Dancer turned triathlete? howdy! My is a former professional ballet dancer. She danced with The Cincinatti ballet and Ballet West (I think) I"m trying to get her into the sport but she isn't so much interested in teh biking. Welcome to the boards and congratulations on your commitment. You are gonna love it! Will |
| 2005-08-08 12:27 PM in reply to: #218479 |
Extreme Veteran 360 Lafayette, CO | Subject: RE: Ballet Dancer turned triathlete? Hi! I'm a former ballet dancer myself and I think that you will find your training in dance will help you in SO many ways for this new sport. Actually every time I try a new sport (rock climbing, skiing, triathlons, etc.) I have found someway that my "career" as a dancer has affected me in a positive way. For one thing you probably have phenomenal balance and a heightened sense of awareness as to where you are in space. This will help you a lot. Also I imagine you have a stronger sense of discipline than the average person, and this is already showing in your training for this sport. Just be careful not to hurt yourself--it sounds like you are doing a great job by slowly increasing your mileage for each leg of the tri. I think you sound like you're on the right track. So continue to take care of yourself in every way possible. Don't be afraid to ask for help--we are all available and willing to help out. It's why I LOVE this site! And don't be afraid to slow down and take a break some days. As I'm sure you know, your body needs those recovery days to built itself up and become stronger. TAKE CARE and above all, HAVE A FREAKING BLAST!! |
| 2005-08-08 3:01 PM in reply to: #218479 |
Expert 963 | Subject: RE: Ballet Dancer turned triathlete? Astrodancer, huh? That's definitely one of the cooler sign-ons I've seen and to know where you got it from makes it even better Just to echo some previous posts: Try one of the training plans from the site, they really are excellent. From a muscular standpoint, you're probably already in much better shape than most people who are training for their 1st tri, so really just focus on developing your endurance/cardio fitness. Good luck! Looking forward to reading your first race report. |
| 2005-08-08 3:15 PM in reply to: #218479 |
| Regular 63 Atlanta, GA | Subject: RE: Ballet Dancer turned triathlete? Welcome to the board. You will find a ton of great information here and a welcoming place to post questions. Good luck, sounds like you are well on your way mentally. |
| 2005-08-08 3:34 PM in reply to: #218479 |
Expert 1180 Iowa | Subject: RE: Ballet Dancer turned triathlete? Well, this isn't rocket science, and it's a lot more fun. You've already gotten good advice well said. I know all about you ballet dancers ... you spend years beating up your toes and feet, so I'm sure you'll find triathlons easier on your body. It should also help with your appetite - there's no need to struggle with eating and body weight - you'll always be hungry and you'll often be burning many more calories than you ingest. Please eat, and eat healthy, and you'll have no dietary worries. Most of all, enjoy your training. This is a great sport. And trust me, your runing shoes will never smell as bad as your pointe shoes! |
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