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Hi All...let me introduce myself!
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 2004-08-29 1:01 AM |
Regular 182  |  Subject: Hi All...let me introduce myself!Hi All As we all do, we have to start somewhere and after checking out the beginner triathlete web site I have been inspired to at least have a go! A little about myself. I'm 38, married to Terri (my dream girl) and have 3 teenage kids with only one of those at home which means a little more free time on my hands. Years ago (like about 15)I was a fairly successful amateur cyclist and managed to make it to cat II in Britain and have a good grounding in what I need to do on the bike, 25mile TT times weren't spectacular turning in around 1hr to about 1hr 10min but a freak personal best of 56:42 was earned when I went out in still conditions and got blown home by a good tailwind (it probably wont ever happen again LOL). Running also comes fairly easy to me and while in the army posted a personal best of 16:50 for 3 miles with most hovering around the 17-19 mark. Swimming......well....er....the less said about that the better, I can swim but my forward progress is usually measured with a calendar rather than a stop watch (I read this is an all to common problem) Since then an office job and a 20 a day habit took me from being a fairly fit soldier to a slightly overweight slob who is so unfit his nose wouldn't run when it had a cold. I'll be reading everything I can get my hands on over the next few months getting ready for my winter and spring training plan but initially I have a fairly accurate mental picture of what I'd like to do. I'm aiming to start with a Sprint event as I know even with only a winter training plan and some swim lessons I should be able to turn in a respectable time without spending hours away from my family. Swimming is the biggest hurdle I have to overcome as I can't ever honestly ever remember swimming over 400yds in my entire life.....if I can swim 800yds without drowning I'll call it successful and go all out on the bike to make sure there is at least someone else behind me  I'm really not sure what to expect so I'll be visiting a few races to see what goes on before hand. well....thanks for listening Kevin |
| 2004-08-29 3:19 AM in reply to: #54800 |
Member 38 rexburg, idaho | Subject: RE: Hi All...let me introduce myself! I'm fairly new myself, but I'm sure you will find everyone on this site is very helpful and willing to give you support. It'll be good to hear from you around the site! |
| 2004-08-29 12:41 PM in reply to: #54800 |
Champion 13323    Gold member | Subject: RE: Hi All...let me introduce myself! welcome kevin...your post is amusing. your right, the sprint distance is good to get whipped back in shape while still retaining much family time. good luck in your endeavor. |
| 2004-08-29 1:52 PM in reply to: #54800 |
Resident Curmudgeon 25290 The Road Back Gold member | Subject: RE: Hi All...let me introduce myself! Your sense of humor is certainly welcome here, so I guess we'll take the rest of you as well!  As an initial encouragement, let me tell you that the swim is the shortest of the three disciplines, both in distance and in time spent. At my first tri last weekend, I spent more time in transitions than I did in the swim, although that's not necessarily a good thing. Anyway, your strategy of surviving the swim and kicking butt on the bike is viable. It's kinda fun to zoom past all those aquatic creatures. |
| 2004-08-29 10:16 PM in reply to: #54800 |
| Regular 182 | Subject: RE: Hi All...let me introduce myself! Thanks for the encouragement guys, things are looking fairly good already, I quit smoking 2 weeks ago and already the resting heartrate is down to 58 from nearly 80, this was after several 2 hour easy bike rides. As I am keen to bury the fear of swimming I went to the local YMCA with a copy of Total Immersion (this guy really speaks a lot of common sense!) under my arm to find the pool is closed for a few weeks while they work on it so I'm stuck doing the drills on the living room floor (for visualization puropses of course)till it is open again, the wife and daughter both think I have lost it. I'll stick with riding the bike for now, it actually does something and stops me getting a visit from the guys with the white coats. Well, this is my plan 1, Have fun 2, Get fitter 3, Complete a triathlon 4, Convince the wife a healthy lifestyle is for anyone To be honest I'm a cyclist through and through and it's my first love for exercise, the Ironman distance of 112 miles doesn't bother me (the marathon does however!) and the cycling portion of a triathlon is going to be the least of my training woes. The transition to running is going to be interesting and I see lots of short bricks in my future. I don't know if this is the place to ask but what should I expect from myself in the swim leg? I have already decided that the inconvenience and expense of a wet suit will be money well spent if I can find a used one in my size, I'm heavy in the legs and need all the help I can get and if increases my speed and lessens fatigue all the better. Being a snail in the water I'm looking at 1:45 per 100yds as something that won't beat me up before the bike leg, is this too ambitious or is it too early to tell? anyway thanks again and I'll let all you wonderful people know how I'm going as I prepare to get my base miles in and actually learn to swim properly. Kevin |
| 2004-08-30 12:09 PM in reply to: #54800 |
Pro 4228 Broomfield, Colorado | Subject: RE: Hi All...let me introduce myself! Welcome Kevin! Great goals - I'd LOVE to see 1:45 per 100 in the swim, but it'll take a lot of interval training for me to see that! A wetsuit is a great idea - definitely keeps the legs up! Train without it though - to make your wetsuit swim seem easy |
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