Well, as you guys know, I'm a runner, the bf is a triathlete.
But I'm going to do a tri (for fun, just a try-a-tri) and I need help desperately!!
I've always been scared of water but it's gotten worse over the years, to the point where on backcountry trips I will jump in the lake to cool off and then get right back out b/c I panic about silly stuff, but I'm panicked. After IMLP, one of my bf's training buddies was telling me he used to be scared and not able to swim but he wanted to do a triathlon so he learnt, even though he breaststroked his first few tris. It got me thinking, I've let my fear get worse, I used to be able to swim without panicking in open water, and now I freak out.
So, last night I went to my bf's open water swim and swam! I hiked during the day and thought that to keep myself motivated I'd have to pick something to do, like a triathlon....so I decided to do one.
I am going to do the try-a-tri in Guelph (Guelph 2) September 5. So I have a month to train.
I will also be away every weekend but one prior to the race, and will actually be gone 12 days of this month backpacking/getting to the trips (some involve a 10 hour drive). So, training time is limited!
Here is where I'm in desperate need of help!
Swim: I breaststroke and don't like putting my face in the water much because I feel really enclosed, though breaststroke is less panicking for me than front crawl. My plan is to keep up with the open water swimming - this is something I can do in the evenings on my backpacking trips and will go to the open water swim with my bf again. I'm hoping to improve time-wise and become more efficient in my stroke.
Last night at the open water swim I didn't panic, which I was SO proud of. I think it was a combination of being a small body of water, knowing that everyone has been swimming there without being eaten by monsters, and distracting my mind by thinking how much more efficient my stroke could be in terms of energy expenditure (I propel myself through the water by sheer obstinance).
Estimated by my bf, b/c we didn't time, I breaststroked 400M in about 12 minutes. Not fast at ALL! It was my first swim in almost 2 years though and I wasn't doing it right (like say I wasn't fully putting my face in the water) so I think I can improve, and want to add in some front crawl too. I swam 1200M last night, though the last lap was a fun one with 2 other people where we chatted,
But swim tips would be appreciated. Because I suck at it.
Bike: I have an old beater Miele bike. I am doing the try-a-tri rather than the sprint b/c my bf insists that riding 30k on this bike would be horrific. I was like 'but it's SO short! I don't get out of bed to run 2.5k, why would I go to Guelph to run that?' but he says as an overall event it's worth it and I can see that it is, b/c adding up all the math, I will be THRILLED if I could hit an hour.
Anyways, I have been riding it on the trainer b/c it doesn't have brakes. I actually haven't ridden a bike outside since I was about 13. I am hoping in 2 weekends (the only weekend I will be here in August) that I can do a ride somewhere outside of the city (where I am terrified of riding) and get used to the bike and using gears outside rather than on the trainer. I will have to ride around my neighbourhood too I think - there is park I would ride over to with a big hill (there's ski hills there) but you're not allowed to ride on any of those paths :( and I can't think of any other good hills near me to practice on! Maybe I'll break a few rules, I have seen people cycling down those paths.
Run: So I can do the distance and often run after being on the trainer so I'm not worried about that.
The biggest problem is I have been injured, and while I was all-to-squarely an 'Athena' (blech on the name/category) before, I gained about 15lbs b/c I couldn't run or bike and I was bored and just ate. All my meds cause weight gain too but in the end it's on me, I'm the one who puts the food in my mouth. Anyways, I have been losing weight and thanks to a new orthotic am able to run again (it wasn't a metatarsal stress fx, I have a neuroma and various structural things in that foot that never showed up before I started running ultra distance). Anyways, the new orthotic lets me do stuff without pain but it hasn't fixed the neuroma, so. And the weight gain is stressing my shins so I'm wearing compression socks and will need to make sure to warm up on the bike before every run (automatic bricks! ha!)
So....any suggestions for the swim/bike? Help!!!!
But I'm going to do a tri (for fun, just a try-a-tri) and I need help desperately!!
I've always been scared of water but it's gotten worse over the years, to the point where on backcountry trips I will jump in the lake to cool off and then get right back out b/c I panic about silly stuff, but I'm panicked. After IMLP, one of my bf's training buddies was telling me he used to be scared and not able to swim but he wanted to do a triathlon so he learnt, even though he breaststroked his first few tris. It got me thinking, I've let my fear get worse, I used to be able to swim without panicking in open water, and now I freak out.
So, last night I went to my bf's open water swim and swam! I hiked during the day and thought that to keep myself motivated I'd have to pick something to do, like a triathlon....so I decided to do one.
I am going to do the try-a-tri in Guelph (Guelph 2) September 5. So I have a month to train.
I will also be away every weekend but one prior to the race, and will actually be gone 12 days of this month backpacking/getting to the trips (some involve a 10 hour drive). So, training time is limited!
Here is where I'm in desperate need of help!
Swim: I breaststroke and don't like putting my face in the water much because I feel really enclosed, though breaststroke is less panicking for me than front crawl. My plan is to keep up with the open water swimming - this is something I can do in the evenings on my backpacking trips and will go to the open water swim with my bf again. I'm hoping to improve time-wise and become more efficient in my stroke.
Last night at the open water swim I didn't panic, which I was SO proud of. I think it was a combination of being a small body of water, knowing that everyone has been swimming there without being eaten by monsters, and distracting my mind by thinking how much more efficient my stroke could be in terms of energy expenditure (I propel myself through the water by sheer obstinance).
Estimated by my bf, b/c we didn't time, I breaststroked 400M in about 12 minutes. Not fast at ALL! It was my first swim in almost 2 years though and I wasn't doing it right (like say I wasn't fully putting my face in the water) so I think I can improve, and want to add in some front crawl too. I swam 1200M last night, though the last lap was a fun one with 2 other people where we chatted,
But swim tips would be appreciated. Because I suck at it.
Bike: I have an old beater Miele bike. I am doing the try-a-tri rather than the sprint b/c my bf insists that riding 30k on this bike would be horrific. I was like 'but it's SO short! I don't get out of bed to run 2.5k, why would I go to Guelph to run that?' but he says as an overall event it's worth it and I can see that it is, b/c adding up all the math, I will be THRILLED if I could hit an hour.
Anyways, I have been riding it on the trainer b/c it doesn't have brakes. I actually haven't ridden a bike outside since I was about 13. I am hoping in 2 weekends (the only weekend I will be here in August) that I can do a ride somewhere outside of the city (where I am terrified of riding) and get used to the bike and using gears outside rather than on the trainer. I will have to ride around my neighbourhood too I think - there is park I would ride over to with a big hill (there's ski hills there) but you're not allowed to ride on any of those paths :( and I can't think of any other good hills near me to practice on! Maybe I'll break a few rules, I have seen people cycling down those paths.
Run: So I can do the distance and often run after being on the trainer so I'm not worried about that.
The biggest problem is I have been injured, and while I was all-to-squarely an 'Athena' (blech on the name/category) before, I gained about 15lbs b/c I couldn't run or bike and I was bored and just ate. All my meds cause weight gain too but in the end it's on me, I'm the one who puts the food in my mouth. Anyways, I have been losing weight and thanks to a new orthotic am able to run again (it wasn't a metatarsal stress fx, I have a neuroma and various structural things in that foot that never showed up before I started running ultra distance). Anyways, the new orthotic lets me do stuff without pain but it hasn't fixed the neuroma, so. And the weight gain is stressing my shins so I'm wearing compression socks and will need to make sure to warm up on the bike before every run (automatic bricks! ha!)
So....any suggestions for the swim/bike? Help!!!!