I did it.

This past Sunday I completed the Napier Realtors Richmond Sprint Triathlon. What's even more awesome is I did it faster than my goal time! I can't begin to describe how amazing it feels to finish something like that. I never would have been able to do this at the beginning of the year, and that's a great thing.

I can't wait until the next one!

Results:
400m Swim: 10:36
Transition 1: 4:02
20k Bike: 48:28
Transition 2: 0:56
5k Run: 28:55
Overall: 1:32:56

Triathlon!

Haha man am I a big liar! Keep this blog updated with my progress? PSCHA! Anyway, things have been progressing nicely. The bad part is my weight has plateaued ever since training began. The great part is I've become faster, stronger, and although I don't have the technology, I'd like to think I'm kicking more ass. The hardest part of this whole training thing hasn't been improving, it's been consistently training and sticking to the schedule. It worked for about four weeks, but then I took a short vacation, and since returning I haven't been able to stick to the mandated workouts each day. The good news is my performance in the workouts I do end up completing is getting better...

...so I've got just over two weeks until race day. I'm confident I'll finish. I haven't set any time limit goal for myself because I want to avoid any amount of disappointment. Of course I have looked up all sorts of times for past races and averages and the like, so that may be another lie.

I'm so freaking stoked.

Triathlon?

I’ve been working out fairly consistently since the early part of this year, and have lost 18 lbs so far. That puts me at a total weight loss of 46 lbs since early spring 2006. I started at 243 lbs after my doctor was shocked at my current weight. To be honest so was I. When I started college I weight just over 200 lbs, and through my freshman year lost approximately 25. That’s a big jump from 2002 to 2006 – about sixty pounds! The initial weight was lost through a modification of my diet. I went pescatarian (it’s a word, so says Merriam Webster) and have felt all the stereotypical benefits (more energy! need less sleep! more confidence! sick less!). I think the one benefit I’m most excited about that I discovered was a huge decrease in heart burn…so now I’ve decided to start incorporating goals to keep me on track…

This week I started training for a sprint triathlon. This is the shortest version of the sport (the pussy version according to my dear friend Peter). It will be held on October 12^th in Richmond, and the course actually incorporates some of the neighborhood where I grew up. I’m excited about the possibility of completing a goal that will, for me, be physically unparalleled. The race begins with a 400 meter swim, transitions to a 20k bike ride, and concludes with a 5k run.

I have eleven weeks to train. I’ve created a six day per week training regimen using three other training programs and combining their elements. I’m by no means a physical trainer, but so far my goals have worked, and been realistic, so hopefully I’m sticking to that methodology. My primary concern is my swimming ability. I know I can improve my cycling and running in this time period to be where I need to be, but my swimming technique needs quite a bit of improvement. I guess I’ll know in a couple of weeks if things are going the way they should.

I’m going to keep this blog updated with my progress, as well as my training specifics. Wish me luck!