I started out this new hobby the way I start everything. I bought way too many books and devoured all the knowledge I could find online. I immediately signed up for the first big sprint race I found online which was TriRock Austin on Labor Day 2013. Since it was currently March 2013 that meant I had about 6 months to get ready for this race, but all that reading had made me hungry! So I also signed up for the IronGirl in June 2013, and that was just the beginning... Since I have always been a recreational runner my “training” began with what felt like the longest swim EVER. 600 yards in the Pure Austin pool. I wore an old lifeguarding bikini because I had no idea where to find a sporty new bikini and was worried the whole time that my bottoms were just going to slip right off they were so old and stretched out..pretty sure I was also wearing goggles found in a Lost and Found bin during my lifeguarding days (which were about 4 years before my foray into triathlon). I also started attending a spin class once a week at my gym. For the first month of my training I tried to swim about 1-2 times a week, averaging about 1000 yards and bike for about 2 hours a week at the gym. I was still a little scared to take my hybrid bike out on the crazy roads of Austin. And running...running came naturally to me, I was easily averaging 10 -12 miles a week, enough to get me ready for a sprint triathlon. I even did a few brick workouts at the gym! Swimming and then biking or biking and then swimming, those workouts are what made me feel the most prepared for my first race. Eventually I knew it was time to suck it up and ride outside like a real triathlete. So I mapped out a route that looked popular with other Austin cyclists and strapped on my tennis shoes and camelbak. To sum up that first ride...IT. WAS. HORRIFYING. I thought I was going to die at some points. One of the roads I had mapped out was a 2 lane windy, hilly route that cars love to speed on and I was just so uncomfortable out there by myself. At one point 2 cars almost collided when the car behind me tried to pass me in the other lane. After that ride I made sure to google earth any routes I was thinking of trying and found the very popular and semi-safe Shoal Creek bike route. This is the one I stuck with until I joined Austin T3 in July.
In May I went and watched my friend compete in his first Ironman. Watching men and women of varying fitness levels finish that race was one of the most inspiring moments of my life. I will never forget the emotions of that finish line; a mix of excitement, anxiety and happiness which all combined just made me want to cry tears of joy. I was absolutely hooked after that day and 24 hours later I was signing up for my first 70.3 in Austin. I had less than 6 months to prep for my first half ironman. So of course I also signed up for an olympic distance race in July. And I had no idea that all of those races were just the start of a great thing!
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LPCoach & Team - Austin T3 (Whitley Atkins) & Team Nuun |