Taking the Sprint Out of Sprint Triathlon

To do the sprint triathlon or not to do the sprint triathlon? That was the question.

I did think the triathlon would be a good way to celebrate my increased comfort in the pool. More specifically, my increased comfort with front crawl breathing. Of course, the swimming portion of the program is also what made me the most nervous.


What finally got me to register was thinking about Patti's Bike is Good t-shirt. She's already signed up for Bike MS 2012 and is planning to ride 75 miles...

I had been pretty much relaxed about the triathlon until I got to the pool area and the countdown started. My breathing was completely raggedy. Once the other woman got out of the lane, I was able to calm myself down and finish before getting kicked out as we had 30 minutes to complete the swimming portion.

We did the bike portion on spinning bikes and, during the "run," I walked a lot. Those 3.1 miles on the treadmill felt like the longest three plus miles ever.

The distances for this tri: 500 yards of swimming, nine miles of bicycling and 3.1 miles of running or walking.

Calves, Measuring in at 16 Inches, Are Getting Out of Control

Here are my results:

Swim Split, 22:53
Swim Rank, 38 out of 40

Bike Split, 20:45
Bike Rank, 34

Run Split, 41:16
Run Rank, 37

I was slow but I endured.

Duly Inspired

As I was psyching myself to sign up for the sprint triathlon, I taped two stories on the bookcase near my bed; one story is really about doggedness more than anything else.


David Goggins, who was featured in Runner's World magazine, is a Navy Seal who wanted to raise money for veterans' families. On Goggin's first outing to prepare for the Badwater Ultramarathon, he ran 100 miles in under 19 hours in a San Diego race.

Now, I don't normally go around saying what I would never do but I feel comfortable in saying that I will never participate in a 100 mile marathon. Half marathons are grueling enough but Goggins definitely served as motivation to get me through my event.

And the tiny triathletes?


Well, I was drawn to the athlete in the black swimming suit. There is something so joyous about the smile on her face and the smile reminded me of Nel in Sula when she says we were girls together. And, on a non-literary note, it just illustrates how exercise makes you feel good.

Once, I was rocking a white outfit and someone said that I looked like my mother who is a nurse. When I repeated the comment to my mother she said If you were looking like me, you were looking good.

If I look like this woman, one of the beauties in Essence magazine's 2009 Ageless Beauties feature, I'll be looking good at 70.




And I love what triathlete Laurel Wassner had to say in Fitness magazine:

My mind knows how to take over when my body wants to give in.

Yeah, girl, that is the spirit.

And one more:

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