My First Triathlon: 2014 Seattle Rainman Indoor Tri

9:20 a.m. - Arriving at the Seattle Ferry Terminal.

Sunday, March 23rd, was my first triathlon. I was eager to test myself and see the results of all the workout sessions I had done since September. Being new to the sport I chose the Seattle Rainman Indoor Triathlon for a few reasons: the location, the swim portion, and the brevity of the race.

When I registered for the race I chose the 10:40 a.m. wave for my start time; much later than my usual workout times but that meant I would not have to wake up before 7:00 a.m. Green Lake, a neighborhood just north of Seattle, is only a fifteen minute drive (without traffic) from the ferry terminal which makes travel time short. The photo in the top-right corner shows the fabulous weather I had and was a great omen for the day ahead.

Right before my wave ...

10:20 a.m. - Ready to warm-up, but first we had to capture the environment.

The Seattle Evans Pool holds six lanes and is twenty-five yards long. According to the pool's website, the water temperature is eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit. To swim laps that temperature is very warm, but it sure sounds nice and gave me a nonchalant feeling before the swim.

Almost time ...

10:39 a.m. - Am a little anxious - happy for my love's support.

 At this triathlon, the pool portion would be measured in laps. My goal was to swim twelve laps in fifteen minutes; or six hundred yards, if that gives you a better idea regarding distance.

The first length ...

10:40 a.m. - Look, I can swim.

The above photo shows me being on pace with other participants. Shortly after I slowed down and it is most likely that everyone was one whole length ahead of me. However, I have never had a better swim session. There was no crazy splashes, water swallowing, extreme hip-sinking, or zigzags. Everything felt coordinated and all I had to do was swim.

Now we bike ...

Once out of the pool the thirty minutes for the bike portion started. So, as I walked quickly (running is not allowed on the pool deck) to my spot I took off my swim cap and goggles. When I reached my stuff I gave my feet, and any bare skin, a quick brush with the towel, put on socks, and shoved my feet into my biking shoes. Then I grabbed half of a Snickers candy bar and was the fifth person to start biking.

Time to run ...

Do not let all the sunshine deceive you, it was quite brisk outside and I was happy to have grabbed my sweater. This run was easy for a 5K; one lap around a lake and a flat course, but I learned some interesting things.

1. Completely dry feet before putting on socks after the swim.
2. Five kilometers seem much longer when you are on a straight clear course.
3. Green Lake is huge but barely five kilometers around (sorry this is what happens when you run in the woods, your visual perception regarding distance is skewed).
4. Green Lake is the place to be and be seen - Last I knew my race was in Washington not California.
5. I hold myself back on the run; My body is physically fit to go faster, I just do not think I am able to sustain it so I never try. Must change that.

Mission accomplished ...

11:56 a.m. - I crossed the finish line and officially became a triathlete.

The triathlon was over. I had completed my first race and felt comfortable during all three portions. I could have pushed a little harder in every activity but my over all goal was to have fun and enjoy my first triathlon. After all the workouts and time, the last thing I wanted was a bad experience that could turn me away.

Official Results:
Swim - 12 laps; 600 yards
Bike - 7.19 miles
Run - 0:31:50 (time)

My number one fan ...

Cheddar Pancakes and I

Cheddar runs with me every single morning no matter if it is dark outside, rainy, windy, or icy. She also gets me out of bed on said mornings because how could I take her run time away. So, of course, we had to celebrate with a picture together.

After the race ...

1:15 p.m. - Ferry ride home.

Thank you to my husband, who always supports and nicely listens to all my daily training reports. To my mom, who over the phone gives me nutrition advice, which consists of 'Eat, eat'. To friends and family I appreciate all the happy vibes because as Cheddar will tell you, "Cheering is hard-work".

What to Wear for a Triathlon

Every sport has specific clothing and equipment that are best suited for said sport. Most are no brain-ers, ie.

Example of Swimwear

Swimming = one piece swimsuit, cap, and goggles
Biking = cycling shoes, bike shorts / tights, cycling jersey, and helmet
Running = running shoes, shorts / sweats, and jersey

But what does one wear for a sport that is made up of three different sports? Well, the answer to that question is very personal. (Don't worry I'm still going to share my answer.) What I mean by personal is that what you wear for a triathlon really depends on what type of triathlon you are doing (think distance), in what season, and what your goal is. Knowing the answers to those personal questions will help you navigate through the countless options our consumer oriented society provides us.

Example of Cycling Outfits

Being new to the sport of triathlon (and swimming) but an old friend of biking and running, I already had clothing that I liked to wear for two of the three activities and all I had to buy was a swim cap and goggles. (The one piece swimsuit I had tucked away in a box somewhere from when I decided that if I had a suit I would swim...never happened.) So, with my triathlon being only one week away I finally had to go out and buy the outfit that will, hopefully, see me through many future triathlons.

I had planned my first triathlon to be a sprint, the shortest of triathlon's, and in my search for sprints near Seattle I was lucky enough to find an indoor sprint (Yahooo! I wouldn't have to worry about researching wetsuits for open-water swimming, which has always freaked me out by the way). The swim would be in a pool, the bike would be on trainers, and the run would be the only outdoor portion exposing me to the PNW elements. Running in the rain; no problem, I always run outside in order to exercise Cheddar and to not incur the expense of a gym. So, the only thing left was my goal which was to be average and finish in the middle of the pack.

My goal meant that I was going to be looking for tri-shorts and a tri-top, or a tri-suit. One of these outfits would allow me to transition from sport to sport without having to change and saving me time. And, only being able to swim eleven laps, sometimes twelve, in fifteen minutes and averaging a thirty minute 5k, I need all the time saving I can get.

So, without further ado, here are my new goods.

Zoot Performance Tri 8" Shorts

Tri-shorts are formfitting which allows you to swim in them. They also have a very thin chamois (padding) to boost your comfort on the bike seat without bothering you on the run. Bonus: Two hip pockets!

Pearl Izumi ELITE In-R-Cool Tri Singlet

This tri-top is also formfitting and moisture-wicking to reduce chaiffing, has a built-in shelf bra, and two back pockets.

TYR Competitor Tri Shorts

These tri-shorts only have one pocket and it's in the back but feature a zipper, ensuring things won't fall out. Another difference are the elastic silicone leg grippers. It's an appealing feature, no doubt.

The reason I'm showing two shorts is because one of the things I learned as I've aged is that the only clothes worth buying and holding on to are those that fit you well. This lesson is crucial when it comes to sportswear as a bad fit or an element that is disliked can disrupt your pace and cause chaffing. No one wants to be tugging at their clothes or dealing with chaffing for miles / hours.

These pieces will be pretty much all I'll need as far as clothing goes. For the run portion my plan is to throw on my biking jacket (I get cold easily and so now I've made it a habit of running with some form of long sleeves).

So there you have it, what you wear for a triathlon depends on your goals for a particular race and what you're comfortable in.

Work Less, Swim Better

Work less, swim better. Ok, I definitely want to swim MUCH better and working less is always good, so that sounds like a good deal to me. If this sounds good to you too then you should check out this link: Part 6 - How to 'Work Less, Swim Better' in Triathlon.

The link is the 6th video out of an 8 part series. I chose to link the 6th video, Learn to Swim With your Body, because I feel it's the video that will intrigue most of you and hopefully you'll watch the whole series. The videos are fairly short, ranging from 5 to 9 minutes and should really be watched in order.

Reason behind my promotion: As most of you know, I'm new to swimming. Just learned to swim last September when I took a class and the whole time I felt like this...

Once the class was over I had learned enough skills to get me through swimming lengths (going from one end of the pool to the other end; going from one end to the opposite side and then back is a lap). I could do several lengths; 16 once, which I thought was pretty good for a beginner. But, every time I did a length I felt like this...

I knew I was swimming pretty slow for all the energy I was expending, but I figured that I just needed more practice. After all I had never swam before in my life, I expected the need to build endurance and stamina. That through sheer force and the will to push would, overtime, get my body into a condition where the crazy amount of energy I was expending would get me further and in faster time.

Well I was wrong. In my quest for improvement I was looking at youtube videos on swimming instructions and I came across the Work Less, Swim Better series. The next day was my swimming day and was doing 500 yards; 50 yd warm-up, 16 x 25's with a 10 second break after each length, and 50 yd cool-down. I applied what I learned from watching the series to my training session and I was, for the first time, able to swim the entire 500 yards in 15 minutes without needing the 10 second breaks. I felt great and like this...

She's was chosen to participate in 2012 Australian Youth Olympic Festival.
Looks strong and fast.

Last night was another swim session in which I used the knowledge I learned from the videos (I had watched them again over the weekend) and I managed to get in an extra lap in my allotted time of 15 minutes. That's 550 yards (11 laps)! If you're a swimmer or previously were a swimmer my times/distances are probably nothing to you, but to me, a beginner, I'm thrilled. Thanks to the information provided by the Work Less, Swim Better videos I've been able to swim easier, farther, and faster.

*These videos teach a technique designed for long-distance open-water swimming for triathletes.