From bug to triathlon
A new position at Microsoft is enough action for the first half of the year, right? When my brother and one of my sisters signed up for the PSD Triathlon in Düsseldorf I did not want to task load myself with another challenge. A bit later my second sister signed up and I was the only one left not participating. With 3 siblings excited for the event I wanted to at least get fitter. I started looking for a personal trainer. The way I am, offers have to be compared and evaluated. That involves tabs.
I decided to contact someone from the first 3 tabs. Prepared a short text describing what I want to do. Basically from couch potato to healthier lifestyle. The next morning an email arrived from Stefan Helwig. I was 100% sure I did not contact this person but hey - let's see how this works. Fast email response time and an offer to have a quick getting to know call a few days later. During the call we talked about goals and I mentioned the triathlon. We agreed that this is a good and achievable goal.
The first trainings
Totally motivated I showed up for the first training. A little bit of warming and then start running. I was pretty out of shape and jogging for more than 600m - no chance. Having at least one too many layers of cloths it got pretty warm. The first training was about
- how to warm up
- key parts of running technique
- and getting started
The beginning was tough. Heart rate was high, speed was low. Small steps. During this time we also started the swim training. I did a lot of swimming during my childhood / teenage years. Working on my technique was rewarding. I started seeing improvements in my everyday life, less sweating and less effort needed for other sports and activities.
Before the event
The weeks before the event I started to compare running and biking activities from the start to where I was then. Tracking my training made this pretty easy.
Basically I got faster and my body was able to perform at a lower heart rate. Seeing this impressed me a lot. Already pretty hyped about the actual event this gave me another boost of confidence that I will for sure finish the triathlon standing. During my training we focused on running and swimming. I used my bike more but never trained for the distance. I did two tours with a friend. The first one ground and scared me a bit. It was super hard for me. The second one was another confirmation that the training is going in exactly the right direction
Everything prepared - the day may come.
The event
I arrived in Düsseldorf on Friday already. A light job in the afternoon. Saturday we spend at an outdoor swimming pool; it was just too hot for anything else. We participated in a "Pasta Party" the night before. Went to bed early.
Sunday morning breakfast at my brothers home at 7 o'clock. My siblings arrived and we left for the starting location at 7.45. Everyone ready and focused.
During the setup of our changing area first swimmers from the olympic distance returned to switch to cycling. The atmosphere was overwhelming. With everything setup we were ready to proceed to the water starting area. From a short briefing to a water start. I was so excited that I did not even hear the starting sound clearly - started swimming when everyone else did.
Swimming in open water is a whole other discipline than in a pool. Luckily I was well prepared. Getting to the first buoy felt like it took forever. Recalling my training to just swim like it feels good - long strokes, gliding and regular breathing helped. After the first turn it was more like, got that done check, next one till I left the water.
Switching from swimming to running to my bike was tougher than expected. Switched to shoes, quick big sip of water, take the bike and off I went. The cycling started with a head wind. The motivation for having rear wind on the way back kept me going. After about a total time of 60minutes I returned to the changing area.
Finding my spot, storing the bike, another quick sip of water and start running. Well, had to return after a few steps to leave the helmet at the bike Oo. The running distance was pretty smooth. Took a drink at the water station, tried to drink, almost puked. Guess my body was not ready to really process something. The second round it was easier to drink another sip.
During the second round the excitement already kicked in that I am on the final lap. Getting closer to the finish line and finally getting through. Done. My siblings already waited for me. Due to my delayed sign up I was in a different starting group than them.
We all reached the finish line safe and sound. An amazing day!
Thank you
A big thank you goes out to all the supporters, family and friends that helped with everything from lending me a bike, to making sure I have time for training, to cheering and keeping my head focused on finishing and not being to competitive.
After the event is before the event - next sprint distance is planned for the 18th of September - olympic distance 2023! To be continued ...