By Debbie Perry

It has been quite a long year for most folks.  You may or may not have done a lot of races or events, but usually most people have dedicatedly stuck to some sort of structured program since last Nov, Dec or Jan.  Time for a break! Back away from the Garmin, put up your feet and don’t even think about working out hard…or long…or tomorrow…or often.  Seriously, there has to be a time every year where you give your body, mind and spirit a vacation.

It would be nice if we could all lie on a Hawaiian beach for a month, but most of us have to find a way to put our bodies through a staycation of sorts. Yes, life goes on, work still happens and the kids are always hungry, but allowing your body to recover, repair and restore is not just important, but VITAL to a life long pursuit of sport.

What needs to happen in this phase of training? And yes IT IS TRAINING! You can’t make a tired and broken body go very fast.  So putting fuel back in the mental and physical tank is the priority.  And this process is a little different for everyone. But here are some things to consider:

• Let go of structured workouts and schedules
• Do only what you feel like and NEVER force a workout at this point
• Slow down—go for a hike instead of a run.  Preferably alone, with friends or family you don’t normally “workout” with because you are “in training.”  This applies to biking too.
• Stretch–do yoga or stretch for 30 minutes as a days workout and then take a hot shower
• Do only light core work if you INSIST on strength training.
• Add an extra rest day or two. Stretching is not a rest day. Doing nothing is.
• Don’t get into a pool to swim laps if it brings tears or the thought of “I would rather pour acid into my eyes”
• Never train hard enough to need Endurox or any other recovery product……Okay, maybe just once a week for those of you who just have to do SOMETHING.
• Do something around the house you don’t normally have time for because it just feels good to finally git’ er done without being worried about how it effects tomorrows workout.

How do you mentally recover? Mentally “let it go.” Just let your mind take the vacation too. Stop thinking about workouts, schedules, races, goals and whatever else clutters it up at this point. Turn it off and think about something more important like how the morning light trickles down through the trees during your hike or how fresh the early fall wind feels on your skin as you run and ride easy. Yoga is really good too at training your mind to feel the subtleties that most people want to ignore.  And don’t ignore the unstructured silence you may encounter.  It is said that in the silence you discover your own shallowness, but it is there you discover your own strengths too.  And if you are uncomfortable admitting to such transcendental thoughts, then just don’t tell anyone! But think them…no.matter.what!

How long will it take? Usually at least 3 weeks, but sometimes up to 6 or 8 if you have put your body through a tremendously high volume or intensity over the last 10-12 months. This could be the result of training for multiple ironmans, half ironmans and marathons (which I don’t recommend.) OR maybe you are very competitive in the shorter events and have invested A LOT of time to train hard and race even harder. Whatever the case, if you have put your body and mind through the ringer, have regularly trained over 12 hours a week, trained very hard, raced hard more than 6 times, or done too many long events, then you may need more than 3 weeks. Even if you have just done your first marathon or first year of structured training, but it challenged you more than anything ever has, then take it one week at a time!

When is your body, mind and spirit ready to go again? Physically, you are ache free, loose, flexible, feeling light in the legs and rested overall. Mentally, you have your excitement back! You definitely can wrap your brain around your next adventure and are more than ready to get back into a routine of some kind. Spiritually, you feel renewed, more calm and directed.

This is one of the most fun points in the year when you do it right. When you have properly rested and recovered for long enough, this is when you find the love in what you do again.  This is when you can breathe deep and feel no weight on your shoulders. This is also when you are ready to look ahead with eyes wide open ready to chase and catch the next, even higher state of becoming at true athlete. What is a “true athlete?” Well, that is something that is available to anyone at any level. It is worth you pondering about and a discussion we will have another time!

It has been over 24 hours since the race and now that I am well hydrated again and have restored my blood sugar to acceptable levels I can finally report on the race.  But before I do I want to thank everyone for all of their kind words of encouragement either by phone, text message, facebook post or just in your thoughts and prayers.  It is a long lonely stretch of lava rock on the big island and I had to dig many times into the well for your strength that you were giving me.  Most of all I want to thank my wife Chrystel for being such an amazing support and for the sacrifices she has made so that yesterday could happen.

Pre-Race

I woke up on race morning at 4:00 AM just as planned and made my traditional pre-race meal of old fashioned oatmeal and a cup of coffee.  I like to wake up about 3 hours before key races in order to get the appropriate amount of time in for digestion.  The rest of the morning I spend hydrating with a sports drink and trying to stay relaxed.  This morning was like any other and I took my time getting to body marking and of course I am one of the last one there to get marked.  To my good fortune, my friends, Tracy and Mike Mamales, and Mike Conti were there volunteering at body marking and I got to be marked by friends.  After getting my numbers painted on, I made my way to the pier to fill my bottles and inspect my bike.  Everything looked in order so I went back out to the family and proceeded to apply a generous amount of sunscreen and lube to my tri shorts and swim skin.  In the final moments before leaving my wife and child I tend to get a little choked up because of the atmosphere and because I am fully aware of the sacrifice they have made and I am very grateful to them for it.

The Swim

The walk into the ocean is really one of the most amazing feelings of the day.  As you take your steps into the ocean you see the entire seawall as far as you can see and every balcony nearby covered by spectators.   Not to mention the giant finish structure and Jumbo-tron all with the sound of Hawaiian drums and the drum of the NBC Helicopters flying overhead.  Needless to say the nerves get kicked into overdrive at this point.  I swim out to the start line and that is where the real fun begins.  The starting line is very brutal with kicking and shoving for about 10 minutes while everyone waits for the cannon treading water.  When the cannon fired it was an absolute free for all no holds bar wrestling match in the water.  I took my share of blows and delivered as many in an effort to find some open water and swim horizontal.  The hard part about Hawaii is that it never thins out like a normal Ironman because the level of talent here is so high.  On the plus side you never have to look far to find someone’s feet to swim behind.  My goal going into the swim was to swim under 58 minutes.  I exited the water under 59 minutes but very pleased with my effort and ready to transition to the bike.

The Bike

After the madness of transition I passed on the chance to use the bathroom figuring I would be able to go on the bike.  Just like the swim you have to really settle down in the opening miles of the ride because the amount of spectators just cheering you on.  I had set my heart rate limit for the bike around 145-150 bpm  let’s just say I was well above 150 for the first few miles so I broke that rule of staying in control early on.  I was able to see Chrystel and friends before leaving town  and then it is one long rolling stretch of asphalt to the the north end of the island.  I let my heart rate settle again but it was a little on the high side on the first half of the bike but we did have a slight headwind.  Now one thing Kona is famous for is Heat and Wind and let’s just say she delivered on the back half of the bike.  The crosswinds were scary as hell but I just smiled and thought about how awesome it was.  I had a moment where it felt like I was riding the side of my saddle and my bike handling was ready due to the preparatory rides I had done in the wind.   The turnaround is on the north end of the island at a little town called Hawi and the wind is always blowing in your face climbing up to this turn so it makes for a nice rest section and ride the wind to the deadly crosswinds on your return trip.  As I made this turn I realized that my bike split was quite a few minutes faster than I had seen it in years past and I was excited to see the hard work over the past couple of months pay off.

After 70 miles of riding I was finally able to pee which is a skill you have to learn to truly enjoy the experience.  Needless to say you need an extra water bottle for some rinsing and the courteous rider will veer to the right so as not to splash the rider behind that is unless of course they are drafting off your wheel.  The hardest part of the ride was the final 34 miles back to town that gradually climbs but also is accompanied with headwinds.   My nutrition strategy for the bike was 1 gel every half hour and 2 bottles of perform every hour that I would sip gradually but made sure to finish nearly 2 every hour.  This seemed to work very well but I was starting to get a little worried that I only needed to urinate once on the bike but I chalked it up to the heat.  I came into town all smiles because I knew I had rode clean and had my fastest bike split ever in any ironman particularly Kona.  Naturally I was ready to hit the streets and show these people that this big boy can run.

The Run

Just like the bike the opening miles of the run the crowd can really get your momentum going but you have to hold back if you want to finish strong.  I began my quest of running under 3 hours and everything was going as planned.  My opening miles were a little fast but my heart rate was well below my planned limit.  I felt good and I was able to hydrate well and cool off at each aid station.  I really felt in control and I was working my way to my goal time.  The course was really starting to heat up at this point because the clouds that usually make their way to that side of the island had not made it there yet.   I was making pretty good time through the first 10 miles and felt like my hydration and nutrition was on par.  Because I was wearing a bright red tri outfit I became known as Big Red.  I made my way up the steep climb on Palani and headed out into the lonely lava fields.  This is where I went through several rough patches that are infamous for the event.   You go from being at this emotional and physical high and a mile later you are in the pit of despair and you just want to walk the rest of the way.  Usually if you are patient you will feel better again, you just have to asses the situation and make sure it is not a hydration or nutrition issue.   In my particular case it is the heat.  My heart rate actually dropped to a very comfortable level but my legs and core temperature were beginning to suffer.

I had to dig deep at this point and start focusing on form and controlling my negative thoughts.  I began to focus on my turnover and telling myself that it was just my legs that hurt and not my lungs.  It would work for some time but there were a few aid stations I had to really motivate myself to get running.  As I ran up the last mile one of the spectators in a deep Aussie accent says the last 2K of this Ironman are free.  I smiled inside myself because it is the exact thing I tell my clients during hard workouts and for their races.  The last mile is free however it is still a mile and it is that much longer before you get to finally stop.

The Finish

The last 2K are free but the Last 1K down Alii Drive is absolutely special.   All of the pain temporarily leaves and adrenaline and love carry you home.  It was very memorable this year not just because I was coming in with my best Kona performance to date but my wife and child were there cheering me on.  I saw many familiar faces and let the crowd take me all the way up to hear Mike Riley call me an Ironman for the 4^th time in Kona.  I had a good day and I felt satisfied with my result and my body could finally stop.

It is hard to put into words the emotion and the environment of the race and I guess in some ways it is like they say.  You just had to be there.  I was not alone this year and was happy to see friendly faces from Utah out on the course.  Utah had quite a few competitors and they all had great performances.  Watch out Kona we are on our way.   Now that the race is over it is time to rest and recover and maybe add a few pounds.  And then I can start to make plans for next year and hopefully earn another spot into this coveted race.

Here I sit on race day eve reflecting on the past weeks excitement and now the nerves are starting to set in.  However I know that this is one long race and there is no need to get too hyped up patience and staying focused on your plan are key to success in the lava fields.

It is hard to put into words the atmosphere that comes to Kailua during race week.   These are the fittest and fastest long distance triathletes in the world and wherever you look you see them.  Yes this is one giant nucleus of adrenaline and hormones and if this stuff was flammable the island would be ablaze.  All hormones aside the race week is also the biggest triathlon expo with almost every company that has a say in the sport making a presence showing the latest and greatest they have to offer.  Not only is the expo filled with great products but it is also full of seminars with industry scientists and professional athletes.  I did not go to the seminars but if I were a spectator I would be there all day because they really have some top notch clinics.

This year I brought my son to the race and he was able to participate in the kid’s splash and dash.  This is the race that really matters and the kids do an excellent job of showing the adults of what being in Kona is all about.  This year was particularly special and near and dear to my heart because Will the Thrill was racing and though he was the last one across the line I could not have been more proud than the way he stuck it out and kept his smile through the finish line.  I have the entire story on our website blog under Will the Thrill at www.bjandchrystelnow.com and you are all invited to read it and browse the pictures.

As I said before this place is truly special and I feel extremely fortunate to be able to raced with the best  and see what limits I can overcome on race day.   The conditions here are some of the toughest on the planet and that is what makes this race so special.

And so today I make my final preparations for the race.  Check and recheck the bike, go for a quick swim and a little jog.  But most of all relax and stay hydrated and enjoy the day with my family.  The theme for this years race is “The way of the warrior” and as a warrior I fight for my family and race to honor them and the sacrifices that they have made so that I can fulfill my dream.   In Hawaii the word for family is ohana and I am grateful for my entire ohana and the support and encouragement they have given me.  Thank you everyone for your support and encouragement and I hope to perform my best and will use your aloha to help me fulfill my goal.   So for now I rest and tomorrow I battle and embrace the spirit of the land and the sea.   Talk to you again after the race.   You can track the race and all the athletes at www.Ironmanlive.com and see a lot of videos on all the action that has been happening this week.

Every year during the first full moon of October the worlds best long distance triathletes assemble in a small city on the western side of the big island of Hawaii.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the event this is Kona, The World Championship, The Big Show, and any other simile you can use for the big event of your sport.  The people are gathering and the momentum is building for this weekend’s upcoming race.   Every day the small city of Kailua-Kona transforms itself into host of triathlons biggest event.  This is the Ironman– 2.4 swim, 112, mile bike, 26.2 mile run… then brag for the rest of your life.

32 years ago the idea of the Ironman was conceived as a challenge to just finish the distance.  From those pioneers the race has evolved into a true world championship event and the center piece of the sport of triathlon.  This also marks my 32nd year of life and I feel special saying the race and I share the same age.  I am writing this blog to share the event with friends and family back home and hope to share my experience behind the scenes of my preparing for the event and report on the race itself.

Qualifying

Like any world championship you have to qualify to race in Kona and prove you have what it takes to race with the best in October.  I qualified for the Ironman at Ironman St. George. I chose Ironman St. George as my qualifier for several reasons. Number one was because this was the inaugural year for the race and the only Ironman in the state.  I also chose Ironman St. George because it was a very difficult course and a great challenge to mentally prepare for the tough conditions in Kona.  Qualifying is always a difficult task and when and where you qualify is sometimes what many believe to being crucial to having a good race in Kona.  By qualifying in St. George it has allowed time for recovery and then time to prepare for a good build into this weekend.

Preparation

Once qualifying is out of the way it is time to start preparing for October.  This will be my 4^th race at the world championship and each time I race I learn a little more about what it takes to be successful in Kona.  One element that has plagued me and my gigantic frame is heat.  In Kona it is hot and there is nowhere to hide.  If you want to do well in Kona you have to learn to deal with the heat.  This summer I would do as much as I could during the hottest part of the day in order to better acquaint myself with hot conditions.  However this year I took the advice from some friends and wife to start Bikram Yoga.  If you aren’t familiar with Hot Yoga it is an absolute suffer fest of performing yoga in a room heated to 110 degrees.  My first class I lost 5 pounds of water weight in a 90 minute class.  All I can say is that this class has been an excellent method of learning to cope with heat.  The 2^nd element that can make for a rough day is wind.  Kona is famous for being very windy and I can attest that it in fact lives up to its reputation.  So in order to prepare for the wind I would make sure and ride on the days that were particularly gusty in the Salt Lake Valley.

Finally the 3^rd element that makes this race particularly challenging is the pressure to perform well.  Everyone here is a very talented and fit and you have to keep your emotions in check in order to stay focused during race week.  Every where you turn someone is swimming, cycling, or running and it makes you feel as though you need to get out there and join them.  I have faith in my training and there is nothing I can do this week that will improve my fitness for Saturday.

And so race week begins and I wrap up this first installment of Christenson Kona Chronicles 2010.  One thing I do know is that I am fortunate to be here and even more fortunate to share the weeks experience with my wife and son and my friends.  I will be reporting part 2 of these chronicles in a few days so stay tuned for the lead up to the big race.

Open-water swimming – YIKES! This statement reflects a common attitude held by many as they venture to compete in an open-water event. The fears of open water swimming range from cold water comfort issues to made-up creatures lurking beneath the dark surface of the water. The most finite of these fears can prevent someone from experiencing the exuberance of completing an open-water event.

Several things can help ease the psychological burden associated with venturing into open waters. If you are considering an open-water swim, you should first note the importance of learning “how” to swim. While you may be tempted to equate your swimming ability with your history in the Boy Scouts or your occasional trip to the lake as a child, competitive swimming is quite different. Struggling swimmers expend 15-20 times the amount of energy as someone who has an efficient stroke. While you may not consider yourself one of these struggling swimmers – more than 70% of tri-athletes fall into this camp. Take a few lessons from a coach who specializes in the technique of swimming – you won’t regret it.

After learning things like: horizontal body position, the timing of arms, and the basic stroke shapes – you will be much more comfortable in the water. As you prepare to compete in open water visit the body of water that you will compete in. This will increase your familiarity with the local conditions and give you experience getting used to the water temperature at the location you will be competing. While there are many topics that coaches and athletes consider debatable, one thing is universally agreed upon: learn how to swim the right way. One last note – your best measure of success regarding stroke mechanic improvement is stroke count. If it currently takes you 30 strokes to swim 25 yards at your local YMCA, after taking some technique lessons, you may find that this falls to 20. Think of the implications in a long swim if you cut your strokes by such a magnitude. Ultimately, if you want to succeed in open-water swimming you need to develop a strong base in technique. I strongly suggest Ernest Maglischo’s “Swimming Fastest” as the best text resource. Second best text resource would be Terry Laughlin’s “Total Immersion”. Better than both of these – come take a couple lessons.

For those of you in the Bountiful, Utah area – we teach lessons out of the South Davis Recreation Center. With more than a decade of experience coaching you won’t be disappointed. If interested give me a call. (801) 721.2121 or email me at kosal96@yahoo.com.

-Wade C. Roberts, Ph.D.-

For lots of article, help and  information on Utah open water swimming try http://www.utahopenwater.com/

So, 11 years ago someone said to me, “you’re in the best shape of your life, what are you
going to do next?” You see, at 35 I worked for one of the nation’s largest vitamin and sports
nutrition companies as the Director of Marketing, and was also a fitness trainer, and was what
you considered a “gym-rat”. Sure, I was in the gym several days a week, and was in pretty
good shape…..or at least I thought. Just because I lifted, and maybe looked fit, I was far from
being an endurance athlete! After that question, it really got me thinking, that person was right! I
needed goals to stay motivated in the world of fitness.

While I was watching TV one day shortly after that question, the Ironman World Championships
came on and I decided to watch it (keep in mind that I never even thought about triathlon before
that show). After being totally impressed watching the race, I decided, hey, this is the sport
for me! I was in good shape, grew up always riding my motocross bike, and kind of knew how
to swim. Ha, famous last words of a fool! I jumped in the pool the next day and barely swam
25 yards, and did I mention I held my breath the entire length of the pool? I thought to myself,
freak, what have I gotten myself into!?!?

After attempting the swim, the next day I dusted off my mountain bike and rode about 5
miles….wow, 5 miles! And then the next day I decided to run, well, at least jog, walk, jog, walk,
etc. Wow, my first 3 days of training where quite the adventure! I didn’t know what the heck I
was doing, when to do it or how to do it. And 11 years ago, triathlon coaches were very few and
far between, so I decided to coach myself. I’d like to say that I excelled in at least one of the 3
disciplines, but I was a complete rookie at everything, with swimming definitely being the most
challenging!

I pretty much “winged it” during my first 4 months of training for my first sprint triathlon. I trained
6 days a week, but fell into the same routine week after week, month after month, with no
deviation in my workouts (no intervals, no speed work, no open-water swims, and quite frankly,
just junk yardage). Also, I forgot to tell you that all my bike training was on my 30 pound 10
year old mountain bike! The training was haphazard at best! When June came around I was
prepared for my first open-water sprint, or at least I thought! What a disaster! My swim was
horrid, I crashed my bike, and, I actually tripped on a railroad tie in front of all the spectators
when I started my run. Wow, what was I thinking?

After the race, while I was having the paramedics pluck gravel out of my knees, they started to
announce the age group awards. 3rd place goes to…….. 2nd place goes to……., and 1st place, in
the 35-39 year old age group, David Pruetz. Whoa! Really? If I actually took 1st in my age group
out of 15 guys, on my mountain bike, what am I actually capable of if I really knew what the
heck I was doing? Well, I found out….once I applied myself, focused, researched, and hired a
swim coach (oh, and bought a road bike), I actually qualified and raced in the USAT Nationals in
my first year, as well as my second year. After a couple years of sprints, Olympics and my first
half Ironman, I took on Ironman in my third season.

11 Years later here I am…..I own and operate Utah’s first stand alone triathlon company, was
Utah’s “first full-time triathlon coach, “have been coaching for 8 years now, have done 60+
triathlons, and was honored to be able to compete at the Kona Ironman World Championships
in 2009! What an incredible journey!

• Keep it simple: only include the essential items that you will need during the race- everything else goes in a bag in the car or leave it with your fan club.
• Essentials make you faster: equipment like Yankz, Trislide, a Race Number Belt, and tri shorts will go a long way in keeping your transition times fast.
• Smile: even though you may be in pain, smiling keeps the attitude positive and positive thinking keeps you fast.

Here is a great little video to help answer more of your Triathlon Transition questions.  Thanks BJ!

It was a balmy 120 degrees outside and I was getting ready to go for a run, when I received an email from my brother-in-law. I knew that he was big into triathlons, and the thought had crossed my mind, that I would like to do them as well. The only problem was that he was emailing me to convince me to do the new Ironman in St George. Not only was I not willing to commit to something of that scale, I was also half way through a deployment to the Middle East. Needless to say there were no places for me to swim or bike. The only thing that I did have going for me was that I had been a distance runner my whole life. After reading my brother-in-laws email, I decided that I was going to sign up for a triathlon that would take place several months after I returned home. My first race would be an Olympic distance at the Stansburry Triathlon…or so I thought. Six months had passed, and I was on my way home. Luckily, I was able to get my legs in decent cycling shape by finding some spin bikes on our post and I was able to log plenty of miles on the road (or treadmill, when the sandstorms would hit.) Now all I had to do was work on the swim.

As soon as I got home I went to the local pool, bought a membership and recruited a friend, who had been a competitive swimmer, to give me some swim lessons. Everything was coming together perfectly. I remember my first swim lesson like it was yesterday. My swim coaches first set of instructions was to swim an easy 200 yards to warm up. 200 yards? How hard could that be? I run 50 plus miles a week, I can swim 200 yards. With this unfounded confidence, I jumped in the water and set off to swim my “easy” 200 yard warm-up. I made it 50 yards (down and back in a 25 yard pool) before I started to flail in the water and grabbed the side of the pool. My friend laughed at me and said “You have a lot of work to do if you want to swim 1500 meters.” Later that night I emailed the race director and asked if I could change from the Olympic distance to the Sprint. My pride was shot and so was my goal of someday competing in an Ironman with my brother-in-law.

Thanks to the race director, I was able to switch distances and with a little help from my triathlon instructor at the University of Utah, I was feeling more confident in the water.Although I was feeling more confident, I had yet to swim the 750 meter distance without stopping. My coach assured me and told me that I would be just fine. I didn’t believe her.

Race day finally came, I had my wet suit, which I had yet to swim in (just one of many mistakes in my triathlon prep), and I was as ready as I was ever going to be. With all of the male competitors for the Sprint in the water, my nerves were on edge and the only thing I could think about was getting out of this water. The gun went off and it was “do or die” time, and hopefully there would be non of the latter. I was feeling great! For the first 100 meters, after that it all went downhill and a few minutes later I completely stopped swimming looked around for something to grab on to and was ready to call the whole thing off. I had been kicked, slapped and I am fairly certain that I swallowed half of the water in that lake. Nothing was going right, my form went out the window and my breathing pattern was all over the place. In that moment of doubt I saw a fellow competitor swim past me doing the breast stroke with a smile on his face. At that moment, nothing could have infuriated me more, and that was what I needed. I dropped my head back in the water, focused on my form and drug myself to the water exit. With a strong bike and run I actually did a lot better than I anticipated, but I still was not where I wanted to be. I knew that I wanted to compete on the Olympic level and someday the Ironman.

With my first triathlon under my belt I was ready to set a date for my first Olympic distance. I knew where I had gone wrong with my prep (or lack thereof) for the Sprint, and I was not going to let that happen with the Olympic. I focused on my swim, logged some serious rides on my bike and pounded myself into oblivion on the road and track. I had received some great advice from BJ and Guy, and Debbie helped me forge my legs for the run while I was in high school, so in my opinion I was ready to go.

Race day had finally arrived and I was ready this time, really ready. The gun went off and the good swimmers flew by me, but that was okay. I was going to swim my own race. I kept referring to something that I had heard from TJ Tollakson, “99 percent of life boils down to this one principal, DON’T PANIC!” With those wise words, and taking it one stroke at a time I was able to feel comfortable in the water and maintain a pace that I was fairly happy with.Aside from losing sight of the buoys on several occasions in the sun, I was happy with my performance. The bike went amazingly well, I was on schedule with my nutrition and hydration and I was just about to start my favorite event, the run. The heat had continued to climb throughout the day and by the time we got to the run; it was much hotter than I had anticipated. Thankfully, I was feeling fine and taking water as needed. Not wanting to get behind on my water intake, I forced myself to stop, yes stop, at all the water stops to take in water. I don’t care who you are, it is not easy to drink a cup of water while you are running.Even with those water stops, I posted a time in the 10K that I was very happy with. All-in-all, it was a great race. Thanks to proper preparation, advice and a lack of water in my lungs I was able to cross the finish line with a smile on my face.

Even though, I just briefly touched on the fact that I sought advice from experienced triathletes, I cannot stress the positive impact their advice had on my race enough. Simply asking someone what I should expect in the swim would have saved me a lot of strife during my first triathlon.Ask questions about anything and everything. If there is one thing that triathletes like more than the triathlon its self (and that includes their beloved bikes) it is talking about triathlon.Asking questions about what to expect, proper nutrition, hydration, equipment, etc will only help fill in any gaps you may have in your training regiment and not to mention the peace of mind that comes after picking an experienced triathletes brain for a few minutes.

Making the jump from Sprint to Olympic was not easy, it required a lot more time and a lot more focus, but it was totally worth it. Tune in next time to read about either my successful jump from the Olympic distance to the ½ Ironman or my obituary. Either way, it will be good reading.