Triathlon-itis

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The disease is real.  It makes you do all sorts of crazy things.  Like… I decided two days ago that I was going to do a triathlon on Saturday.  And all joking aside, this spontaneous decision has me really excited!

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I did an biiiiig triathlon in early August – it was called Lake Logan International.  It was my “A Race” of the season and was a lot of fun.  I performed much better than I thought I would.  Race day was a very positive experience… 

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…BUT training for that event was not so positive.  I bit off more than I could comfortably chew with training for the distances (a 1500 M swim, a 25 mile bike, and a 10K run), and I felt pretty overloaded while preparing for the race.  I really HATED being negative about training because I love racing and I love triathlons.  But knowing I was committed to such a long race was tough – I underestimated how work + two small children would impact my mental and physical reserves.  In the end, I was glad that I did the race (it was also a fun girlfriend getaway for me and Brandi) but the experience as a whole left me feeling a bit burnt out.

 

For the past six weeks or so, I’ve been taking it easy with exercise.  I needed a mental break from it, truthfully.  In the past, when I’ve chosen to put workouts on the back burner, all aspects of being healthy tend to fall apart (I can be SO all or nothing!).  But this time around, I’ve been pretty good about eating my veggies, getting enough sleep, and not overdosing on sugar (I think Vegetarian Whole 30 has played a huge role in that!).  Sure, I’ve had some ups and downs with those areas too, but on a whole, I feel pretty great.

 

When Brandi mentioned that she was definitely doing Cane Creek Sprint Triathlon on Saturday (and yes, she’s actually be training for it like a good triathlete should!), I decided that I’d hop on the bandwagon.  Why?  Well, I think I’m ready to get back into the swing of exercise-things.  Although I normally put the race at the END of the return-to-fitness process, Cane Creek will be my celebration/kick-off of a renewed effort to exercise on the regular.

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It’s a sprint distance and I plan to put my focus on having fun, not really “racing.”  I’m not in race shape!  I doubt I can do the 5K at the end without significant walking.  But I know I can comfortably plod along and complete the distance with a smile on my face. 

 

Obviously, this is the LAST triathlon of the season – it’s getting cold out there – so I’m pretty pumped.  It’s going to be a lot of fun… I just hope it doesn’t rain the entire race!

 

When’s your next race? How are you feeling about it?

{ 10 comments }

 

  • Breanne September 24, 2015, 11:15 am

    Yay a race! I have a 10k in one month and the weather here has been miserably, unseasonably hot and humid so my running has suffered. I hate the treadmill, so I just haven’t really been running and I could tell this past Saturday when I went out after a week off. I’ve still been at the gym, but it’s just not the same. I’m hoping it cools off and I can get back to it. I’m excited for the race itself, but it’s mid-day and on the beach (super hard-packed sand) so I’m hoping my time won’t suffer too much since my goal is to use it as POT for another race.

  • Carolina John September 24, 2015, 11:38 am

    Good luck and have fun!

  • Chrissy September 24, 2015, 3:22 pm

    I’ve got a 15K this weekend, a half marathon in October, and then a 50K in January. It’s tough to get it all in with two young children at home and a full time job, but it’s totally worth it!

  • Erin @ Her Heartland Soul September 24, 2015, 4:41 pm

    Good luck this weekend!

  • Kevin September 24, 2015, 4:42 pm

    I definitely think spontaneously deciding to do a triathlon is one of the better spontaneous decisions you can make… 🙂

    Good luck with it! I’m hoping I’ll be in good enough shape to do my first triathlon sometime next year.

  • Joy September 25, 2015, 8:37 am

    Good for you! And good luck! I bet you’ll do great.

  • Katie September 25, 2015, 1:31 pm

    Yay!! I only did one tri this year, but i’m trying to figure out next year’s schedule. I am feeling the pull to attempt another 26.2, but also would like to bite into 70.3…and am not sure which I should do at the beginning of the season vs end of the season.

  • Shira Hein September 25, 2015, 5:40 pm

    Hey!
    I love love love your blog- You are actually one of the biggest inspirations, which led me to sign up for my first marathon. I read all of your blog posts as motivation to keep training hard, until I reach that finish line.
    Check out my blog, and see my marathon updates! http://www.shisays.com
    -shi

  • Dottie (@crazyfitmommy) September 26, 2015, 2:32 am

    I can’t help but laugh that it’s already getting too cold for races there. Race season in Phoenix won’t even really start until next month because it’s still 105 degrees here 😛

  • Kelly September 29, 2015, 4:58 am

    Love how you just randomly decided to do a tri! You’re amazing and love your confidence/Honesty!

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