A busy, fat lady gets hooked on Tri's. You can too!
Background:
I work full-time. I have a home-based business on the side, a 3 yr-old and a husband in school full-time. I've never been an athlete and have never participated in organized sports - unless you count the one season of "D league" softball. I have never been able to run/jog. It hurts...a lot. I'm very overweight, and prior to May, led a completely sedentary lifestyle sitting in front of a computer most of the day.
I got motivated to complete my first tri, six weeks prior to the event, by a friend of mine. She had recently lost a lot of weight, and completed her first tri as a relay last summer. This year she was determined to do the whole thing since last year's relay piece was too easy. Yeah right. Then I thought to myself, "You know, what's the worst that could happen? I'm a strong, if slow, swimmer, so no worries about drowning. If I get too tired on the bike, I can get off and walk. Too tired on the run? Same thing, walk. Shoot, I can do this!"
I've always been a competitive person, and going to the gym just for the heck of it never worked for me. Now I had a goal, and even better, a deadline. Every day that I didn't want to work out... I just looked at the calendar and thought "Oh my God! I've only got x weeks/days left! If I don't get out there today I'm gonna die on race day." So fear can be a motivator too. :) Thus began my journey to fitness.
2004 Season Summary:
First triathlon - the Danskin Sprint in mid-June. As I mentioned, only six weeks of training. I had 2 goals -- finish, and stay on the darn bike for some pretty grueling hills. I did both. Took me just over 3 hours, I walked the entire 5K, but I was hooked.
Second triathlon - the Splash Tri at Sea World (also Sprint) at the end of Sept. Over the summer I enrolled in a 10-week beginner's running class at a local running shop, and hired a triathlon training coach. They recommended a sports therapist to me for orthotics because of the pain during running. Got orthotics, voila! I could run without pain for the first time ever!! My goals for the 2nd tri -- run 20lbs lighter, finish in under 2.5 hours, and run at least half of the 5K. Made the first 2 goals, and almost made the last. Had a tummy bug on race day, so running was much harder than usual.
2005 Triathlon goals:
Complete two more sprints. Run an entire 5K, get total time to 2 hours or less, lose 20 more lbs.
Time constraints:
I work out 5 times per week. It has to be after work or one day of the weekend and either when the gym offers childcare or when my hubby can do kid duty, and also when I'm not at church or working my side business.
Off-Season Weekly schedule:
Monday - Short Run/short swim after work, with kid in gym childcare. Tuesday - Spin class right after work, with kid in gym childcare. Wednesday - rest Thursday - Long run, usually at night in the neighborhood after kid in bed Friday - Swim relays right after work, hubby picks up kid Saturday/Sunday - Long Bike/Short run, in the neighborhood whenever I can squeeze it in!
Although this is a heavy workout for off-season (it is the same as my regular season), I desperately need to lose more weight and gain more fitness, so I'm continuing full bore on building my base for next year.
Believe me, if anyone had asked me back in April whether I could and would complete a triathlon, I would have laughed in their face. But, give me a goal and a deadline and watch me go! If *I* can do it, ever so slowly at first, you can do it.
I love this website, and I've so enjoyed hearing about other's stories. They inspire me to keep plugging along, so keep 'em coming! Happy Tri-ing!
Kristina Robinson
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Finished First Tri Season (Whew) -- Looking Ahead.
A busy, fat lady gets hooked on Tri's. You can too!
Background:
I work full-time. I have a home-based business on the side, a 3 yr-old and a husband in school full-time. I've never been an athlete and have never participated in organized sports - unless you count the one season of "D league" softball. I have never been able to run/jog. It hurts...a lot. I'm very overweight, and prior to May, led a completely sedentary lifestyle sitting in front of a computer most of the day.
I got motivated to complete my first tri, six weeks prior to the event, by a friend of mine. She had recently lost a lot of weight, and completed her first tri as a relay last summer. This year she was determined to do the whole thing since last year's relay piece was too easy. Yeah right. Then I thought to myself, "You know, what's the worst that could happen? I'm a strong, if slow, swimmer, so no worries about drowning. If I get too tired on the bike, I can get off and walk. Too tired on the run? Same thing, walk. Shoot, I can do this!"
I've always been a competitive person, and going to the gym just for the heck of it never worked for me. Now I had a goal, and even better, a deadline. Every day that I didn't want to work out... I just looked at the calendar and thought "Oh my God! I've only got x weeks/days left! If I don't get out there today I'm gonna die on race day." So fear can be a motivator too. :) Thus began my journey to fitness.
2004 Season Summary:
First triathlon - the Danskin Sprint in mid-June. As I mentioned, only six weeks of training. I had 2 goals -- finish, and stay on the darn bike for some pretty grueling hills. I did both. Took me just over 3 hours, I walked the entire 5K, but I was hooked.
Second triathlon - the Splash Tri at Sea World (also Sprint) at the end of Sept. Over the summer I enrolled in a 10-week beginner's running class at a local running shop, and hired a triathlon training coach. They recommended a sports therapist to me for orthotics because of the pain during running. Got orthotics, voila! I could run without pain for the first time ever!! My goals for the 2nd tri -- run 20lbs lighter, finish in under 2.5 hours, and run at least half of the 5K. Made the first 2 goals, and almost made the last. Had a tummy bug on race day, so running was much harder than usual.
2005 Triathlon goals:
Complete two more sprints. Run an entire 5K, get total time to 2 hours or less, lose 20 more lbs.
Time constraints:
I work out 5 times per week. It has to be after work or one day of the weekend and either when the gym offers childcare or when my hubby can do kid duty, and also when I'm not at church or working my side business.
Off-Season Weekly schedule:
Monday - Short Run/short swim after work, with kid in gym childcare.
Tuesday - Spin class right after work, with kid in gym childcare.
Wednesday - rest
Thursday - Long run, usually at night in the neighborhood after kid in bed
Friday - Swim relays right after work, hubby picks up kid
Saturday/Sunday - Long Bike/Short run, in the neighborhood whenever I can squeeze it in!
Although this is a heavy workout for off-season (it is the same as my regular season), I desperately need to lose more weight and gain more fitness, so I'm continuing full bore on building my base for next year.
Believe me, if anyone had asked me back in April whether I could and would complete a triathlon, I would have laughed in their face. But, give me a goal and a deadline and watch me go! If *I* can do it, ever so slowly at first, you can do it.
I love this website, and I've so enjoyed hearing about other's stories. They inspire me to keep plugging along, so keep 'em coming! Happy Tri-ing!
Kristina Robinson
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