From Europe to US: 2nd season now!

Hello,

I've just ended my first season as a triathlete in Europe.

I first started swimming, because I was diagnosed with a mild scoliosis and doctors just said I had to be more sporty (That's literally the only thing they said). But as I was trying to re-learn swimming (I did years of swimming lessons during childhood) I found myself unfit, and bored... I couldn't do more than 25 meters, and found it very boring just to swim laps. At the same time, my father brought home some Mizuno shoes pairs and we started running, randomly, without any goals.

That was 4 years ago. For 4 years I basically went on running, did a few 10k races, in Italy, France, and England... Also went on swimming, loosely, and only around 100meters each time I was in the pool. I was unfit, and I didn't like to swim. I felt tired and without breath all the time..

Then, this year, I've found out about triathlon. At First, I was very hesitant about it, then I signed up in an expat triathlon team in Paris. They had a private coached session with 2 private lanes, track running sessions, and a very cool atmosphere. My swim improved dramatically during the year.

I signed up for my team's SuperSprint event, the only triathlon event held in Paris this year: 300 meters swim in the pool, 7k bike with wattBikes at the side of the pool, and 2.5k run in the nearby woods. I enjoyed it, and finished comfortably. Although, I had to breast-stroke (Despite my difficulty learning front-crawl, I am a quite good breast-stroker... during the event I swam 300m in 6:30, finishing ahead of way more experienced team-mates, who were front-crawling).

During the year I then kept training, both swimming, and running... and did a few other 10k races. I am a SLOW runner, always finished around the 1-hour mark, but I finished.

I also did a very tough 21k race which was mostly up-hill: finished in 2:15:40.

After some time training with the Triathlon team, I felt more comfortable with my swimming, and "okay" with my running, so first entered a few Aquathlon races (250m swim + 2.5k run). Really liked them, although I finished in the bottom 10 of the rankings.

Then, I decided I needed a bike.

Was almost going to buy a brand new Felt F95 (Alloy frame&fork, sora gears) for 700 euros (=1000 dollars), but a team member suggested me to get a second-hand lighter bike. I bought a used 2006 Ridley bike (Alloy frame, carbon fork, 105-gears, cosmic mavic elite wheels) for 450 euros (=750 dollars).

I liked it. Light, worked like a charm... except uphill... the previous owner had changed the gears wheel: so I had a 52-49... VERY tough for the uphill rides with my team. I was always last, sweating and swearing. But it was good training I bet???

I kept training. Did a superSprint event with the bike and finished 16th out of 32: average swim-time, good bike-time, and horrible run-time.
I was 9th before the running leg, which was absolutely horrible, with people over-taking me all the time, and feeling completely KO.

I kept training: A LOT of bike training with my team, going around regional parks in France around paris, taking the bikes with us on the train... Always last going uphill, but I was becoming way faster on flat ground.

A LOT of swimming also: I improved dramatically. My team president lent me a sleeve-less NeoSport wet-suit, and we started going to a local lake all together. Sometimes, with the bikes. We did brick sessions, swimming 2 k and then practicing transitions, and going around the hills with our bike, to then return back to the lake doing some 5k laps around the lake.

I was totally hooked. Both by the atmosphere, and by my improved health, and because... Triathlon is FUN!

So when I was in England, this month of August, I went to every single triathlon shop I could find, and ended up buying cycling clothes (a lot of Specialized clearance stuff), and getting a coached Endless pool session in Bristol with instant video feedback (they also gave me a usb stick with the footage... very precious stuff... I can see my "NON-technique" and what i need to improve...). Expensive but worth it!

And then , back in France, yesterday, I did my first Sprint event, in Chantilly, France... although we had less swimming than a traditional sprint (400 meters instead of 750). did 400m in 10 minutes, cycled 20k in 48 minutes, and run 4k in 23 minutes. Ended 114th out of 210.

I was VERY surprised because despite my poor swimming time, I was able to beat 3 more experienced team-mates. Analysing our times, it seems I was a beast with the bike, faster than a lot of guys in the top50 of the final rankings. but I also was one of the slowest runners of the race. And an average swimmer.

So, well, that was yesterday... Now, I am lying on my bed recovering from this race, sorry for bad grammar, I am still a bit confused and my mind is a bit full of fog :-)

And on Tuesday morning, August 26, in 2 days, I'll be in a flight for the US. I'll start my new triathlon season in Augusta, Georgia. I've already signed up for a Sprint event, which will be in September 6, and I will be volunteering for the Augusta IM 70.3 event. I will be at the finishing line cheering the athletes.

I am also planning to train with a bike (I've sold my European bike). My parents have a Giant Roam Hybrid bike, which seems heavy and not triathlon-material... But, well, I might use it just for the first sprint event. Then, I am still unsure whether to wait and find a good second-hand deal, or to buy a very very half-decent brand-new 600 $ bike (basic Specialized Allez or Giant Defy or Trek 1.1).. I am worried about the Claris-gears compared to the 105 I've been used to for half a season. But I have a very strict budget (my parents pay for me.....) so I need to find a bargain, either new or second-hand.

In the need for a wet-suit I planned to rent one from X-Terra. They're sending me a X-Terra vortex with a special deal: I rent the suit for 1 month, and if I like it I can keep it! Although, I didn't know that in GA wetsuits will probably be illegal for the whole month of September, so I bet renting one this time of the year was a stupid choice....... :-(

A part from that, well, I plan to go on doing some sprint distance event, just having fun, and I am starting reading the "Triathlete training bible" with the goal of planning my season more clearly, improving as an athlete, balancing my days/workouts, improving my nutrition, choosing my A-event.... I may decide to hire a Triathlon coach for the first months.

I do have a goal: I want to race the Augusta IM70.3 in September 2015. So I have one year to step up from Sprint distance to IM70.3. I can do it, I am sure I can do it. And I am enjoying it, so much.

Triathlon has been like a family, a friend to me. It improved my health, my quality of life, I can't feel much back pain anymore, I feel fit, full of energy... HAPPY. I can't see myself going back to my IT kind of life, and... well, I am actually going back to university, studying kinesiology, and would like to explore the option to get a job in the sport environment, either as a manager, a seller, a Race director, or a coach... There are endless options which seems all fantastic to me.

I am grateful to my club, to all athletes who helped me along the way, and to those who invented this sport. Has been a life-changing path until now.

Ten years ago I would spend all my money in the next playstation videogame, now I spend all my savings in Trisuits and Carbon-fiber shoes :-)