My First Year as a Triathlete

My First Year as a Triathlete, Bob Witanek

In February 2007, I was about 50 pounds over my maximum recommended weight for my height (over 210 pounds) and physically inactive.  I took my son to a gym and got on an elliptical machine for the first time for 7 minutes and thought death was quickly approaching.  I soon began quick walking, then biking and slow running and then swimming.  I was obsessed with losing 3 pounds a week and by October, 2007  I began to hover in the 150 pound range.  I swam over the winter (poor form) and since I was swimming, running and biking, folks started suggesting that I try a triathlon.  It is not something I ever envisioned doing but lo and behold I signed up for the NJ Olympic and then for an April pool start sprint in West Deptford, NJ.  I soon found myself driven by an inexplicable yearning to train and race.

For someone who has not done anything athletic or even been committed to any sort of physical regime since I was a freshman in high school, this has been a whirlwind of a year.  In all I have participated in 16 races, the results of most of which are available at this site: http://www.athlinks.com/racer.aspx?rid=34116447

The races have included: 2 Oly and 6 sprint triathlons, 2 ocean mile swims, 2 5Ks and a 4 mile run, 2 splash and dashes (swim – runs) and a half marathon run.  I regularly run 6 miles during lunch, bike 9 miles to and from work with a 10 mile bike at lunch, run 9 miles to work about once per week, swim regularly at the Y, in a local quarry, have participated in river and ocean swims with Jersey Shore Tri-Club and Lake Wenonah swims with CGI Racing.  Unfortunately, bike training has not been too extensive aside from commuting and one lengthy run with the Princeton Free Wheeler club.

[ This full article is over 1500 words so I left the rest of the article at this link: http://www.athlinks.com/myContentDisplay.aspx?itemid=107114 ]