I’ve recently become hooked on triathlon. I love the training, the racing, the camaraderie (and competition!), and the logistics of executing a good race plan, while challenging yourself to be the best that you can be on any given day. As a relative newbie to this sport, I’ve spent much time reading about the experiences of others and have enjoyed endless race reports by both professionals, elites, and age-groupers (like myself, competing against those in the same sex and age category, e.g. Female 40-44 years). Race reports can be inspiring, fear-inducing (do I really want to know that the water can be so cold that you lose feeling in your hands for the rest of the race?), calming (good to know that there will be 100 in your swim start, not 500 fighting to get to the first buoy), funny, and just plain useful. I enjoy writing so I thought I’d start my own race report blog but then decided that now is not the time given that life is busy (ah, the dreaded “b” word) and maybe I’d get to it in 5 years or so when I (magically?) have more time. As you’ll see below in my inaugural blog post, this concept of “maybe in 5 years” has emerged as a central theme.

Bottomline? Why wait? Starting now, here is my first blog post: my backstory to becoming hooked on triathlon.

My first triathlon, Guelph Lake 1 try-a-tri in June 2010, was at the suggestion of a neighbour who, like myself, had 2 young kids (then ages 3 years and 10 months) and a busy career. I took it as a challenge to ramp up the exercise and get some fitness back after the birth of my second child. I’d been running on and off for several years, had done a fair bit of mountain biking in the pre-kid days, and had taken up swimming during my two pregnancies (although as my triathlon training took-off I would soon realize that I really knew nothing about proper swimming technique!) so it seemed as good a time as any to try a triathlon.

I can’t remember well enough to do a full race report of that day, but I remember two things: 1) I almost drowned (or choked, I can’t be sure which one was actually going to do me in) wearing a wet suit for the first time (despite reading this VERY warning in all the newbie triathlete literature; I understood it, I just didn’t think it applied to me!). I survived by doing head-out breast stroke for most of the 375m swim, never so happy to reach land!

2) by the time it was over, I knew I would do it again some day! I was 15/75 (53:31) in my age group (AG) that day, having bombed the swim, but made up time on my bike (albeit, a heavy mountain bike without clip-in shoes) and the run (although I vastly underestimated that “run off the bike” feeling and had never heard the term “brick workout”, referring to practicing running after biking). Although I enjoyed my first triathlon overall (and, admittedly, my type A personality was drawn to the challenge of this 3 sport event), I decided that now was NOT the time to pursue this. With a young family and a busy job, I put triathlon on the back burner, hoping I would be able to return to it in maybe 5 years time.

I spent the rest of 2010 and the 2011 season focusing on running, aiming to become faster over shorter distances. At the time, this decision was based out of necessity (the dreaded “b” word: busy job, busy family life, etc); I refused to give up exercise entirely so I found a way to make the most out of limited time by swapping longer distances (I’d previously enjoyed half marathon training) for speed work. I see now that this decision was pivotal in how things would play out.

With huge thanks to weekly track workouts with the Guelph Victors running club, all was going really well and I ran a then 5K PB (22:27) in October 2011. Unfortunately, it was the same day that I felt my toes “snap” (okay not quite, but not good either) underneath me.  Ignoring this for as long as possible (until the day I had trouble standing and walking while teaching my undergraduate class), I finally got the diagnosis in January 2012. A bone scan showed multiple stress fractures in my toes, undoubtedly brought on by over-training in a single sport (running) and, wait for it, no cross training (i.e. swimming or biking). Finally realizing that time off from pounding the pavement was essential, I bought an indoor trainer so I could ride my road bike in the basement, reacquainted myself with the campus pool (for water running and swimming), and stayed away from land running for several months. I knew it wouldn’t be smart to return to running exclusively (even when I was fully recovered) so, as my best friend Sara Purcell would say, “I made lemonade out of lemons” and decided I’d give triathlon another go, sooner rather than later!

In summer 2012, I registered for two try-a-tri races on the pretense that I couldn’t run much yet so I should keep the run distance short, but really it was the swim that terrified me most so I was more than happy to stick to the short race distance.

Later in the summer, I improved my overall time on the same course and came home with a medal for 2nd in my AG.

In all honesty, my stress fractures were not completely healed and even the little amount of running I was doing was becoming uncomfortable. I would eventually take a good SIX months off from land running (October 2012-March 2013, with the exception of a short New Year’s Day run, as I couldn’t break THAT tradition!) at which point I jumped into triathlon with both feet and haven’t looked back!

In the 2013 season, I completed Victoria’s Duathlon on a super hot May long weekend…

and then Guelph Lake I Sprint Duathlon (at the last minute I bailed on the triathlon, not ready for the water just yet!).

My attitude towards the swim changed while on our yearly holidays in the Maritimes where I got lots of open water swim practice and learned to love my wetsuit (and to put it on without exhausting myself in the process)! After we returned from the east coast , I did my first two sprint triathlons where I successfully swam my first 750m freestyle in the open water without panic! YES!

My first sprint triathlon was Orillia (750m, 33K, 7K). I enjoyed the swim so much I swam an extra ~100m by sighting for the wrong buoy. Rookie!

Next up, 2 weeks and 1 miserable chest cold later, was Guelph Lake II (750m, 30K, 7K)

Overall, 2013 was a fantastic season, completing my first two sprint triathlons and remaining injury free! I felt strong and healthy and excited to train over the winter months.

Fast forward to my birthday, January 2, 2014 and the most amazing surprise birthday present from my husband, Glenn Parsons. I was signed up for coaching with Coach Mark Linseman of (James) Loaring Personal Coaching!

I was going to be part of team LPC! This was something I had hoped to do maybe 5 years down the road, but it was happening now!

Best. Present. Ever. Thank you, Glenn!

The LPC coaching, structured workouts, group and solo training, use of excellent training venues in and around Guelph, and the support of awesome coaches and teammates have been outstanding. I was worried I’d have to find many more hours in my day and week, but that hasn’t been the case. Focused, purposeful training, diligent planning (and commitment to the plan), and a supportive family are key. Oh, and you can’t be afraid to let the laundry pile up or the garden get a bit overgrown!

An emerging theme of this backstory: Why wait? We all know life is short, so get out there and enjoy!

I’m excited that the 2014 race season is underway!

Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Lindsay