Getting Ready for a Triathlon

If you have decided to branch out from running, then a triathlon might be the right thing for you. Because I am a runner and a cyclist, the triathlon was the next logical step for me and I gave it a "tri" last year at the Goochland Sprint Triathlon in August. 

When I decided to sign up for Goochland, my biggest worry was the swimming element. I was never a big swimmer and the thought of doing laps of freestyle was not very appealing. But, I figured that it would get me into the pool and a new type of exercise. My first attempts at swimming freestyle were down right embarrassing. I could swim about half a lap and then lapse into breaststroke. Although you could probably swim breaststroke, it would take you forever to finish the swim portion of the race. I decided that my technique and breathing needed work. I got a couple of tips from some experienced triathletes, including some online videos on freestyle technique.

I soon discovered that my swimming problems were chiefly related to my breathing. Like so many other non-swimmers, my tendency was to try to hold my breath when my head went underwater. Wrong! The trick to freestyle is to inhale as you turn your head and then exhale under water as you stroke. Voila. Although it did not make me a fast swimmer, it did enable me to swim multiple laps without switching out of freestyle. Once I had that down, I was able to work on distance.

The other key to a successful triathlon is transitioning from swimming to cycling to running. The clock continues to run, so you need to move as quickly as possible from one discipline to the next, which includes an equipment change. Triathletes accomplish this by having their gear laid out and ready. When you complete your swim, you dry off quickly, get into you cycling shoes, helmet and gloves and out onto the course as quickly as you can. Cycling for me was easy, perhaps too easy. I pushed my pace hard getting my average pace up around 20 mph. You can pick up time that way, but pushing too hard has consequences.

Perhaps the most difficult thing for me ended up being the run. This came as a complete surprise to me, because I am a practiced runner. I have run multiple half and full marathons. Nothing like overconfidence to trip you up. Experienced triathletes will tell you that training for a triathlon includes doing "brick work". This has nothing to do with masonry and everything to do with how your legs adjust from cycling to running. Cycling requires the use of certain legs muscles, while running uses others. Brick work emphasizes this transition and gets you used to what you can expect. I was not ready. 

When I got off my bike and into my running shoes, my legs felt like they belonged to someone else. I could barely run at more than a shuffle. This was exacerbated by the heat and humidity of August and the fact that much of the run was done over a mowed field. My normal 25-minute 5K turned into a 35-minute 5K. A couple of times, I even thought about DNFing, but I finished under 90 minutes. I took consolation in completing my first tri. I also learned a lot. The Goochland Tri was a pool swim. My goal for 2014 is to do my first tri with an open water swim. 

The Smithfield Sprint is the first tri of the Virginia season. It is also a pool swim, but it will give me a chance to reacquaint myself with doing a tri. If you are thinking about giving triathlons a try. I say "Go for it!"   

Yuengling Shamrock Marathon 2014 - A Review

Me having just passed Mile 19 and headed into Fort Story (Photo by Danny West)

I have always found that it is best to take a few days to reflect on a race before putting pen (or keyboard) to paper. This is especially true, where a race turns out to be disappointing. You can see where I am going with this. Having reflected almost a couple of days on the 2014 Yuengling Shamrock Marathon, I think I can speak with a bit more perspective than I would have had Sunday afternoon.

This was my fifth marathon-distance race in 18 months. I say that, not to brag, but to emphasize that this was not my first rodeo. Indeed, I ran this same race in 2013 and PR'd it with a 4:20, so my expectations were conservative, but I was still hope to see some modest improvement. This is were the disappointing part comes in. 

Race day dawned with a beautiful sunrise over the Virginia Beach oceanfront. The forecast had called for overcast with rain before race's end. I can abide lots of weather challenges: cold, heat (well, some heat), wind, but I really hate rain (at least anything more than a light mist). The temperature was hovering in the upper 40's and I was thinking that, yet again, the weatherman blew the call and we were in for a nice day. The start line was at 31st Street and as we approached the 8:30am start, our Cornerstone Striders group gathered for a picture.

Our Cornerstone Striders Shamrock Marathon crew

One thing you have to remember about the Virginia Beach oceanfront is that it is always windy. Well, 99% of the time anyway. Although Sunday morning was nice, it was still windy. With that in mind, I had dressed in full tights, a long sleeve turtleneck and a lightweight windbreaker. There were, however, plenty hearty souls in shorts, singlets and other minimalist running gear. Not sure how they do that. I love to run in the cold, but I hate to be cold.

The start of the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon (Photo Courtesy of Shamrock Marathon)

I had decided that I would stick to a firm 4:40 run/walk interval for this race. I wanted to avoid some of the problems I experienced during the Marine Corps Marathon last fall in Washington. I started the race with two running pals, Hank and Maureen. Shamrock was Maureen's first full marathon. We started in Corral 3 and headed south on Atlantic Avenue toward Rudee Inlet. We maintained a nice pace honoring the run/walk interval. The sun stayed out a while and by about Mile 4, I was beginning to think I had overdressed. Gloves off.

The course took us through Camp Pendleton, the Virginia National Guard base south of Rudee Inlet. We were greeted by several groups of eager recruits (I suspect they were ordered to be eager), who high-fived us along the course. That was a nice boost. Somewhere on the grounds of Camp Pendleton, the clouds moved in and we lost the sun, the wind picked up and I started feeling cold. Gloves back on.

As we crossed Mile 10 and circled back around onto the Boardwalk, I could feel the wind beginning to buffet us. It continued to gust from our entry at 2nd Street until we got off it at 22nd Street. Sometimes the gusts were so hard, I had to grab my hat to keep it on my head. We got some relief on Atlantic Avenue, but the wind never really went away. By that point, Hank, Maureen and I had separated. Another running friend, Jeannie, caught me at Mile 12 and ran me to Mile 13. 

Andrea on her way to a phenomenal PR in the 15th full marathon (Photo by Danny West)

As I left the resort strip and headed down Atlantic toward Shore Drive, I began to notice mild cramping and spasms in my calves. I have experienced this unwelcome symptom in past marathons, but usually not until much later in the race. By Mile 17, it was pronounced and I began having to walk. I knew at that point, that this would not be a PR marathon for me. As I ascended the gradual hill up Shore Drive to Fort Story, my walking intervals increased. It seemed to take me forever to reach the turn into Fort Story.

Hank chalked up a nice PR in his second full marathon (Photo by Danny West)

 As I watched the 4:30 Pace Group sail by, I knew that all my effort would be needed just to finish the marathon. It was particularly frustrating given the fact that, up to that point, I had hydrated and fueled regularly to avoid that very issue. I stopped periodically and stretched, but could never muster more than a half mile of running without the cramps and spasms returning. 

After withstanding the wind gusts on the Boardwalk, I had hoped that I would have the wind at my back through Fort Story and back up Atlantic Avenue. No such luck. The wind had shifted and was now blowing from the east. By the time I cleared Fort Story and turned back onto Atlantic, I could feel the pull of the finish line even though I still three miles away. I continued my modified run/walk intervals, occasionally managing to run more than a half mile. When I saw the 5:00 Pace Group pass, my heart sank. I knew this would not only not be a PR, it would be my slowest marathon.

The medals for the 2014 Yuengling Shamrock Marathon
(Photo Courtesy of Shamrock Marathon)

When I turned back onto the Boardwalk at 37th Street, I was greeted by the same gusty wind. But now, I could see the King Neptune statue in the distance along with the Finish Line arch. No more walking. Despite my slow pace and disappointing time, it still felt great to cross that finish line. While I still don't know what caused my cramping issues or how to solve the problem, it's a problem I need to solve. After the race, someone suggested that perhaps I should just forget about full marathons and run halves. As appealing as this sounds, I think I will pass. If you keep lowering the bar until you can clear it easily, there is no challenge and, I would argue, no victory. I think I will keep the bar high for now.