Twelve Weeks Until Montana Women's Triathlon!
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| www.mtwomenstri.com |
Why did I sign up for a triathlon!? Well, I've always wanted to do one. I have good experience in each of the triathlon disciplines, so why not put it all together? Plus, I am really looking forward to the challenge and problem solving of training for the tri, and the awesome feeling of accomplishment when I finish the race. I'm not doing it to win, I'm doing it to prove to myself that I can. My goals are to finish and to smile.
Why this Triathlon? I heard about this one haphazardly through Active.com's email blasts. I love that it's women only, it's sprint distance, and the swim is in the pool rather than open water. I've also read and heard over and over that this race is very beginner friendly, which suits me quite well. The distances for this race are as follows: 500 meter swim in an Olympic pool, 12 mile bike, 5k (3.1mile) run.
Montana Women's Triathlon is held in Helena. This will be the second year of this event. I just love the positive vibe that I got instantly from their website. From their site: "Our goal is to empower women to find strength within to live healthy happy lives." Sounds like it is right up my alley!
The Sign-Up Process...
The only thing I have done so far to prepare for the MTWomensTri is...sign up for the race. The sign up process for this triathlon was slightly more complicated than your average small-town 5K race,which is mostly what I run, so I thought I'd share a little about it. Who knows- maybe one of you readers will decide to sign up for your first triathlon and this blog will be a helpful source of information for you!
Ok. So there are a few extra steps and pieces to put into play when you sign up for a triathlon. Obviously, this is the first and only time (so far) that I've signed up for one, so this is the only one I'm basing my experience off of, but I'd assume others are similar or perhaps even more complicated.
First, I found out I had to sign up for a USA-Triathlon membership because MTWomensTri is a sanctioned USAT event. I went to the USAT website to research membership cost and benefits. $50 for an annual membership. Yikes! And, you had to make a written request for an application (who doesn't have an online application in 2016?!), fill it out, and send it back with money. Uffda.
I decided to take my chances and just see what would happen if I signed up for the race first. Luckily, this was the right call. In the process of signing up (online, thankyouverymuch!) for MTWomensTri, they offer a USAT day pass for only $15. Sweet. If I decide I like triathlons and plan to do more, I can even credit my $15 day pass toward the year-long membership fee.
The next thing that came up in the sign-up process was a bike stand. I guess I have to purchase a bike stand???? I'm not sure if it is a single bike stand just for me/my bike, or if I'm paying for a spot on a large bike rack. This was a little confusing, but it was only $5 and I figured I'd rather have it than not, especially if they are suggesting it, so I bought that, too.
Next, they asked for a time estimate for my swim to help seed me in the most appropriate wave of swimmers. The swim portion is 500 meters in an olympic pool. Now, I haven't swam a timed 500 since... probably high school. When I was lifeguarding, I could do it in about eight minutes, and that was yards, not meters. I have no idea where I'd do it today. I put down 12:00 as a shot in the dark. So, I guess now I have a goal for my swim training- be able to swim 500 meters in under 12:00. I'm actually a little concerned that my estimate is too fast. I guess we'll see!
Finally, payment for the race itself was $60. So far, my total is $80 for the race fee, USAT day pass, and "bike rack."
I also made a reservation at a hotel that's near the triathlon start/finish. I can always cancel it if I find someone to stay with later, but I just wanted to have piece of mind that I will have a place to sleep before the race, which starts at 8:00 a.m. on a Sunday in Helena. Helena is a little over three hours drive from my house, so it definitely necessitates an overnight stay on Saturday night.
What's Next?
Next, I need to start working on gathering supplies, and deciding on a training plan. I started researching sprint triathlon supply lists and my head started spinning. Of course, some lists insist upon a very large number of supplies that you "absolutely must have" in order to be successful in your race. I want to know what I actually must have and what is not really necessary, especially for a beginner whose goals are to finish and to smile.
Here's what I know I really do need, as of now:
- swimsuit
- swim cap
- goggles
- 5 gallon bucket to use as my "transition bag" and hold my stuff
- bike helmet (why do I not already own a bike helmet?!)
- shorts I can wear to bike in and to run in
Other things I would like, but may not be absolute must-haves:
- kickboard for pool training
- beach towel
- fuel/energy gu of some sort
- a borrowed road bike
Now, let's talk training plans. I keep looking for plans for my specific situation- beginner, pool swim, sprint-distance tri. Many plans call for hitting the pool 2-3 times a week, which is not really feasible for me, living as far as I do from the pool. In the end, I will probably work on creating my own training plan, adapted from others that I find online. I'll write more about this once my plan is developed. The good news is that I can already cover both the bike and run distances of this race with no problem. It's really the swim that I need to bulk up on, and to start working on multiple-discipline days, or "brick workouts." (I have learned that in tri lingo, a day when you train or workout in more than one discipline is called a brick day. See? I know things!)
Next Steps:
By next week, I will have decided on a training plan and will publish it here. I'd also like to have researched the Havre swimming pool for costs and lap swim times, and would like to have at least ordered a good lap swimming suit, cap, and goggles.
Your job is to hold me accountable to this!
See you next week with my next Tri Tuesday update!
I'm looking forward to following your training! I have never done a triathlon, so will be interested to hear a beginner's training plan. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jessie! You should sign up for one! With your pool workouts, you're probably already on track! :)
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