Guest Post: Laura's Iron Girl Story

 I got the chance to meet up with Laura at the Lake Tahoe Iron Girl race. She's an inspiring mom and athlete, I thought you would enjoy hearing about her Iron Girl experience. It's a great reminder to get out there and live your dreams!

Laura's Iron Girl Wrap Up

We arrived in Tahoe Friday. I was hoping our early arrival would allow my body to acclimate somewhat to the altitude before the race on Sunday.  I was very unsure what it would be like to swim, bike and run at 6200+ feet. 
Saturday afternoon my husband and I went to the pre race talk, packet pick up and bike racking.  We met up with Robin who is truly one of the coolest people I have ever met.  She was so easy to chat with and very helpful with all my silly little questions.  After our meeting, hubby and I walked down to the swim course. There is a long distance between the swim and transition area. The Iron Girl organizers told us there were going set up an optional shoe transition area down by the water.  Running barefoot didn’t sound like much fun.  I decided old tennis shoes for the jog back to transition would do the trick. After feeling satisfied I knew where I was going race day, we headed off for dinner and bed.  With the race starting at 7:30AM I had to be up by 5:00. Ack. Early mornings are painful.
My sleep was not good.  I woke up at 3:00AM in a panic. I dreamt that I overslept.  In my dream it was 7:15. I was yelling that transition is closed. I kept saying my race is over before it had even begun! My hubby patiently rolled over, looked at the clock, told me I was dreaming and encouraged me to go back sleep.
5:00AM rolls around and we get up and eat breakfast. I had quinoa with cinnamon and coconut milk, a hardboiled egg, small cup of coffee and a banana.  I checked the weather report and was a little nervous the temperature was 36 degrees!  I dressed in layers and headed out the door to the race site.  Got in the car hubby cranked the tunes. A sense of excitement washed over me!  I wasn’t sure if my happiness was because I wasn’t crazy nervous or because I was being afforded this opportunity.
At the race site I immediately set up my transition area, don my wetsuit early for warmth and met up with Robin again. I had to decide if I was going to swim with my bike jersey on or just a sports bra under my wetsuit.  I didn’t love the idea of wearing wet layers on the bike course. I figured they probably were not going to dry quickly in the crisp mountain air. My final decision was to swim in just the sports bra and shorts.  I would throw my bike jersey and light weight riding jacket on after the swim. This was a good decision.
Transition closed and we all walked down to the beach.  I took another look at the swim course.  It looked a little different with the big buoys in place.  We waited for about thirty minutes for our wave to begin. Again, I wasn’t sure how cold we would get during that wait time.  Luckily I wasn’t as cold as I feared. Having my wetsuit and cap on really kept in the warmth.  Although my naked feet were chilled.
At 7:30 we watched the first wave take off.  Robin zoomed away. I stood around a bit longer waiting for my wave to begin.  Cheered on some first timers and encouraged another gal who looked scared.  When my wave began,  I tried to hang back and let others go in front of me.  This plan had worked the other two times. Not so much this time around.  The swim course seemed a bit narrow.  I found myself swimming through bodies anyway.  Grateful I wasn’t feeling frightened by the other ladies just kind of annoyed that I kept having to stop, look around a figure how to maneuver around the crowd. I felt I could have done the swim better if I knew how to get throw people.  I need to work on being a bit more aggressive.  I don’t want to be obnoxious but I do want to figure out strategy for staying my own course.  I found that I was having the same issue on the bike too.
The water was crystal clear and gorgeous!  The temperature was certainly a lot warmer IN the water than out.  Overall I had a great swim.  I kind of wished it was longer!!  My only other issue in the water was sighting the exit.  The sun was peering over the mountains. The glare was making it difficult for me to see the exit.   Once out of the water I jogged over to shoe transition.  My feet were sandy so I made a lame attempt at brushing it off.  My hands were really cold so tying my laces was an issue.  Once my shoes were secured, I jogged back to transition in my wet suit, with hubby jogging a long side.  
If I were to change how I did anything, I would have had a quick slip on shoe to wear.  No laces. My hands were too cold to tie them and I think I wasted a lot of time. Also, I would not have bothered with trying to dust off the sand. I think running in the wetsuit was a good idea. It helped me warm up for the next leg of the race.
Once in transition, I peeled off my wetsuit, put on my bike jersey and jacket.  Got my biking shoes and helmet on and headed out.  The course was beautiful!! They shut down the middle lane of highway 50 just for our race. What a treat! Not many people can say they safely rode down that part of highway 50.  When we drove the course the day before I wasn’t sure how prepared I would be for the hills. To my relief they were not a problem.  My only issue was not knowing when I could pass people.  I felt like I was hanging back, trying real hard to follow the rules but I knew I could push harder on the bike.  Overall the ride was wonderful. The only thing I think I would have done differently is maybe put my bike gloves on.  I didn’t realize how cold my hands were until I was in T2.
T2 went smooth. I had issues tying the laces of my runners.  My hands were not cooperating with my brain. I think I need to get some of those quick laces or something.   As I was leaving transition, I could see Robin coming across the finish line.  At least I thought it was her!! Before the race began I forgot to take notice of what she was wearing or some other identifiers.  I could have let out a cheer!
The run course was two loops through a neighborhood.  There was some elevation gain but I didn’t think it was too bad.  As I began my run, I realized my legs and feet were numb.  I told myself, no worries the feeling will come back somewhere along the way.  Ah I was wrong. I ran the entire run portion of the race with no feeling from my knees down!! HA!   I wasn’t in pain or anything it just felt really weird. The upside to all that is I ran a lot faster than I normally do!! 
As I approached the finish line with a huge grin on my face, I could see my family standing on the sidelines cheering me on.  It felt so wonderful!!  I loved that our boys could see that there Mom is more than just that lady always doing the dishes, helping with homework or driving the family bus. 
Overall I did better than I thought I would!! I told myself I would be happy if I finished the race under two hours.  Turns out I finished in 1:47. My division I was 49/102.  (I was astonished there were so many in my wave. It didn’t feel like it)  My swim time was 10:30, T1 10:00 Bike time 54:39, T2 2:31 ad run time 30:08.  I was also a little surprised at the T1 time.  I guess they must time you from the minute you get out of the water until you are o your bike. Which in this case is a long distance.

Iron Girl Lake Tahoe Race Report

The Short Version: 

Beautiful race, amazing location, great organization, with the fun all-women vibe. Had a bit slower day than I'd hoped due to lack of oxygen, this anemic flatlander really suffered at 6225 feet above sea level. Still, I had the fastest swim of all the triathletes (even while gasping like a fish out of water), and finished 4/63 AG and 30/494 overall (with most of those placing high being from Reno/Tahoe area.) Learned some valuable lessons I want to take forward to Ironman Coeur d'Alene (more on that later).

The Long Version: 

The day dawned dark and early, as race days tend to do. Usually with me thinking "Why am I doing this to myself?" I am not a morning person. I have to take a shower just to get my eyelids to open. I ate my Paleo pre-race breakfast of coconut-banana custard which I'd made up and brought ahead of time and drank my traditional Yerba Mate. Yes, I'm that crunchy.

Walking down to the race start, I was amazed at how many people there were on the streets at 5:00 am. Not people in athletic gear either. Mostly people in slightly-to-very mussed up fancy clothes, wobbling on high heels or leaning on friends or dates, sometimes looking like they were about to puke into the bushes. I guess that's what being in a casino town adds to the early morning hours. Glad I don't drink much, or gamble. All of a sudden, going to a triathlon start seems downright reasonable in comparison.

At the Iron Girl transition area, I got to meet up with Laura again, and her excitement was contagious, it was fun to feel the energy of all the women, so many of them first-timers. I was also very glad to have brought my Oregon duck striped hat and gloves because it was colddddd outside! The transition area was filling up and so we set to getting our gear ready. I thought some of you might be interested in how I typically lay out my transition area, so here's a photo. There's the lucky polka-dotted towel, the Pointy Helmet of Speed, shoes with socks pre-rolled, and my race belt and hat.

I was sure glad I decided to wear my wetsuit, especially since we had to vacate the transition area over 30 minutes before our wave start. The neoprene at least kept us warm as we walked down to the beach. I found Laura again and was very glad for the company, it's much more fun than going to a race all by your lonesome.

So, on to the race:

SWIM: 400 m:  6:35   Wow, have never done a triathlon in a lake this clear. So cool! It was also a running beach start which was great practice for IM CdA, and a little intimidating. I was in the 2nd wave, and I could clearly see the swimmers from the wave ahead of me as I approached them in the water. I mean like see them as if they were floating in the air! It was like some swimming video game where the swimmers would appear in front of me and I'd have to decide to go left or right. As I came out of the water I was well ahead of everyone in my wave, but didn't learn later that I had the fastest swim split of the race. 6:35 seems pretty slow for me for a wetsuit swim, so I'm guessing the course was marked a little long.

T1: 5:54  This is a LONG transition, about a 500m run up to the transition area. The beach sand is very coarse and darn near impossible to get off your feet. I wasted way too much time trying to get the sand off with a washcloth at the "shoe transition" area near the beach. That was dumb. Shoulda run barefoot (after all, I'm used to that!) or just run with the sand in my shoes. Seeing as how I missed both 2nd and 3rd places in my age division by 30 seconds or less, this was probably my biggest mistake of the day. Other than that, I executed a good transition once I got to the main area. I did notice (foreshadowing here) that I could barely catch my breath when I was running from the beach to T1.

BIKE: 24k : 46:09 Lots of rollers on the bike course, I just tried to keep in a groove. The biggest worry for me is that I haven't been doing any climbing out of the saddle due to my injured arm, and I was hoping none of the hills would be steep enough to need that. Luckily, there was only one spot I needed to stand up and then only for a few seconds. Most of the hills were spinnable. Still, I can see how a race course of steady big rollers can be taxing! While I didn't notice the altitude on the bike as much as on the run later, I did note that my average speed was not what I'd hoped. Not sure how much was due to the thinner air, how much to my lack of hill training and how much to my lessened bike volume this summer.  Overall though, the bike course was so pretty I just tried to enjoy the heck out of it! I loved how they blocked off the center lanes for the course, no need to worry about traffic. Also the pavement was beautifully smooth, which makes for a nice biking experience.

T2: 1:30: Not a bad T2 time given that the area was pretty spread out.

RUN: 5k: 29:25: Here's where I really noticed the altitude. I just couldn't speed my legs up on the run, not because my legs were tired. My legs felt fine. It's just that every time I tried to make them go faster I started sucking wind like nobody's business. This is when it hit me that the altitude was really going to become a problem. I was 2nd in my AG going into the run with a pretty comfortable margin on the other runners, but I just couldn't keep up any pace at all. Sadly, I was passed by #2 and #3 in my age group just before the finisher's chute (they beat me by 30 and 13 seconds). You'd think I could just speed up and take them down, but it was simply impossible. As I tried, I started gasping and I started getting tunnel vision. Not. Enough. Oxygen. Wow!

Attending the awards after the race, it was clear that most of the AG and Overall winners were from Tahoe, Reno, Carson City, etc. I was definitely not prepared for how much the altitude would effect me. After all, I just ran a 24 mile trail run at nearly the same elevation. However, and this is a big however, that was at a much more aerobic effort. I could stay aerobic no problem, but every time I tried to push up near my VO2Max, I just pooped out.

Still, I had a great time and a reasonably strong finish in what is unbelievably my first (and only) triathlon of the season! I learned a lot that I can apply to IMCdA (like get to the race site early enough to acclimate to the elevation, and work on getting some more red blood cells, practice biking on big rollers and learn how to deal with them mentally so they don't get me down). So I'm really glad I came and had this terrific experience.

Sarah from Iron Girl was great, it was nice to meet her, and really wonderful to meet up with Laura and see her do such an awesome job in this race. I missed her at the finish line because she told me she'd be happy to go under 2:00, and instead she came in at 1:47, kickin' some booty! I am hoping she will write up her race experience to share here.

Iron Girl Lake Tahoe, Pre-Race Decisions

On Saturday, after Friday's unexpected turn of events at the Reno Air Races, hubby decided to head up to Lake Tahoe with our daughter Asa and I. It was really good for him to be able to get away from Reno, from the televisions constantly showing the Youtube videos of the crash, and the fact that the NTSB crash investigators were staying in our hotel. Tahoe is such a lovely place, and we got a beautiful hotel room to stay in (a lucky last-minute find for me) at the Mariott Lodge at the base of the Heavenly gondola. As you can see, Asa was jumping for joy at the idea of a weekend at the lake (yes, the girl loves water as much as her mama!)

After getting registered and checking my bike into transition on Saturday, I listened to the course talk, a wise decision since this course is a bit unusual. For one thing, you can't even see the lake from the transition area, it's quite a ways down the road and around a couple of corners. So they have a special "shoe transition" so you don't have to make the whole run barefoot. I got to meet up with Laura, the winner of our Irongirl race entry giveaway here on the Ironmom Blog, and her husband. This was a real treat since Laura is about the nicest athlete you could hope to meet. It was great fun to have someone to share the experience with, especially coming from so far out of town. Not only was she awesome and fun, but check out her pro-quality transition area: neat, and well-organized with just the right amount of gear. Very impressive!

After saying goodbye to Laura and promising to meet up in transition the next morning, I headed down to the lake with my family. The main decisions I needed to make were:

1. Wetsuit or not? It was only going to be a 400 meter swim so a wetsuit would give me a negligible speed advantage. The water temperature was given at 67 degrees, very doable without a wetsuit. However, the air temperature on race morning was predicted to be in the high 30's, which meant that coming out of the water chilled might be a bad idea. Then there was the problem of the 1/3 mile run to T1, which could be awkward in a tight wetsuit.

2. Shoes or not? Should I stage some shoes at the lakeside to wear to the transition area - how bad did the pavement look for running in bare feet?

3. Wear my regular bike helmet or the Pointy Helmet of Speed (which I have previously referred to as the Helmet of Ultimate Dorkitude)? In a race that's mostly tailored for first-timers, I hate to wear that silly helmet, I think it looks kinda presumptuous. However, in very cold air, it has the added advantage of covering my ears and keeping them from getting chilled and ear-achey, something that they're prone to.

I decided to swim the course and make a call based on that. Getting in, the water felt decidedly chilly but not unreasonable. The lake was choppy with the afternoon wind, but beautifully clear. I swam the course with no trouble. However, when I got out, even with the afternoon sunshine streaming down, I quickly became very chilled. It took over an hour to warm back up. That did it, my decision was to wear a wetsuit.

On the shoe front, I decided that the road looked too rough to run in bare feet and decided to stage some shoes, along with a small towel to knock some of the very coarse sand off.

And yes, I went with the Pointy Helmet of Speed. When I got out of the lake, just the afternoon breeze was giving me an ear-ache after that cold water. I figured I would look ridiculous, but I'd be happy if my inner ears did not feel like someone was stabbing them with ice picks.

Tomorrow I'll post my race report and let you know how those decisions worked out on race day!

Getting Excited For Iron Girl

It sounds very strange to say, but the Iron Girl Lake Tahoe sprint triathlon this weekend will be my first race of the season. Actually, the first triathlon I've done in a whole year! The last time I went an entire summer without doing a triathlon, it was because I was massively pregnant, so this has been a very different summer for me. Not without its adventures for sure!

So, although September typically has me doing a half-Iron, I am very excited to be heading south to do this sprint tri in such a beautiful location instead. I've done most of my biking on my trainer since breaking my arm, but it looks like the course isn't too hilly so that's a bonus. My legs are feeling a little fatigued still from the marathon last week, and strangely my calves were very tight during karate last night so I had to really back off of what I was doing. That's all I need is a big old knot in my calf!

Tomorrow is packing day, and so I'll be pulling out all of my gear, and checking it carefully, using my handy-dandy triathlon packing checklist. Then Friday morning it's road trip time as we head down to Reno, and then onwards to Tahoe on Saturday. I haven't been there since hubby and I took a romantic snowboarding excursion there in our first few months together (almost two decades ago) so I'm very excited to see it again. Sunday's weather looks beautiful, with a predicted high of 76, and a chilly 41 degree low that will leave the morning feeling brisk.

More than anything, I'm looking forward to racing someplace totally new and different, and enjoying the spectacular views that this course is sure to bring.

Since I always try my best to do a time estimate before a race, here's my best guess for how it will go. This time it's a little more up in the air than usual, since my bike is basically an unknown, I haven't done any speed work in running, and the first transition is a 1/3 mile in which you can optionally put on shoes (still not sure what I'm going to do about that). Also not sure yet whether I will wear a wetsuit or not and whether I will don the Pointy Helmet of Speed or just my usual red lid. So many unknowns!

Swim: 400m: 6:20  if I don't wear a wetsuit, sub-6:00 if I do
T1: 6:00
Bike: 24k (approx. 15 miles): 45 minutes
T2: 1:30
Run: 27:30

Total: 1:26:30

Let's see how good my estimating skills are on this one!

Got Gear? What You Really Need to Do A Sprint Triathlon

It's six weeks to the Iron Girl Sprint triathlon at Lake Tahoe California. With only a month and a half to go, it's time to start thinking about gear. You can look at my own Triathlon Checklist to get an idea of what I take to a race.

Triathletes are notorious gear junkies, and the selections of everything from water bottle holders to tri shorts can be overwhelming for a first timer. What do you really need to do your first sprint triathlon? Surprisingly little!

SWIM:
Suit
Goggles
Swim Cap
Wetsuit (optional)

The first thing you have to think about it the swim. A pair of goggles is highly recommended, and the most important thing to consider is how they fit. Try them on if possible (press them against your eyes and if they stick a moment, they'll probably be fine in the water).

Next you need to decide if you're going to need a wetsuit or not. It's important to find out the predicted water temperature ahead of time and plan for what you're going to need to wear. Tolerance for cold water is highly individual. My personal rule of thumb is that I can tolerate 55 degrees or above in a full sleeve wetsuit, 62 degrees and above in a farmer john (sleeveless) wetsuit, and about 70 degrees and above with no wetsuit. Some races will not allow wetsuits above a certain water temperature (76 degrees is typical).

If you will need a wetsuit, you may purchase one, or rent one. Iron Girl races have wetsuit rental available, and this is an excellent option for first time triathletes.

If you're wearing a wetsuit, you can wear triathlon shorts and a top underneath the suit if you want to, or you can wear a swim suit or one-piece triathlon suit. If you're not wearing a wetsuit, wear something you can swim in, such as

a one or two piece swimsuit, or triathlon wear designed for swimming.

Stay away from non-triathlon wetsuits. I often see first-timers at triathlons in some sort of water skiing wetsuit. These are bulky and difficult to swim in. You may get chafing and other problems from wearing such a suit.

Speaking of chafing, pick up a stick of BodyGlide and you will be much happier! Apply it liberally around your neck, under your arms, and anywhere else your wetsuit might rub.

Lastly, most races will provide a swim cap, but I always stick an extra one in my bag, just in case.

BIKE
Helmet
Bike
Shoes
Sunglasses (optional)
Gloves (optional)

Obviously, you need a bike to complete a triathlon! If you already have one, you're in business. Many first-timers use a mountain bike or commuter-style bike in their first race and you don't have to worry that you'll be the only one. Make sure it's a bike that you're comfortable on. If you're borrowing a bike, make sure you get the seat and handlebars adjusted to fit you. An improper bike fit can cause knee or back pain, something you definitely don't want!

Helmets are always mandatory in triathlons, and make sure the buckle is secure and will stay so throughout the entire race. You must buckle on your helmet before leaving the bike transition area, so getting used to doing that before every ride is a good idea.

You don't need fancy bike shoes or pedals, but if you have specific pedals/shoes, make sure you are comfortable getting in and out of them.

Sunglasses are optional, but I always wear them in a race to protect my eyes from any road debris or flying bugs. Gloves are also optional. They take some time to put on, especially when your hands are wet from the swim, but some people feel much more comfortable with them on.

RUN
Shoes
Socks
Hat or Visor (optional)
Sunglasses (optional)

Run in shoes that you're comfortable in, that you've trained in, and that are not brand new! Don't buy new shoes just before the race, make sure you've had a couple of weeks to break them in. I always go over my socks before I pack them to make sure there are no splinters or burrs in them. A hat or visor can shade your head on a hot day, and sunglasses are something I always wear for eye protection.

EXTRAS
Watch
Towel
Nutrition and Hydration
First aid kit
Sunscreen
Safety pins
Electrical Tape
Garbage Bags

A watch is a great thing to wear if you want to know how fast you're going. Some folks don't, so it's not mandatory! A towel is something you put down in your transition area for your gear to sit on. I always bring one that I can easily identify.

Depending on how long the race will take you, you may need to bring some food (gels, energy bars) and water or electrolyte mix such as Gatorade, Accelerade, etc. Most races will have water and electrolyte drink on the run course at the least. Many athletes like to pack some kind of protein bar to eat in the transition area about an hour before the start, and one gel to take 10 minutes before the start. In a sprint triathlon, many people find that they don't need to eat anything at all during the race.

Sunscreen is a must-use, as you'll usually be out on the course for at least an hour or more. I always bring emergency items such as a first aid kit (with ibuprofen, band-aids, etc.), electrical tape (for anything loose on the bike), safety pins (for wardrobe malfunctions), and garbage bags (big black ones, in case it rains - you can cover your gear and you can cover yourself.)

Reminder: Drawing for Free Iron Girl Race Entry is TOMORROW!

Tomorrow I'll be drawing the name of a lucky woman who gets a free race entry to Iron Girl's Lake Tahoe Sprint distance triathlon on September 18. All you have to do is comment on this blog post, telling me why you want to do the race. I will draw one winner at the end of the day tomorrow.

Kicking Off: 8 Weeks to Iron Girl Lake Tahoe Triathlon

I'm very excited to be racing at Iron Girl's beautiful Sprint triathlon at Lake Tahoe, Ca on September 18. Want to join me? I'm giving away a race entry on this blog, so comment and tell me why you would love to do this race! Doesn't this look like an amazing place to race?

Think you can't do your first triathlon? I've got a plan for you. Ironmom's Eight Weeks To Your First Triathlon plan is here for free. And here's the plan in an easily printable table format for your refrigerator door. Getting in the best shape of your life can happen by the end of the summer, and all you need to start off with is a bike (any old bike will do), some running shoes, and a swim suit and a plan.

If you're nowhere near Lake Tahoe, pick a September Triathlon near you and train with me. There's nothing like starting off the cold weather season having just challenged yourself to keep you encouraged through the winter months.

Win an Iron Girl Race Entry!

How would competing in your first triathlon empower and transform your life? Tell us and win an entry to Iron Girl's Portland women's triathlon (sorry guys, even if you look totally cute in a running skort, this is a women's-only offer). Plus, you'll get six weeks of coaching from me, either in person (if you live in the Eugene area) or via email if you live elsewhere. You'll get to join Julie from ChubbyMommyRunningClub.com as she embarks on her journey to her first triathlon.

I've always been a huge believer in the transformative power of triathlon in women's lives. Time and time again, I've stood at the finishing line and watched as women cross the line a different person than when they started the race. This is why Iron Girl's mission of empowering women to a healthy lifestyle through women's-only races is something that I feel very positive about partnering with. This contest will run here, and on Chubby Mommy Running Club's blog.


Details:

1. Write an entry describing yourself, your journey, and why competing in this triathlon would empower and transform your life.

2. Email your entry to:

everymom2ironmom   at   gmail   dot   com 

   (replace at with @ and dot with . )
   Entries are due by May 15

 3. A neutral source (most likely my husband) will print out all of the entries and remove any identifying information.  Julie from Chubby Mommy Running Club, Mandy from Just Breathe Movement Studio and I will read through them all and pick the lucky gal who will win the free race entry.

4. Even if you don't win, you can get $10 off your race entry by using this coupon code: IGBLOG . You can register for the race here.

Eight Weeks To Your First Triathlon: Training Plan

Are you ready to do your first triathlon, but unsure of how to train for it?  Think it will take you all year to get ready? Think again! In just eight weeks you could be toeing the line for your first race.

In conjunction with the Iron Girl triathlon series, and Julie of the Chubby Mommy Running Club, I am putting on a Triathlon Clinic this weekend to get women ready to do their first Sprint distance triathlon at the Iron Girl race in Portland. As part of that clinic, I've developed an eight week training plan to get you ready for your first race. Once a week, I'll be posting the week's plan here, along with tips and hints. There will be some give-aways as well, so stay tuned!

There are very few things you need in order to participate in this plan. They are:

1. A pair of running shoes
2. A bicycle & helmet
3. A swimsuit and access to a body of water
4. The ability to swim at least a few laps (if you're starting as a non-swimmer, you'll need to go get some good swim instruction before beginning this plan)
5. A notebook to record your workouts and times
6. Good health: as always, it's a good idea to check with your doctor before beginning any plan of exercise, especially if its new to you.

That's it! The workouts in this plan can be done in any order, though I think it's a good idea not to do the same exercise back to back, especially running. So try to alternate activities as much as possible.

The short, printable table format version of the workout is in a Google Doc here:
8 Weeks to Your First Triathlon: table format. (stick this one on your fridge)

The long version with more explanation is here:
8 Weeks to Your First Triathlon! (read for all the details!)

Here's the first two weeks:

WEEK 1

DAY 1: BIKE: 6 miles

If you're like many people, you may need to dust off your wheels first! Air up your tires, check your brakes, and make sure your helmet is adjusted properly. If you need to know how far 6 miles is, use MapMyBike.com and map out a route for yourself. Ride 6 miles at a comfortable pace. If you're unused to riding this far, you may feel some "saddle discomfort", or as we triathletes like to call it "bike butt". This too shall pass.

DAY 2: SWIM: 5 x 100 yards

10 Minute warmup, then:

Today we're going to do a Timed 100 yards (or meters). In most lap pools, that's four lengths of the pool. In some larger 50 meter pools, it will be two lengths, and in some shorter health club pools, it will be five lengths. If you're unsure, ask your lifeguard how long your lap pool is.

Look at the clock (most lap pools will have a pacing clock) or your watch. Swim 100 yards (or meters) at your medium pace (something you think you could sustain for a longer distance). Look at the clock when you're done. This is your pace per 100 yards.

Now we're going to swim a set of four more 100 yards/meters. We write this in a swim workout like this:

4 x 100

After each 100, rest exactly 60 seconds. Keep track of your pace for each 100 and see if they get slower or faster. Write down your paces when you're done.

Cool down with 10 minutes of easy swimming. You're done!

DAY 3: RUN 2 x 800 Meters 


Run or run/walk 10 minutes at an easy pace. I like to stop here and do some joint rotations to warm up my knees, hips, and ankles.

Now we're going to run two half miles with a minute rest in between. You can do these at a track, if you have access to a local school track, or you can use MapMyRun.com to map out a little half mile course for yourself in your neighborhood.

Run half a mile (800 meters or twice around a track). Rest one minute. Run another half a mile (800 meters).

Cool down with a 10 minute run/walk, and that's it. If you want to keep track of your pace as you progress, write down how long each 800 meter (half mile) took you. If you need to walk, don't worry. Just keep moving and you'll be fine. Remember, there's no rule against walking in a triathlon, and many athletes do it.

DAY 4: BIKE 6 Miles
Same as Day 1 of biking.

DAY 5: SWIM 2 x 150 + 2 x 100


10 minute warm up

Swim 150 yards/meters (6 lengths of most pools) at your medium pace. Rest :60 seconds. Swim another 150
Rest 2 minutes.

We write this as: 2 x 150, r: 60

Then swim 100 yards/meters (4 lengths), rest :45 seconds, swim 100 meters, rest :45 seconds, swim 100 meters.

We write this as 3 x 100, r: 45

10 minute cool down.

DAY 6: RUN 1 Mile

Warm up  with 10 minutes of running or run/walk, do joint rotations

Run: 1 mile, or 4 laps at a track

Cool down with 10 minutes of running/walking

DAY 7: REST


Do not underestimate the importance of REST! Taking a day off every week is crucial to your training as the swimming, biking, and running.

That's it. You are now one week closer to your goal!

Unleash Your Inner Iron Girl: Training For Your First Triathlon

Ever thought you could do a triathlon, but didn't know where to start? Wanted to do one but weren't sure that you could? Trained for one, but felt overwhelmed by all the gear and advice? Help is on the way!

I'm beyond excited to announce that I am partnering with the Athleta Iron Girl triathlon series, to help women train for their first triathlon. I will be coaching Julie, from Chubby Mommy Running Club through her very first triathlon ever, and I will be sharing my training plan for her, nutrition tips, transition setups, and everything else helpful along the way in weekly installments here on my blog. All you have to do is follow along and play from home. I'll have all the info you need, right here.

Julie will be posting her experiences as she tries on her very first wetsuit and clips into her very first pedals over on her blog, so make sure you head over there to catch the hilarity as it unfolds.

If you are in the Eugene, Oregon area, you are welcome to join us for a kickoff event on May 7th at 1:30 over at Just Breathe, at 2868 Willamette St. You can RSVP on our meetup page, or just show up!

Also, it gets better. We'll have some prizes to give away here and at the Chubby Mommy page, including a race entry to the Athleta Iron Girl Portland Triathlon on June 26. Exciting stuff!

If you're looking to start later in the summer, I'll also be personally training to compete in the Athleta Iron Girl Lake Tahoe event. So if you want to join in the fun of a beautiful late summer triathlon in such a gorgeous location, you can join me there.