I'm not the only one

Just last month, during the New York City Triathlon, the death of 2 athletes who went into cardiac arrest during the swim part of the event has had a lot of people wondering about this part of the tri-sport event. An article, Preparing Athletes for the Chaos of Open Water Swim, published by the NY Times addresses the issues that myself and a lot of others come across when they first enter the water.

The swimming part of the triathlon I did was the hardest part for me and I made sure to train for it more than the other sports. I'm an ok swimmer, and I was confident swimming laps at the Y, but as soon as I jumped in the lake back in July I could feel the panic set in as I started to tread water for a few moments while I waited for my wave to start. It was a rush and challenge for me, which is why I competed in the first place. Whenever I found myself beginning to panic as I swam, I would easily flip over onto my back and kick my feet for a bit, until I felt confident enough to swim again. This happened ALOT until I finally made it to the giant welcoming "finish" sign. It felt like smooth sailing from there.

 

I tried a TRI and I LIKE IT!

This past Saturday 07.23.11 I finally did it! I completed my first triathlon @ the Jersey State Triathlon in West Windsor, NJ.

The swim was the hardest part for me, and it was my first time swimming in open water.
Can you tell from that nervous look on my face?

Here's my wave in the water, I stayed safely in the back so as to not get kicked in the face. :)

Biking was the easiest part for me oddly enough and I enjoyed the course. I even passed a few women along the way and 2 men! :)

The run was HOT, HOT HOT, and I was so excited when I finally saw the finish and my friends and family!

Next up: Marathon training!

Tri-Swimming

I've been going to a Swim 1 Class on Technique & Form with Jack Rabbit Sports  to become a better swimmer. I plan on doing the NJ State Triathlon this July and the swim part scares me. Swimming is a whole different beast to running and biking, but I'm learning alot in class but am still sooo extremely nervous.