יום שני, 14 בדצמבר 2009

My first official tri training session..

So yesterday was my first official tri training session. I actually joined a group..well. apparently this is what the coach said to the group. (coach “G” - not to be confused with God.. but one can find similarities there 2 J )
Ok, let me start over.
For the past year and a half I got this new obsession about triathlons. I really don’t know what got into me. I really have this desire to train and do triathlons. The problem is that I am not athletic and really out of shape.. oh yeah, and when I finally do exercise, I keep getting injured.
My first step towards trying to complete a triathlon was to learn how to freestyle (learned it the TI way).. but after doing so I just got stuck in a rut. One lap breast stroke one freestyle.. and SLOW.
I joined a few master swim classes.. but nothing too serious.
Then a friend of mine told me he got his Triathlon Trainer/Coach certificate and he is thinking of starting a new group. YEAH!..for people like me (slow and out of shape). Double YEAH!!
It didn’t happen. Yet. We did have this bike-get-to-gather-mahtingy..but this is a whole different story.
Bottom line, I decided not to wait. So I sent Coach “G” an e-mail asking him about his group and whether people like me (again, slow and out of shape) can join.
Coach “G” replied that I’m welcome to join them in their next session and see for myself.. and that anyone and everyone are welcome to join, regardless of their fitness level.
He even said that basically a person can even start from scratch. GREAT! That should work for me then.

Showed up Sunday evening thinking that all that is going to happen is an introduction between me and coach.. and then after THEIR run practice I’ll join THEIR swim practice.
I was wrong. Coach “G” said that I should join their run.. “it is very slow..only 5km.. and you run at your own pace..make sure you are running at a low HR”
WTF!? I can’t run.. I’m pretty sure I said it to him . twice! Didn’t impress him at all. He said that I should switch to walking when it gets too hard. hmm ok..how about now?.. oh yeah, we didn’t start yet.
Coach “G” didn’t even wait for me as I was trying to repeat my claim that I can’t run (for the third time!) and he gave his mark.. and we were off. Well.. the group was.. I just tried to keep moving along…slow..”running”
I just didn’t want to look like a complete idiot so I focused on my pace.. and tried to negotiate with myself not to stop. I actually succeeded. I didn’t stop.. I was slow..but didn’t stop.
The group met me on their way back.. which means I didn’t even run the 5km. I think it was somewhere around the 4km since I was a block short from the point that they turned around.
The good news.. I made it back. The bad news are the realizations that this thing is going to be CRAZY hard (I knew it!) and that I am going to be arriving last in every practice.
I just hope I won’t get discourage and drop the whole thing all together.

After some light stretches we went to the pool. Swimming practiced started.
Asked coach “G” if there is a “SLOW” lane, and what a surprise, there was. I jumped in.
Practice started and… I bumped into the swimmer that was ahead of me. TA-DA!! I am not that slow!!!!! YEAY!.. I hope coach “G” noticed it 2.

After the warm-up drill coach “G” had some announcements to make.. “Please welcome *ME* to the group”! ..”remember to welcome her in a polite and well mannered way.. as you usually do”
Gulp. Why did he have to remind them? Someone two lanes over said something …everyone laughed. I just didn’t hear what he had to say. Maybe it is for the best. I get insulted easily and I don’t need any more discouragements.
Second announcement, “Wednesday morning.. 6:00AM run practice. We’ll focus on volume/long distance”. At that point I think I passed out .. what does that mean? Long distance?..volume? I can’t even run 5km in a SLOW SLOW pace!
Talked with coach after practice “just run slow, and switch to walking ..just simple run/walk intervals”.. simple? Sure.. I guess if I were an ironman I would think this is simple.. right now, seems brutal.

I just hope I can make it…