Holy Cow- When Did March Get Here?

Crudola!  How did March sneak up so stinking fast!?!  Okay technically March doesn't arrive until tomorrow (thank you Leap Year)  but, the beginning of March marks *sound the trumpets*  Triathlon Training Season (okay, perhaps instead of trumpets it should really be murderous screams).  I can't believe its upon us already.  I was so hoping that running and I would be friends before Tri training started. So much for that idea.  My first planned Triathlon  is the She Rox Triathlon in Naperville, IL.  It's on June 10th.  So, this Sunday will mark 16 weeks for me.  If you are planning on tackling the triathlon this summer, find your event date and count 16 weeks back from there-  that is your "start" date for full boat Triathlon training.  I'm going to be following the schedule from Beginner Triathlete  .. the one hyper linked here is the 16-week "Balanced" schedule.  For someone who is weaker in one area or another, you can find running focused (which, I guess I really should follow instead of the "balanced one"), a bike focused and a swim focused schedule as well- dependent on what your weakest leg is.    I still can not believe it's already time to start training.  Hopefully here in Chicago the beautiful weather promised this week is a sign that spring will be here early (please PLEASE no mid April blizzards)..  thereby allowing for as many outside training days as possible.  Its so much better to train on actual ground rather than train on machines.

So, I had originally planned to do this race with Emmie from Skinny Emmie but she is having all kinds of problems with her foot of late- and is STILL stuck in her boot-  so I will be flying this race solo.  If anyone has ever thought "hmm, I should do a triathlon"  you could always train alongside/participate with ME :)  We could be besties!  Seriously!

Think about.  You have until Monday before having to jump feet first into training insanity.  You can do it though.  Because, seriously, if I can, you can.

What It Takes to Tri

So- in the upcoming weeks, I'm going to be working on a way to get a group together to compete with me in the Womens Sprint Triathlon in June. I'm hoping to get a Logo designed and some T-Shirts printed up for my "Team M-Power" triathlon Team.

I hope that many of you will join me. Or, if you are reading this from a different state, considering participating in a Triathlon near you.

What does it take to do a Triathlon? Well, first of all, I hear a lot "I want to but, I work a full time job" - my response, ... I work a full time job, go to school 3/4 time, and still find time to work out. It's just about setting the intention and pursuing it. Granted, as we get closer to Tri Day, you will pretty much be eating sleeping and breathing Swim Bike Run, but only you can decide if you truly don't have time to do it, or you're just saying that you don't have time.

Now, I'm no expert, so I am only speaking based on what I did last year to get ready for my first Triathlon.

If you are going from totally sedintary to Triathlon, I'd make January 1st your target day to start working out.

In the first couple of months, I'd start with 30 minutes of activity and work from there.

For me, I will be swimming for 45-hour in the morning (45 to start out, maybe even thirty, because I haven't swum in months and it's going to hurt... a lot.)

Before actually Tri Training Starts (in March) you can swim one day, take a day off, bike the next day, take the next day off, run the next day, take a day off... and repeat.

Once we get into the thick of things, you will pretty much be working out everyday in some form or another. And, as we move into the last month before the Triathlon, you will need an hour and a half block once a week to work on your Bricks.

You can find awesome information in books like "Triathlon for Dummies" and "Slow Fat Triathlete"- I highly recommend these for the begining Triathlete.

I will begin my training at the start of the new year. I will also be incorporating "Strength Training for Triathletes" into my workout.

You can buy these books used on Amazon, if you don't want to drop fifty plus dollars on books to start.

As we go along, I'll post tidbits on things Ive learned or read, and also give you progress updates on my training.

If you are on Facebook, I encourage you to find See Millie Tri on Facebook, that way, if you are planning on training for a Tri - we can interact through there.

I truly hope to have many being part of Team M-Power this upcoming Tri Season!

Til Next Time
~Millie :)