Today, after quite a long hiatus, I enjoyed a workout in the pool!
During my lunch break, I headed outside for a run. I didn’t bring a watch to track my pace or time and set out to run around a giant loop, unsure exactly how far that would take me.
I ended up running for right around 40 minutes before I made it back to the gym and I was so ridiculously sweaty that the only thing I could think about was jumping into the pool to cool off. I changed into my bathing suit and grabbed the goggles I packed in my bag and figured I could tack a half mile swim onto the tail end of my workout. I haven’t swam laps in what feels like forever, so I loved getting back in the pool and swimming my little heart out.
My dad was the one who inspired today’s return to the pool. He completed his very first sprint triathlon on Saturday last weekend and raved about the experience.
My dad said it was really challenging, but he’s been training for it for a long time and finished in less than two hours without walking one time. I’m so proud of him! He is also seriously encouraging me to do one. I’m tempted, but still freaked out about the bike. Clipping into a bike? Riding super fast in big groups? It’s intimidating!
Lunch
Once my workout was done, I dried off and opened up the fridge in the break room to dig into the meal I packed last night.
I made a batch of salmon salad and wrapped it in a tortilla to eat along with a cup of unsweetened applesauce and almonds.
It was great and fueled me through the rest of the work day, including a HOT water fitness class.
Hope your Tuesday is going well!
Question of the Afternoon
- Have you ever done a triathlon? Would you want to?
- What part of a triathlon – swim, bike or run – intimidates you the most?
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I’m always SO in awe of anyone who has completed a triathlon. Congrats to your dad! The swim part intimidates me most- I’m not a strong swimmer, and tend to come out of the pool STARVING when i do. im afraid id be too hungry to continue after that first part 🙂
Swimming is the absolute bomb! A serious workout + the chance to be a kid again.
That really makes me want to swim now too! That’s exactly how I felt after my run today – a sweaty mess and I just wanted to cool off. I haven’t swam laps in forever. I bet that was so exhilarating!
That’s so inspirational of your Dad.
I always an inspired by people who compete in triathlons, I’ve only done one when I was younger and it wasn’t crazy long distance but boy was it hard.
Congratulations to your Dad!
I love swimming, I grew up as a competitive swimmer, so it’s easily my favorite sport.
You don’t need to clip in on your bike for a tri. It’s helpful for improving efficiency/speed, especially for hilly courses, but you don’t need to. Also, since drafting is expressly forbidden in almost all triathlons in the U.S., riding in big groups isn’t part of it either. Just get out there and do it!
What do you put in your salmon salad? It looks delicious!
Swimming is the best! The bike portion freaks me out the most. I am terrified of getting on the road and actually training with all the crazy Atlanta drivers!
Check out “Life’s a Beach Triathlon”!!! I just did the one here in Hampton, VA in June and it was the best time ever!!! Great way to get into triathlons without being too hard core. I think they have a couple coming up in Florida. Definitely check it out!!
Congrats to your dad! That’s awesome!!
I think what would freak me out the most would be the swimming part of a triathlon; I absolutely love swimming, but it’s leisurely and I’d be afraid I wouldn’t have the stamina to go the distance!
I actually work in a bike shop and am the most CLUMSY person on Earth. I love clipping into my bike and was intimidated at first, too! I promise it’s worth it. You can also try to find a bike shop that supports group rides throughout the week. Great workout + meeting new people + getting comfortable riding in groups = a good time!
Julie,
You should definitely do a sprint tri! I did one last summer and signed up for it last minute and it was not bad at all! I did not do any formal training , but I am an active person who runs, does spin class, and grew up swimming. I actually used a mountain bike because I was so last minute (ha!) The most intimidating part for me was the “transitions” because I had no idea what to expect. I luckily found someone the day of the race to chat with and she told me what to expect. It was such satisfying experience and I plan to do one again soon 🙂
Lord help me if you need to clip in on your first tri experience. I’m doing mine on a mountain bike – no clip ins needed! I will surely be one of the slowest on the bike, but I don’t care!
I love swimming!!! I haven’t attempted a triathlon, but I have considered it. The training is the part that intimidates me. It would be hard to find the time with 4 kids. I love that your dad did it! My dad always rides a mile on his bike for each year he’s been alive on his birthday. He just did a 66-mile ride last week!
I’ve signed up for my first mini-triathalon in October. I’m nervous for the swim!
This is a random side note, but your salmon salad reminded me of chicken salad for whatever reason… Have you ever considered using a wedge of Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese Spread (Light) to mix into your chicken salad instead of light mayo? I’ve always hated mayo… ever since I was a child… but canned chicken is just so dry without any mayo so I’ve always tried alternatives such as hummus, and I decided to try the wedge of Laughing Cow on a whim the other day and loved it!
Anyways, just a suggestion I thought I’d make. I love how flavorful, yet low-calorie it is!
You should definitely do a triathlon. I think you’d love it! I’ve done a few and biking was definitely the hardest part for me. I was scared of clip in shoes so I just got top clips which are basically like what they have on the bikes in spin classes so you can still get the benefit of pulling up and pushing down when pedaling but not nearly as scary as clipping in for me. Also in most triathlons there is a no drafting rule so you can’t be too close to the rider in front of you and by the time you get to the bike portion after the swim things tend to have spaced out a bit. It is a super fun experience!
I have thought of doing a triathlon. I think swimming in the ocean is what intimidates me about it the most. The bike is intimidating too but less so for me.
Well done to your dad what a great effort!
I did a sprint tri in 2007 (geez that’s a long time ago). Actually, you’re from Florida so I’m sure you’ve heard of Cypress Gardens (now LegoLand)… anyway, the swim was in the lake at Cypress Gardens. It was horrific…I was sooo scared. It took me 20 min to finish the swim but I WOULD NOT let a lifeguard touch me becuase I was determined to finish!! Thankfully am a strong runner and ended the race with a decent time for a newbie.
My first tri was almost 3 years ago, and the swim was the most challenging–mainly because it was open water & FREEZING. They have some low-key tris for beginners; the one I did was a women’s only series. It was a sprint (400Y swim, 7mi bike, 2mi run), so it wasn’t ridiculous–just long enough to challenge a beginner 🙂
Way to go to your dad!!! That is awesome for him! I have never attempted a triathalon but I am hoping one day in the future to! I am very scared of the swimming part above all else.
The swim is the most intimidating part to me. I am not a swimmer!
A triathlon is on my bucket list. Make that my pre-kids bucket list. That said, I guess I better start taking it seriously! I am exactly like you though, the thought of getting on a bike in a crowds intimidates me to no end. Maybe something like the indoor triathlon you completed at your gym is more my style? That pool looks so refreshing in this hot summer weather!
You should give a Sprint Tri a shot! I did my first one 6 years ago and loved it! I was nervous as well, but I did the Tri For The Cure and it was a great first one. I’m not sure if they have one in your area, but it’s a part of the Susan G Komen race series. There were people of all ages and fitness levels. There was even a remarkable and inspiring middle-aged woman who was in a wheel chair and had her friends wheel her to the starting points of each leg. I despised the swim, but as soon as the race was over, I immediately wanted to sign up for another one! I was much more confident to give others a shot!
Hey,
I’m currently training for an in-gym sprint triathlon – 3km rowing, 21km cycling, 5km running. So I’ll be skipping the swimming part and no scary bike riding. One of the trainers at my gym is running it along with an 8-week training programme and part of the incentive is 1:1 training in weeks 6 – 8. I’ll just be competing against other people at my gym.
Perhaps not as exciting as a real triathlon but I’m definitely not fit enough or confident enough to do a real one so a good start for me!
Xx
I’ve done 4 sprint triathlons and I loved them. You also do NOT have to clip into a bike. I never have, because I would fall flat on my face. Also because the swim is so staggered, it’s never a huge group riding at the same time, which makes it less intimidating 🙂 I really think you should do it!
I could handle the running and the cycling, but the swimming is what turns me off of triathlons! I’ve never been a strong (or fast) swimmer and would definitely struggle there! One of my co-workers is really in to triathlons and has even completed two ironmans–I think she’s crazy (and such an inspiration)!
I want to do a sprint triathlon, it would be my first! I’m a big baby when it comes to running, which is why I haven’t signed up for one yet! I’m totally ready for the biking, and think I could handle the swimming with a little training.
I’ve got doing a triathlon on my bucket list!
Swimming is definitely one of the best full-body workouts around. I discover muscles that I never even knew that I had ;). I used to be on swim team growing up and then started swimming again last year before moving away from home. I need to find a gym near me with a pool so that I can start again because I really do enjoy it.
Hey Julie! Karena at toneitup.com just uploaded two great workout plans for triathalon training. They seemed really easy to follow and fun. You should check it out!
I did an indoor sprint triathalon this spring and it was fun! I was definitely very tired the rest of the day. Also, I was looking through your travel blog last night and freaking out because I realized my husband and I are going on the exact same European Tour in a few weeks. I compared your days to the itinerary book they sent me and it is the same, even the hotel you mentioned in Paris. I definitely wrote down some tips! 🙂
The swimming portion would be the toughest for me. I think it’s because I haven’t swam since I was a kid, even though I took lots and lots of swimming lessons.
I would be really interested to do a triathalon, but like you, I would be intimidated by the biking portion. The closest I’ve come to being intense on a bike is spin class. I don’t even know what it means to “clip” into a bike really!!! I’d be so lost. Haha! I’d end up being the person on a road bike just trying to go through the motions. 😛
I’ve never done a triathlon, but the swim part is what really intimidates me! I have a ton of confidence in my legs and that I’d be able to do the running and biking part, but the swimming part is where I’m afraid I’d run into issues!
Swimming! I actually did my first mini one at my gym on Saturday morning and won! It was a 500m swim, 10k cycle and 5k run! Was delighted and definitely feel less intimidated by the pool now!
It is so hot out! I am impressed you managed to run for 40 minutes, I am sure the pool felt amazing! The scariest thing to me is the open water swim, if the event was in a pool I think I would be fine.
I’ve done two triathlons (one sprint, one Olympic). The swim ABSOLUTELY terrifies me … I started out as a poor swimmer, and trained hard in the pool, but something about being in open water made me quite nervous! Either way, I was really proud of myself for getting through it. I’ve done several duathlons and love them. It takes training, but the feeling of accomplishment from multisport events is awesome! I would love to get back into them sometime soon (it’s been a year of pretty much just running/ cross-training with minimal biking/ swimming). You should do it!!!
Yay-congrats to your dad!! So cool. Doing a tri is awesome, and it’s not as scary as you think!
Swimming laps is so fun–great reminder to get back in the pool for moi 🙂
Congrats to your dad! Right now, it would be the running part…I’m a beginner runner!
I am training for a triathlon right now. You would do fine. Also, you don’t have to clip in. You’ll be surprised that with the bike portion you aren’t always around a large group.
I have done a sprint tri and it was an amazing experience! I highly recommend it. The most intimidating part of it for me was also biking because the bike is in control and not you! Out of the 1,000 competitors I was actually the 2nd woman out of the water because I am a competitive swimmer. Seeing this post makes me miss swimming because I have been out of the water for 2 months due to my elbow tendinitis. That sounds like a great workout you did today!
I would love to give triathlon a try, but have all these ridiculous fears! Like getting my nose broken by someone kicking in front of me during the swim, and then because I’m all distraught and bleeding I just flail around until some laughing jock comes to pick me up on his jet ski. Oh my yup never doing one 😉 oh and I would prob just wear my running shoes during the bike…clip ins seem like a terrible idea to me. My hubs and I bike …he wears clip ins I refuse. But do it pbf! Maybe if I follow your training and see your success (because you’ll do awesome) it’ll motivate me 🙂
Congratulations to your dad! The cycling definitely intimidates me the most. I’m not very good on a bike and I had a bad fall off one when I was younger!
I really want to do one but I’m so freaked out over the swim! I don’t want to get smacked and kicked by crowds of people.
I did my first sprint tri to weeks ago and I loved it! Learning to wear clip in shows was definitely the worst part. I did fall once and it hurt but was good to go after that. I think you should do one, with how much you run (which is the worst part) you will be good to go! Also have you ever done Pure Barre classes, I was wondering what you thought of them?
congrats to your dad!!! that is so awesome 🙂
i did something different today and went running after work- NOT my cup of tea! haha. i think i may have been converted to a morning exerciser!! thank you for all your posts on the topic, they have really helped me feel like waking up super early is worth it (which i think it is!). i didn’t have a sleep victory last night though, crossing my fingers and toes for one tonight.
I love that you get to do so many different classes and training session at your gym! Must keeo the job pretty interesting!
The swimming part intimidates me most about a triathlon. I just don’t do it enough and am not all that confident enough in my own skill level.
Nothing like diving into a pool after a sweaty workout! There’s a pool at my gym but it’s so small and always so crowded, I’m worried I’ll get in people’s way. One of these days, I gotta just go for the gusto! 🙂
Swimming in a pool definitely sounds ideal for a day like today, in the midst of a heat wave!
I always say to my husband that I wish I liked swimming or biking so I could do a tri! I only have one piece!! Haha.