Why - In my 20s
I thought I didn't have to exercise to be healthy. My job included walking
quite a bit and 'that should be enough activity'. I was so WRONG. I got that
dreaded annual blood test results. Cholesterol, triglycerides - Too high. Of
course, I ignored it. I will just make sure I will eat healthy and everything
will be fine. But those Biryanis and Indian sweets are so tempting. Once I got
into my 30s it got worse. I was always tired, couldn't run around with my kid.
But being a dad of a toddler I don't have any time (Excuses, Excuses, Excuses).
Around the same time I volunteered through my employer for a triathlon for
Challenged Athletes. I saw people who had lost all four limbs, people who were
blind competing in that triathlon. That was really my turning point. I had to
become active for myself and my family. I have to be a role model for my kids.
This started my active life journey: first running multiple half marathons and
eventually my first Triathlon. Below is my Triathlon story:
Swim
(Swimsuit
$20-$50, Entry level Wetsuit $100-$150, Goggles $20, Headcap $20)
Dollars add up
pretty fast, so I bought the swimsuit and goggles in order to start my training.
Then I kept adding the others as I found deals. Swimming wetsuits are different
from the surfing wetsuits so be careful when you buy one. Wetsuits help you
float easily in open water so please get a good quality one.
Swim training (2-3
times/week) - This was the most difficult part for me. I knew how to swim
(amateur) but I was out of it for a long time. Thanks to my wife I found a
cheap gym membership that had a pool. She had a deal through her employer. The
other options are also the local community pools which are much cheaper to do
lap swims. Gym pools are normally 25yard ~ 25m end to end. Goal was to build up
my endurance to swim about 600m. The main task is breathing. As one of my open
water swim instructors said "Once you figure out a breathing rhythm for
swimming then it is like walking". He was correct but it took me some time
to figure out my breathing rhythm. It was frustrating because at first I
had to take a break every time I finished 25m. How was I going to complete
500m? I watched a lot of Youtube videos on swimming techniques and practiced. I
learned how to breathe on both sides and after multiple attempts (weeks) was
able to swim 100m without stopping. After that it was just practice, practice,
practice. Finally I was able to get up to 400m. It took about 3 months to get
to this point. Now it was time for open water swim. I had bought a swimming
wetsuit by this time and started practicing in the pool with my wetsuit. Triclub
San Diego is a really good group who helped amateurs like me overcome the fear
of open water swim. They meet in Mission bay at Bonita Cove and have group
swims for beginners and it is free. Open water swim was always done in a group
and I never pushed myself too much out of the comfort zone due to safety
reasons. It is very different from swimming in a pool. It is all about getting
comfortable with the natural elements like the murky waters, other aquatic
animals in the water. Sighting is very important in open waters. In the pool
you have a line on the floor that helps you swim in a straight line but nothing
in open waters. In my first open water swim I was zig zagging a lot. I always
ended up in a completely different location than my group at the end point.
This needs a lot of practice too.
Bike
(Bike
$500-$10,000, Helmet $20-$50)
Yes it is not a
typo. Bikes can get really expensive. I had a cheap commuter bike that I use
for commuting to work. That is what I used for the triathlon. In my opinion; if
you are not racing to achieve a top rank then any bike will do. One advice
would be to get you measured at a local bike shop and get the correct bike
size. You can also look it up online if you want to measure yourself. It makes
a lot of difference especially on the long bike rides. Again correct bike size
doesn’t necessarily mean expensive. But please spend money on a good
comfortable helmet. You don’t have to worry about the expensive aero helmets for
speed. It might save you a minute overall. But keep your heads safe. There are
lots of crazy drivers out there who are not looking for bike riders in their
rear view mirrors. Also lots of triathlons ask for CPSC certified helmets or
else you will not be allowed to participate. Most of the triathletes get a
triathlon suit and use it for their bike and run segment but I didn’t. This
saves time during transition which I will talk about later. Also they get
clip-on shoes for biking but I just used my running shoes. Clip on shoes help
with utilizing all the effort from your legs to move your bike forward.
Bike Training
(2-3 times/week)
This is where
time management becomes a problem. I couldn’t put in hours of biking in the
middle of juggling work, chauffeuring kids to their various classes and other
social activities. So I included biking as part of my daily commute to work.
This meant about 2-3 miles every other day of the week. I have a long commute
which meant driving to the train station, catching the train and then biking
from the train station to work. This means a lot of planning but you get used
to it. It also brings back memories from India when we had to be at the bus
stop or train station on time in order to get to work/college on time. Weekend
was the time for my long bike ride. I slowly built it up to 23km. This is where
you keep pushing yourself little by little every week. Since I was already biking
3 miles (5km) as part of my commute it was easier for me to start my long bike
ride at 8 miles and then work my way up. It took about 8 weeks to get up to the
23km mark.
Running
(Running Shoes
- $100, Running Clothes – $50-$100)
As a triathlete
you might want to spend on Triathlon suits instead of Running clothes. But
since I already used to run I preferred my running clothes which also lasts for
at least a couple of years depending on your usage. The one thing you want to
splurge is your running shoes. I got my first running shoes from a local
dedicated running store. They will make you run on a treadmill or track and
take a video to see the running motion and get the correct shoes for you. This
is very important. It will prevent a lot of injuries. Running is a lot of
pounding on your feet and your legs need to be cared for especially as we get
old. After I got my first pair of shoes (when I used to just run) I would keep
a look out for sales on the same shoes online. Every year the shoe companies
change the version of their shoes and they have clearance on the older models.
Once I got a $110 shoe for $60. But after about 3 years of running my feet
changed a little. So I had to get a different type of shoes. So keep a lookout
for that over the long term.
Run Training
(Long run weekend)
I was a little lazy on the run training since it was
only a 5k for the actual triathlon. But one should at least do short runs every
other day of the week and then a long run over the weekend. I had already built
up the run with the half marathons. So I used to do brick training. It means
combining 2 of the activities together one after the other. So I would run
after the long bike ride. I started with 2km run after bike ride and then
worked my way up to 5km in 3 weeks. This was quick for me since I used to run
but it might take more time for someone who is not currently active. So don’t
be disheartened. My first run ever was a walk/run for just 1km and I was so
excited. For me personally running is very boring on a treadmill. I like to run
outside with all the natural hills for change in elevation and the hot sun and
cold wind in your face. Also you get to see your neighborhood but please be
aware of cars and don’t jaywalk.
Transition
The tricky part of Triathlon is transition. The time
it takes to get out of your wetsuit to your biking gear and then from biking to
running is part of your actual triathlon time. This is why most of the
triathletes wear a triathlon suit under their wetsuit. After the swim they just
remove their wetsuit and off they go. I changed from my wetsuit directly to my
running attire. I actually used a LUNGI for changing. One of my fellow athlete
even asked me where I got my coverall (Ha Ha, it is imported). Since I was
already in my running attire for my biking segment, transition time between
bike and run was under 2 minutes.
What did I gain – I am healthy again. I don’t get
tired easily. It feels refreshing. I can eat whatever I want and don’t feel bad
about it. But I did change my diet to lot more fruits and whole grains than
processed food. Now I like it that way. It became a habit. I had hit a plateau
with just running but adding the swim portion really helped with upper body
workout. My mom used to tell me stories of all the medals and trophies she got
as an athlete in college. Now I finally started seeing that in me. It took
almost 40 years.
What are my regrets – Not doing this earlier when I
had ample time for all this training.
What did I lose – Time on my phone and television.
When to signup for a Triathlon – Once you are 2/3rd
along in your training with your most difficult segment. In my case it was the
swim segment.
Which Triathlon to signup – Start with something
simple. I was advised by other experienced triathletes to find one where the
water was relatively calm and so I ended up with the Mission Bay triathlon.
Last secret – Sleep. It is very important to have a
good night’s sleep of 7-8 hr daily. This is when the body repairs all the
muscles. If we don’t give our body enough time it will take a shortcut and try
building up all the fat that we burnt. Unfortunately as parents we normally
sacrifice our sleep if we have to exercise. This is just as harmful as not
doing exercise.
I am just a common family man who went from couch
potato to a triathlete. It is as much mental rigor as it is physical. You need that
mental toughness to wake up at 5:00am in the morning for that early morning
swim or a run when everyone else is sleeping. You need it when everyone else is
watching a nice movie at home while you are working out at the gym. When you
start seeing the benefits you will start liking it and it will become a habit.
As a parent you need to find that time to go for a quick run or bike ride. It
might be when you wait for your kid’s class to finish.
Since all these experiences are coming from a male; it
might be a little different from a female athlete’s perspective.
