A woman that I have been trying for a while
now, to gentle into triathlon, turned up again last night for our club swim
session. I had sent her an email telling her that Steve and I had entered a
local swim run event in early March and that I thought it would be good for her
to tackle the same event, while we would be on hand for advice and guidance and
so I was quietly happy that she turned up last evening. She had responded
earlier saying that she wanted to talk to us about which of the two events to
have a go at. The event in question is Tuff Fitty Triathlon Club’s early
swim/run the Frosty, that involves 800 mtr swim and a 10km run or the half race
to that, the Frostbite 400 swim and 5km run.
The lady in question is in a
lot of ways ready for either distance since she was a runner before deciding
that she might like to give a triathlon a shot. She ran a marathon last year
and runs for fun regularly either with a group of taking the dog for a run. She
has not been swim training for that long, though she could swim, but had not
been swimming as a regular thing for years.
Talking with her last night,
she was not sure if she should do the full race but realised that the distance
was well within her capabilities. I told her that it was up to her to decide
but thought as a first event with two disciplines that the short race might be
less of a challenge because then she would be completely sure of herself and it
would be a good first crack at a transition in a fun event.
From Swim to Run. I pointed
down the side of the pool at where the transition would be and that she would
go straight out of the door at the end of the pool and start running and that
she would not be going into the changing room to dry off and dress into running
kit. Her response was a quick head turn with wide eyes and slightly dropped
jaw. “You mean I go out wet”? She asked incredulously.
She reminds me of myself a
lot because I was just about the same age when I did my first swim run and I
had no idea what it would be like either. In my case all those years ago there
was six inches of snow on the ground and I did put on track pants and a sweat
shirt before starting the run but that was a very cold race and I think it was
January or early February. By March 5th it will be practically
summer.
I did suggest that having
put her trainers on that she might like to grab a hat and gloves and put those
on, as she began her run if it was cold. She had a quick think and then said
that she didn’t fancy doing it in her swimsuit and would splash out and buy a
tri suit which would not be wasted since she has entered a triathlon with a
pool swim later on in the season. She asked about wearing a bra underneath and
as a generously endowed woman myself; I have to say that I think that is a good
idea since it is very off putting and horribly uncomfortable to be bouncing
about too much, it is essential to be comfortable.
When she first came to the
pool, her swimming stroke was basically sound but a little mechanical. Since
then with a few words here and there at the few swim sessions that she has come
to, the swim is now much improved. Last night she was keeping up with me nicely,
that proved that what I had told her in the first place was true; that she was
more than twenty five years younger than me and with regular swim practice she
would end up faster than me by age and strength alone.
Last evening’s session ended
with 2 x 400 with me in front and she was fine and that must have helped her
confidence. Steve had made sure that the whole session was actually composed of
400’s with 2 x 200, 4 x 100 and 8 x 50 scattered in the mix and aimed at her.
She has bought a bike and
has been going out on it as much as being a wife, mother and working woman will
allow.
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