My First Multisport Day

It looks like this is going to be a series of one eye-opening experience after another. Yesterday I completed my first multisport day. My plan for Saturday was a nice simple bike ride to sort of ease myself into an activity that I have not participated in in quite a few years. I met and had lunch Friday with a friend who was going to ride with me. As we were discussing and planning the ride for the next day, she mentioned that she was swimming that morning and if we are going to ride then I should just meet her for the swim then we can just ride from there. This wasn't exactly what I was planning but I wasn't about to back down from a challenge (from a girl no less) so I said sure, lets do it. At this point, I'm thinking to myself that this is going to be tough but nothing that I couldn't handle. As these thoughts are rolling through my mind, I notice a little twinkle in my friends eye. As if she could read my mind and just wanted to let me know exactly what I am getting myself into, with the slightest of grins creeping across her face (think a mischievous 10 year old), she suggests we go ahead and make it a full tri day with a 5 mile run as well. 99% of the people reading this blog have known me for a very long time and I'm sure you can guess what my response was. Without missing a beat I quickly said "Hell yeah. Lets do it!" That is what I said out loud. However, somewhere deep down inside my head someone was calling me an idiot. By the time lunch was over we were able to talk another friend into joining us as well and we both left the restaurant very excited about the next day.

It's beginning to get a little easier to get up at 5 a.m. I am starting to learn just how beneficial it is to get up that early. I was able to have a nice easy morning before meeting my friend at the pool at 8:30 Saturday morning. The swim was very beneficial if uneventful. I didn't push very hard but instead, I really concentrated on my technique, especially my breathing. I did 9 laps or 18 lengths (450 yards, which is just over a 1/4 mile) and felt great.

Here is where it gets ugly. Saturday is only the third time for me to be on a road bike. EVER! The plan was for a 20 mile roundtrip ride out through Dixie and back. The ride started off well enough but after about six miles of climbing hills, I realized just how much running does not translate to biking. I feel I am in pretty good shape and cardiovascularly I am. However, my legs simply aren't used to pedaling a bike up and down hills for 20+ miles. Saturday was a real learning experience. As disappointing as it was in a pure performance perspective, it was a little encouraging in another. I've got a really good base to build off of. I am just going to have to log the miles and get my legs used to the bike. I know I can be fast, it's just going to take a little time. The bike ride was a total of about 20.25 miles and I averaged a pace of about 12.25 mph. Not very fast at all. I'm anticipating this speed to increase at a fairly rapid pace as my legs get in better bike shape.

When we returned to the YMCA, we quickly changed into running shoes and took off on our run. At first I felt like I was let out of jail. After all, this is what I have been doing for the past three months. I ran that first mile at about a 7:45 pace. That is A LOT faster than I am used to. It didn't take long, however, for the effects of the bike ride to start taking it's toll. About  a mile in, my thighs started cramping up. Obviously I wasn't going to quit so about every half mile I would stop and stretch for a few minutes before taking off again at a fairly easy pace. Other than the cramping I felt pretty good, all things considered. 

When we all were finished (full disclosure: I was easily last. MAN! That really hurts to type) there were congratulations all around. All in all, it was a really great day. I am glad I did it if for no other reason than to know what I am getting myself into and what to expect. The bike distance and run distance were both longer than what I will do on my first sprint triathlon and the swim was only slightly shorter. It is pretty encouraging to know that even right now, if nothing else, I can do it. Now it's just a matter of getting more comfortable with it and FASTER!!