Tri-Half-alon.

The Metrics:
6        =   Number of Tri-related gear items purchased.
50.7   =   Miles traveled by means of foot or bike.
10      =   Total training "workouts," between both DW & WR.
10      =   Total number of times DW & WR wished they were doing something else. 
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What a week of ups and downs!  My Alma Mater made it into the Final Four (against everyone's predictions), but then lost in the final NCAA Championship game.  Then, I received unfavorable news from my favorite potential grad school, leaving only a few weeks and a few schools remaining in the 2012 application season.  Sad, but not totally unexpected.  Next, Dan & I attended our last class at our previous (and too expensive) gym, but then quickly discovered a closer, WAY more-affordable gym (with a pool!) that will be much better for our triathlon training.

A mural on the outside of the YWCA, our new gym!

Which brings us to the subject of this week's post:  Tri-HALF-alon training!  Let me explain.  If you didn't already know, my husband and I are out of shape.  And, while discussing fitness (or our lack thereof) with his co-workers, Dan discovered an event called the Sprint Triathlon.  It's got all the same events as a regular Olympic triathlon (swim, bike, run), but it's only about half the distance!  Get it?  Half the distance?  Tri-half-alon?  Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!  Anyway, the Sprint Triathlon consists of about 750 meters of swimming, 20 kilometers of biking, and 5 kilometers of running.  While we know that's still a lot, we decided that having a worthy (if difficult) goal would better keep us on the path of health and fitness.

We started researching races at TriFind.com.  Check it out, if you're interested!  They've got listings for races nationwide, and you can search by all sorts of variables.  We haven't settled on an exact race yet, but we're looking at a couple in Minnesota that are being held in mid-to-late July 2012.  That meant, at the time we decided, that we had about twenty weeks of training.  We figured, with a little hard work (and a LOT of sweaty laundry), twenty weeks would be just enough time to get us from "Couch to Tri."

We're pretty good at the "couch" part.

So, for the first three weeks of training, we worked out about four times a week.  These were a mix of the following:  1.)  Individual training sessions, where we worked on improving our skills at a single event.  2.) Yoga classes, to properly stretch and recover (a thing we sometimes struggle with).  And 3.) "Brick" workouts, a term that means stringing together two of the three events, in the appropriate order.  So, "swim + bike," or "bike + run."  Since we didn't have a pool at the time, we stuck to biking and running (unless you count swimming in your own sweat, which we did regularly).  But, all in all, these last three weeks have been pretty successful.  We've been feeling stronger, leaner, and very excited about our progress.

It should be noted that, while we don't want to spend a fortune on the triathlon (we don't want to be that "guy" wearing the suit with abs painted on... or the "girl" in the aquatard... yes, you read that right...) we have needed to improve some of our basic gear.  These have included a few new workout clothes, new running shoes, goggles, lap-worthy swimsuits, a swim-cap for me, and a new bike for Dan!  Granted, his new ride isn't just for competition (he uses it for commuting, as well), but he's definitely much speedier.  And more stylish.

Dan, with his new Surly bike, "BlauHilde."

Starting this week (week four), we're transitioning to a new training regimen.  It's now up to five days a week and it consists of a Brick day, a single event day, a "duration" single event day, a day off (SWEET JESUS ON A CRACKER, THANK YOU...), another Brick, another single event, and one more day off.

It's going to be tough.  I know.  But the joy and sweat and tears and beer and glory that await us on the other side of that finish line... I think it'll be well worth it.  (The beer, at least.)

Thanks for reading!

WR