So the training for this first tri started. First I picked a lamppost several blocks away from my house as my target turnaround for my first run. I estimated it to be about a 2 mile round trip. I was currently a wrestling coach at the high school where I was employed and felt like I was in okay shape but not great.
My first run was much more painful than I thought so I knew it was farther than estimated. I grabbed my mountain bike and rode the route with my cyclo-computer to get the exact distance: Boy was I surprised! 1.1 mile roundtrip! yeah right!
Okay no problem I can work on that.
Next I arranged to swim in my neighbors back yard with bungee cords attached to my ankles. It worked okay until race day...Wait for it...
The cycling really became the easiest part for me. My friend, the same one who suggested this endeavor loaned me a bike to train on and race. I began riding the 7 mile uphill commute to school 3 times a week and extending it to about 10 miles on the way home.
I was feeling pretty good about my training except for the freezing water I was training in. Unheated pools even in Vegas are quite cold in February. even with a waterskiing wetsuit.
My running improved quickly and the cycling seemed fine though I had no real tape to measure it by.
I began the online research to learn as much as I could (a habit I have continued until this day). I would recommend 2 extremely helpful websites: one is trinewbies.com, and slowtwitch.com. these sites have a wealth of information, plans, tips, and even email help from former professional triathletes.
A few other sites/theories I have found helpful are pose method running by Dr. Romanov. The website is posetech.com and his philosophies on running as a technique and skill just "made sense" to me and since I have tried to adopt his methods I can run much further pain free than I ever could before. I have not purchased his books or videos but just researched the literature offered for free. (remember this is for peasants) secondly; swimming technique work is invaluable. If you ever decide to spend money on a coach I would work on swim first. I was a decent swimmer and 40 minutes with a friend (certified swim coach) sped me up 10 seconds per 100 meter.
Gotta go. more later.

I decided a long time go that I should share my experiences of the last 12 years of triathlon racing in the hopes of sharing my Zen like wealth of knowledge and wisdom accumulated over those years, and some of it actually has to do with triathlon. It has taken me several years to start. I am new to blogging so I have no idea how this will look but I will adjust and learn.

As an employee in public education serving in rural, urban, suburban, and inner city schools for the last 17 years I have accumulated much experience but little to no wealth, therefore I consider myself a Tri-Peasant. I started this triathlon venture as a peasant in all manner of the word. Not only was I short on material means (money) but also short on time to train, equipment, and knowledge of the 3 sports.

I was a high school and collegiate athlete with Junior college paid for with a football scholarship. I transferred to Utah State in the hopes of continuing my football dreams there. It quickly became clear that a higher power had other plans and that I was not intended to continue. (that is a different story for a different blog).

Upon graduation I found mountain biking as new sport to push my limits. I raced locally (Park City) for a few years including some NORBA races until I moved my family to Las Vegas. Mountain biking in Vegas is not bad, but neither was it close or convenient.

One lovely Sunday, that would prove to be a turning point in my life, like the day somebody said "Hey Obama you should run for president"a friend approached myself and another friend at church and said" Hey, you guys want to do a triathlon with me?" "Why not" I replied and my fate was sealed.

Don't get me wrong. I had seen triathlons on TV before including the infamous footage of Julie Moss in 1982. I thought Triathlon meant Ironman. I had no idea there were actually different distances and races for the regular folk.

The 3 of us registered for the Saint George Triathlon. This was before it became the behemoth run by BBSC that it is today. Then it was run by some kid named Jared and operated by his family members who served as the volunteers. The event featured a $5 refund at registration if you let them shave your head, and only cost $25. In fact my shaved cranium is on the 2005 postcard sent out by Jared to all previous participants. The race was started with a pistol, and precluded by jared dumping a cooler of ice into the 52 degree Gunlock reservoir. We laid our bikes down on the parking lot or leaned them against trees or rocks. It was awesome!