Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Triathlon Island

(No, this isn't an idea for a new reality show.  Hmm...maybe I should pitch this idea to one of the networks.)

Everybody has some reason for getting into triathlon:  to get in shape, to challenge themselves, a bar bet, whatever.  For me, it was partially to challenge myself and partially because I had some extra time on my hands.

I had "do a triathlon" on my bucket list for a few years.  I even competed in a relay triathlon, but never actually did one myself.  It seemed like a big time commitment to train for, and I always had an excuse why I couldn't do it.

Fast forward a few years to Poland.  We had lived there for over a year, but living in a foreign country is, initially, exhausting.  We spent the first year in a language course, but then I found a teaching job while my husband worked on his graduate studies.

My job at the university was only about 20 hours a week, so I had lots of extra time to sit in my tiny apartment.  I was very self-conscious about my Polish, so I preferred to doing things that wouldn't involve a lot of talking.  I knew that I didn't just want to sit around and watch movies on the internet.  At some point, the idea to finally do a triathlon popped into my head.  I found one that involved running around a medieval Gothic castle.  Cool!

Deciding to take up this sport in Poland provided some very unique challenges, but in some ways they were very beneficial.

I was a triathlon island.  Triathlon is a virtually unknown sport in Poland.  There were only a few events each year in the whole country.  If there were triathlon clubs, they were usually for kids, and it would be in Polish.  I was still trying to master basic phrases, so the specialized vocabulary would have killed me.  (I did learn a lot of these words over time, but all the bike parts still mystify me.)

And so the research and learning began.  I read Joe Friel's Training Bible and the Pose Triathlon book.  I watched the Total Immersion DVD.  I read all sorts of forums, like Slowtwitch and Beginner Triathlete.  I joined Rock Star Triathlete Academy.  I became an information sponge.

When we moved back to the US, I was so excited to find a triathlon club near me.  Now I'm able to ask questions and interact with club members, my bike shop guys, and people at races.  But I'm also glad that I did so much research on my own because I think it has made me a lot smarter about my training, equipment, nutrition, and racing.

So if you are a triathlon island, I would highly recommend finding an online club where you can get information and ask questions.  For me, Rock Star was awesome.  They cover all the basic how-to's (usually with videos) and you can ask questions in the forum.  You get answers from one of the coaches, not hundreds of opinions (see my post about choices to explain why more ≠ better).

Even if you aren't a triathlon island, feel free to ask questions or request content in the comments section.  Thanks!

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