25 days til my First "Real" Triathlon!

My "First" Triathlon!

25.  Twenty-Five.  XXV.....days and counting to the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon (I guess its the Minneapolis Triathlon now) on July 9th.  I am doing the Sprint distance, so .4 mile swim, 15 mile bike, and 3.1 mile run.

It will be my first triathlon (not counting my indoor I just finished) and I have this excited/nervous/pumped/crazy feeling going on!  Initially I really wanted to train hard for it, but with injury and also participating in TNT, I didnt get as much in as I wanted, BUT the most important thing is that I have been taking swimming lessons (Beginner's Master's Swim at Eagan LTF is awesome with Coach Teresa!).  Here is what I am doing in the days coming up to the race:

1.  Bike 
Get on it! I don't have a road bike, just my trusty Schwinn, which will have to do.  I haven't logged a lot of miles, which I need to remedy soon.  I did get fitted for my bike at the local cycle store, and I rode it briefly down the street and it feels much better than before.  I plan on riding the LTF course at least 3 times to get familiar with it (find a place I can collapse safely on race day). 

2.  Swim
1. I have been progressing nicely in my swimming if I do say so myself, the Master's class is really helping me in that aspect.  I need to build more endurance and work on getting that effortless feeling in the water without using my fins.  I practice without and I feel like my kick isn't strong enough, but I think the power in my stroke is good.  

2. Open Water Swim:  this Thursday!!!!!! My swim coach is having an OWS at Lake Nokomis on Thursday, so I will be joining them and I will be wearing a wetsuit!  Another first for me!  I rented one from Urban Tri (they are an awesome Tri store that just opened off of Lyndale Ave in S. Mpls, check them out!).  Its right by Minnehaha Trail, so you can bike all you want and stop at Urban Tri fuel up and they even have shower facilities!  They were very helpful and I recommend going there.)  That was an experience trying it on, I guess that's what Batman feels like when he wears his outfit. I love me some neoprene!

Run 
1.  Recovering from the Minneapolis Half the legs are doing better.  I went to the chiropractor yesterday since my nagging SI joint pain came back after the race.  It feels so much better now.  I will be training for a marathon with Team in Training so I will have plenty of time for the run.  I just keep telling myself, its only a 5K....after a combined 15.4 miles of swimming/biking.  No biggie, I got it in the bag.   

Final goal:  To enjoy and have fun with my first Triathlon experience, and to not collapse, or pants my poop....really! I got that quote from Marathon Thoughts, check it out below:

All hilarity aside, I am definitely pumped and ready for the Mpls Tri in....25 days!