"training" for my first race

By the time I decided I wanted to do a triathlon it was late fall, so all the races for the year were over.  So I continued to do my workouts, running, swimming and biking a few times a week, but with no real goal in mind.  I researched to see if there were any local races and was delighted to find that there was an entire local series (http://somersault.ca/triathlons.htm) as well as numerous other independent races.  

After reading the rules and doing a bit of research an the types of races and training, I was fully committed on doing at least 3 sprint distant races the next season.  By late December I signed up, for some extra motivation and to save a few bucks on entry fees.  It was decided, 3 races.  Now there were a few hurtles to overcome.  The first, I didn't have a bike or really know much about cycling in general and second, I wasn't sure how to train.  

Over the winter holidays I went to a local bike shop (http://www.fullcycle.ca/) and asked about how to get an entry level road bike, and I was hoping for some sales.  They guys there were very informative and very honest, they told me to come back in the spring when I could try the bikes out and could get a deal on the previous years model.  So after the excellent advice I decided that would be exactly what I was going to do.  

As for my training plan, I decided that I would train to at least twice the distance in each event, so I wanted to be able to swim 1000m, bike 40km and run 10km without any problems.  I wasn't sure how my knees would handle intense training, so I figured for the first season I would just gain some experience and decide if this is something I like doing.  If I was committed to this I would amp up the training, body permitting, next year.  I also wasn't comfortable running in the winter, so my winter training was swimming 3 times a week, and going on our spin bike 2 times a week.  

Within no time I was able to pound out 2km swimming without any trouble and could easily maintain a 2 min/100m pace in a pool.  The spinning was a little harder to judge, since I stationary the entire time.  Luckily we had an early spring and I was able to get out jogging fairly early, mostly with our dog Kali.  She came dread our morning runs, but once she got going she was much better.  I went back to Full Cycle and was able to pick up a great bike on sale.  The sales guys there were excellent and helped me out a lot and still do to this day.  I took it pretty easy on the bike at first, just getting used to the different riding position shifting and what have you.  After a few weeks my confidence was building and I was able to build to 40km in a fairly short time.  For running I was able to build to 10km without much of a problem, I had accomplished my goal training goals with about 3-4 weeks to go into my first race.

With all the training, and admittedly sloppy technique in the pool and inexperience on the bike, I did end up tweaking my neck/shoulder about 3 weeks before my first race  I had to take some time out of the pool and limit my rides to try and get healthy for the race.  I really worked on alternating breathing, and trying to do shoulder checks less frequent and use both sides.  Combined with lots of stretching, heating/icing and a steady diet of Advil I made some good improvements.  Coming into race day my shoulder didn't feel 100%, but I felt it was "good enough".  Given my little bit of taper I had plenty of energy and was ready felt ready to go.  

where it all began

Well after graduation and moving to Ottawa for work, it was time to back in shape.  You know ditch the frosh 15 and the 15 pounds every year thereafter.  Okay, maybe it wasn't that bad, but it wasn't good.  I decided to join the local Ultimate league (http://www.ocua.ca/) in hopes of jump starting the process.  The first few games went well, and I even seem to hit it off with one of the ladies on the team, she'd eventually be my wife to be, but that story for another day.  And then something terrible.

Chasing a disc, with nobody around me I managed to hit the only hole on the field with my left leg.  I'm not sure if time actually slowed down, but I seem to recall thinking, "huh, my foot hasn't found the ground yet".  Then I looked down just in time to see my leg bend backwards, then in and possible out and then a face full of sod.  There was a distinct snap, sounded like a very loud cracking knuckle.  And as tried to pull myself off the ground I must have looked like a wounded dog, left leg sort of hanging there while my other leg and arms formed tripod.  I remember thinking I need to walk this off, but wasn't sure how to move without causing the worst pain ever getting worse.  As both lines which were on the field gathered and circled around me, people were asking if I was okay.  I'm not sure what I responded with, if anything, but I do recall others whispering "did you hear that".  I've been that guy whispering before and always assumed the injured couldn't hear me.  As it turns out they can.  I also know for a fact, that some some of those people were clear on the other side of the field.

So after lots of help from friends, team mates and physio, I was ready to return after about 10 weeks off.  I felt great, and the doctors and physio's thought it was just severe sprain.  During the first game back, and went to plant off my left leg and it gave out.  Just slid along the joint.  I fell down, and knew it was torn.  I guess that's what that "snap" was the first time.  A few weeks later I got an MRI and the results confirmed, torn ACL, grade 2 on the MCL, grade 1 on the LCL, a tear on the meniscus and bone bruise on the joint line.  A few months later surgery and 6 months later I was back on my feet with a shiny new knee brace in time for the new fall season.

That March I was playing indoor and everything was right again.  Then out of the blue I came across my endzone to defend a disc, which I did.  However, as I made the play the offensive player which the pass was intended for plowed through me and bang.  Felt my right knee go, and this time I managed to let the biggest, loudest eff-bomb go that I've ever done.  The next year and a half of my life flashed before my eyes.  Two months of physio to get back on the field, another re-injury, an MRI and ultimately surgery and 6 months of recovery.  Sure enough - that is exactly how it panned out.

That last 6 months to recover from the second surgery was much different than the first.  After a few weeks I was able to get onto a spin bike.  Having one at home encouraged me to get on the bike more and more.  My Physio then encouraged to start swimming to help my recovery.  So I did.  And let me tell you, the first time in the pool I was pretty sure I was going to die.  But after a few weeks things started feeling better and it really did help my knee.  Then after a few months of biking and swimming my physio encouraged me to start jogging again.  So I did.  By then I had decided to retire from ultimate; I don't have the inner thigh gap to play in two braces and I'm out of hamstrings to graft.  Given that I was already swimming, biking and running - making the transition to train for triathlons was pretty easy.

Of course by this point it was September and the season was over, I'd have to wait until 2010 for my first race....

prelude to "where it all began"

Ever since I saw Simon Whitfield win the gold medal during the 2000 games in Sydney I've been intrigued by triathlons.  It was always one of the events I caught during the Olympics and whenever it happened to be on TV.  Truth be told, it probably would have stayed as an "every four year interest" if I hadn't blown out not one, but both knees.  I know it may seem odd that two acute knee injuries, two re-injuries and two surgeries would kick start my triathlon racing, but it did.

This blog will ultimately track my thoughts and experiences during training and racing.  However, before this season starts, I want to recap how I got into racing and my results from last year.  The first race race of the 2011 season (Early Bird) is in exactly one month.  So I hope to get the stories of "where it all began", "first season training", my first four races (probably four posts), "first off season" and "second season training".  That seems like a pretty ambitions goal, but I think it should be attainable.  My posts shouldn't be long, but I hope they'll be entertaining. I also hope to pretty up the design a bit in the coming weeks. 

Stay tuned...