Skip to main content

How it started... How to become a Triathlete

 



I was listening to Mike Reilly's podcast with Triathlon Taren the other day and it had me reminiscing on how it started for me, 10 years ago.  In the podcast Taren remembers asking a friend how to become a triathlete.  The answer...  "sign up for a race and do it."

In 2012 that is just what I did.  I had just started running 5ks in 2011 to keep up with my 10 year old who had found a love of running.  I did NOT love running... but I had always enjoyed swimming and biking as a kid.  So, when the instructor of my morning spin class started talking about a local sprint triathlon I was intrigued.  Without doing any real "training plan," I found an indoor triathlon to sign up for and I did it!  With that, on March 4th 2012, I became a triathlete... and I was HOOKED!!



On May 26th, 2012 I participated in my first outdoor triathlon.  It was a sprint distance race at Island Lake in Michigan.  I had used a 6 week training plan I found at https://trinewbies.com/ and felt pretty good going into the day, but when I showed up to transition that morning I must have looked terrified.  There was an older gentlemen racking his bike across from me.  He saw my fear and said, "do you know what they call the last person to cross the finish line?"  I looked up at him with huge, scared eyes but before I could say something akward he said, "A TRIATHLETE!"  That was exactly what I needed to hear.  I was not there to impress anyone or win.  I just wanted to be proud of myself for doing what I set out to do, and even if I was the last one to cross the finish line I would accomplish that!  I was a triahtlete!  This was also my first taste of the amazing community that comes with this sport.  I never got that athlete's name, but I did see him several times on the course that day and we exchanged big smiles each time!


In 2012 I went on to do 3 more sprint races and my first Olympic Distance in my hometown, where I got third in my age group with my family there to watch.  


How to become a triathlete?  Sign up for a race and do it!  You don't need a fancy bike, special shoes, coaches, wetsuits, etc.  Those things will come with time.  Every person on that course was a rookie once.    So pick your race!  Sign up!  And get ready for an amazing experience with amazing people!  



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Big News: I'm Now a Multisport Coach!

  Big News: I'm Now a Multisport Coach! After 12 years of racing triathlons and multisport events, I am beyond excited to announce that I am officially an Ironman U Certified Coach and the Head Coach at 3 Goals Multisport Coaching! 🎉 Why Coaching? Over the years, triathlon has become so much more than a sport for me. It’s a way to challenge myself, build confidence, and connect with an amazing community. Some of my proudest moments have been helping friends reach their first finish lines, and now, I’m ready to help even more athletes discover what they’re capable of. My coaching philosophy is built on trusting the process, understanding your workouts, and setting meaningful goals . I believe in celebrating every step of the journey and supporting athletes with honest, straightforward guidance. Whether you’re brand new to triathlon or chasing your next big PR, I’m here to help you cross the finish line with pride. Why Train with TriDot? TriDot is a cutting-edge triathlon training p...
Post a Comment
Read more

IM70.3 Eagleman 70.3: Lucky #13??

  TLDR: An 11-minute PR in my 13th 70.3!!  It definitely wasn't Lucky #13, though.  I did the work, collected the puzzle pieces, and was able to put them together on race day!!   Pre-Race I drove to Cambridge on Friday, which was the first day of my carb-loading plan.  Having taken the Carb-Loading Masterclass in The Triathlon Nutrition Academy and practicing/ramping it for several weeks.  I wrote my plan, packed a cooler, and got on the road!  I made it to town in time to check in, do my pre-race run, and swim familiarization.  On Saturday, I got up to do my pre-race safety check bike ride and then met up with fellow Team Zooters as they did their pre-race shake-out run.   Race Morning As usual, I set three goals for this race, but I needed to protect my mental game on the run.  So I only set the 3 goals for swim and bike.  Instead of a goal for the run, I made myself a promise.  At this race, I was also going to be...
Post a Comment
Read more

IM70.3 Indian Wells 2022 Race Report

  Pre-Race On April 30th, Chris Kenon messaged me asking me to be her Battle Buddy and join her for this race.  If you know me, you know it did not take much thought before I was IN!  Travel + Triathlon = Happy Erin!!  Rumors were that this is a fast course with good chances for a PR.  I asked her to join me on Team IMF for this race!  She got to work right away and raised over $1800 for the Foundation!  We also traveled with fellow Team Zooter - Chandler Carranza, our Coach - Sami Winter, and Sami's Fiance (and bike mechanic) Charlie!  It was a quick trip flying to California on Friday, Racing on Sunday, and Home by Monday!  We stayed at a VRBO near the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, which worked out perfectly! On Saturday we did our bike safety ride and then dropped off all of our things.  At this race, you have to dip your wetsuit in a chlorine bath and leave it at T1 along with your bike and bike bag.  The Run bag goes to T2, which...
Post a Comment
Read more