BigFish said:I am looking to get myself motivated to get into shape and would like
to use competing in a triathalon (next summer?) as my motivation. I
was a competitive swimmer in High School and swam in a club year
round.. I ride my mountain bike about 10 miles every other week around
a local lake and play some pickup volleyball, but that is the extent of
my workouts. I also did some triathalon's in High School, but haven't
been in that sort of shape for about 13 years - I've probably put on
upwards of 80lbs since then.
What is the preferred method for getting into any sort of shape for
doing triathalon's? I was at an Olympic sized pool about a week ago
and for kicks attempted to swim 100 meters and just about croaked - my
body remembers the old workouts but no energy...
Any great ideas or expert advice? Any books that are good reads.
A strong recommendation of a book: Slow Fat Triathlete by Jayne Williams.
At 49 years old never having run before I had to start very slowly. For
a month I walked to the local track and ran once around, slowly (1/4
mile), three days a week. The next month I ran twice around, and so on,
until 9 months later when I did my first triathlon I was running 2 1/2
miles three times a week.
If you want to lose weight by increasing your activity, find one sport
where you can build up to doing 1 1/2 hour or more slow workouts several
times a week. For me that is bicycling, for you it may be swimming. I
try to take at least one three hour bike ride a week, sometimes with a
local bicycling club. I swim with a masters group associated with the
local kids swim team. I needed to learn proper form, but having a coach
giving telling us what to do also makes it not boring.
I've had a wonderful time going from just being a walker to triathlons
in a year. It is a great motivation.
Pam
