One + Du = Tri
The Journey of a Duathlete looking for success in Triathlon
By Larry Bradley
In the fall of 2006, I found a new
challenge in life. I was
searching the internet for a late season event to keep me motivated
through the
ups and downs of training. I had completed a few running races since I
had
decided to get my body back into shape (started running in May 2005)
after more
than a decade of excess but was finding it tough to work out on a
regular basis
without a target down the road.
I am not sure what pointed me in the direction but during this search I came across a local triathlon site. Leading up to that discovery, I had watched a bit of triathlon on television (the amazing accomplishments of Simon Whitfield at the Olympics, for example) but had never actually seen it in person. Little did I know there was such a huge following right here in my own backyard with hundreds of athletes regularly testing their fitness abilities throughout the summer months.
Due to the fact that I had never really swam in my life (I would not consider keeping my head barely above the water at the beach swimming?), I realistically knew there would be no chance to prepare for a triathlon on such short order.
As I clicked through the pages, I came across the event details and noticed one of the options that caught my attention; a duathlon. I seriously was not aware that this sport was offered at a recreational level in our area. This run/bike/run combination was very intriguing so I set up a running plan and started putting money aside to purchase a cheap, starter bike.
I ended up purchasing my first road bike the week of the race and showed up to the event not having a clue what to expect. Man, that experience was a huge eye opener. Bikes I had never seen before in my life, athletes all kitted out in tight tri suits, crowds of swimmers wading down at the beach…what was I getting myself into?
Looking back, that initial event was simply life changing. Even though I struggled during the final run, due to a lack of experience in nutrition and pacing, I was shocked by the support of passing athletes, volunteers and the fans. Where else would the competition cheer for you and urge you along to the finish line? It seemed like such a positive lifestyle that I knew right away that I wanted to become more involved with the sport. I have been hooked ever since.
Over the past three seasons, I continued to compete in the duathlon trying to grow each season to see how far I could push myself. I lucked out at the start of my first full year as a triathlete enrolled in the sport’s coaching program asked if I wanted to be a guinea pig. I realized I had nothing to lose so, Syd (Trefiak), put a plan in place to help me reach my early goals. Every now and then, during the first couple seasons, he would ask me if I would be taking the plunge into triathlon anytime soon. I always laughed it off saying the water was not in my future.
Deep down inside though, dreams of long course triathlon success started to stir and my list of long term athletic goals soon had Kona written up at the top. This may not happen right away but in order to pursue this goal, I will have to swim.
This blog will document the struggles and triumphs of a duathlete leaving the sport that gave so much during the past three years to start over in multisport with aspirations of making it to the Big Island. I hope you find it interesting and even helpful as you follow my journey into the water.
Happy training,
Larry Bradley
Larry will take us through his triathlon journey with regular blog post. Make sure to visit often and to say Hi to Larry at the races.
Blog Post #7 - September 17, 2010
The last weekend of triathlon is now just days away and it is sad to see the season come to an end. I have been through quite the roller coaster ride this year in the sport but the cart seems to be pointed in the right direction for the future, although, I would love to have a couple more events to experiment with things before evaluating my off-season needs.
After my last race in New Hampshire (Aug 22), I had two races (Cobourg and Wasaga) on the schedule that I was really looking forward to competing in but they just did not work out with family commitments taking precedence. So now I have one last kick at the can in Lakeside on Sunday and the goal is to leave it all out on the course. There is no next race to save up for so it will be fun to hammer through the Olympic distance to see what I am capable of. If the weather cooperates, and it is not too chilly coming out of the water, I have challenged myself with an aggressive goal time that will push all three elements of the race. It is also
Come next week, it is going to be interesting to look back over all the ups and downs from 2010 as I plan my attack for next year. It may seem like a long way down the road but I have a lot of work to do on my swimming so I can’t afford to sit back and relax as much as I would love to after Lakeside. I have posted strong results on the bike and run which shows that I can compete in my Age Group but starting those portions so far back after a slow swim can be mentally tough to overcome. Hopefully, with another fall, winter and spring in the pool, I will get a better feel for the water and become quicker and more efficient.
When I do sit down and take stock of 2010, I will put together a blog to help document my journey in triathlon to date. Looking back at the expectations I set up for my first year in swim/bike/run, I can see many goals were not reached. I may have been a little unrealistic in those targets but I know I need to challenge myself to avoid lazy stretches along the way. Thankfully, I have an amazing support network in the sport that helps keep the balance of fun and competition in order. Sometimes, when I start taking things a little too serious, it is nice to be reminded that it is just a pastime (unless you are pro and trying to make a living, which I am not) and a great excuse to hang out with friends away from all the other stresses in life.
On a final thought for this entry, I would like to thank John Salt, Roger Hospedales and the entire Multisport Canada Crew for the space they have provided for my articles and MSC blog. Through this blog, I have had the opportunity to meet many of you at the races, in training and online. I am very fortunate to have this platform to share my experiences with so many passionate athletes who love the sport for all the right reasons.
Thank you very much!
Hope to see everyone in Lakeside this Sunday!
Larry
Larry's Archived Blog Post's in PDF.
Blog Post #2 (posted June 11, 2010)
Blog Post #3 (posted June 14, 2010)
Blog Post #4 (posted June 21, 2010)
Blog Post #5 (posted June 28, 2010)
