UBC REC Tri Du – My First Tri Blog

I can happily say that I no longer hate biking. Its status among my preferences in life has been increased to tolerable. This morning I rode 30km before 10am. I’m pretty sure I biked more before 10am today than I have in my whole life total. The ride was actually pretty decent though, mostly because hills were avoided. I was also a lot more prepared than I have been in the past. This time I had gloves, bike shorts, and two pairs of long socks. Those three items are pretty crucial for me Continue reading »

I’m learning the hard way how important it is to do things properly and efficiently. I had a pretty intense swim session last night and I am not a technical swimmer at all. Because of that, my shoulders were incredibly sore. It’s amazing how seemingly small corrections can make a huge difference. I’ve even been watching help videos on YouTube. How did people know how to do things before the internet???

I’m getting back into my routine again. I started my education practicum last week so I’ve been teaching. I’m at the school every day by 7:45am and stay until 4. When I get home, it’s a couple more hours of lesson planning. It’s pretty much a guarantee that I’ll fall asleep on the bus and when I get home I can’t sit down because I know I’ll fall asleep Continue reading »

Tonight I went to my first spin class ever at the Birdcoop. It was actually the first time I’ve ever set foot in the Birdcoop. Personally, I can’t stand gyms. They’re cold and sterile and have way too much metal in them. We live in the most comfortable climate in Canada and one of the most beautiful cities in the world, why on earth would you want to be inside??

The thought of riding a bike that doesn’t actually go anywhere is bizarre to me; I feel the same way about treadmills. You’re using up so much time and energy but you’re not going anywhere…   Continue reading »

I’m beginning to resent my bike. I bought it off Craigslist for $150 after some extensive internet research to figure out what the hell I was looking for. I was really excited for it at the beginning, I even named him Lorenzo (his full name is Lorenzo Fiori). I got it back today from its first tune up and some repairs, the damage: $150 for a new back wheel and a bottom bracket (whatever that means). Including accessories, I have spent more on the bike than what it’s actually worth.

In order to like my bike a little bit more than I currently do, I went to MEC to get some more accessories. Believe it or not, I have never set foot in a MEC store before. I now feel like a true Vancouverite and I even understand some of the hype (they have a rock climbing wall!) Continue reading »

My motivation to go to my Monday night running clinic was at an all time low this week, if last week’s motivation was at negative 5, this week was at negative 10. After some gentle encouragement (or yelling…) from friends, I went.

Holy crap did I hate the first kilometre of the run. We ran up Collingwood and there’s a two block span just before 16^th Ave that has an incline of 90%. Okay, it’s probably more like 45%, but at the time that hill was the worst thing I had seen in my life Continue reading »

Need any more motivation? Get excited for training with this TriDu Promo!

The swim is what I’m most worried about in the triathlon. Like I mentioned in my first post, I haven’t swum laps in over 10 years. I’m more of a “treader” than a swimmer. I can swim to the dock in a lake, to the other side of a river, but any further than that I’d rather use a boat.

My first day in the pool was probably the most disheartening day of my training so far. I was really excited to get in the water; I even brought a swim cap and goggles. Apparently looking like you know what you’re doing doesn’t actually influence your ability… Continue reading »

I joined a Monday night running clinic with a friend through LadySport and decided that instead of doing the 10k training like most of the women in the clinic, I’d do the half marathon training. Apparently I’m slightly masochistic but running the BMO half marathon in May has been something I’ve wanted to do for a while so I thought I’d combine the training.

Last night was our second clinic and my motivation level to go for a run was at negative 5. It was cold, it was raining, and I had about ten other excuses as well. But, I realized that if I didn’t go for a run I wouldn’t have anything to post about today. So, begrudgingly, I went and ran 9km. Continue reading »

I’ve taken on quite possibly the ballsiest challenge of my life so far: completing a triathlon. Why the hell am I doing this? After all, it was only September when I stood on the shores of English Bay watching my boyfriend compete in the Vancouver Triathlon in the pouring rain, thinking to myself “I have absolutely no desire to ever do this.” Yet, here we are, just four months later and I’m already registered for TriDu.

When I started at UBC many years ago, I honestly thought that the TriDu was an event I would never compete in. I’ve done Longboat, Storm the Wall, even On the Button Bonspiel, but I never saw myself ever completing a triathlon. I hadn’t swum (I forgot how stupid of a word “swum” is) laps in a pool since completing my maroon swimming badge and I’m pretty sure that was around when TLC’s “Waterfalls” was released. As for biking, I don’t think I had been on a bike that actually moved forward longer than five minutes in well over ten years. (It’s not true what they say you know, you can forget how to ride a bicycle and I have the bruises to prove it.)  Wow, now that I’m visualizing my complete lack of experience, it’s making it a lot harder for me to explain why I’m doing this… Continue reading »