I was sore from my first race so the first few weeks of my new program included stretching and weight training. My heart and head were finally in it! It was go time!
I would like to say training was easy and it came natural to me, but it wasn't. Try as I might, I'm just not the most talented athlete out there. Mentally I was there, but physically I just didn't have it. After months of training I just wasn't getting better at the run and bike disciplines, and that is frustrating. I'm built like a runner, what the heck?!
I needed coaching, but I'm a broke college student. Enter: Triathlete's Training Bible. Joe Friel's book on the self coached athlete has given me some valuable insight into the sport which, as passionate as I am, I know little about.
I also talked to the college track coach in the spring and started training with the team. Intimidating! I was completely horrible and these guys were studs! But I learned a lot and started to increase miles. New shoes and everything, I was becoming more of an athlete every day. I even decided to go out for the cross country season the following fall.
The summer came around and I was fit and registered for the 2010 Timberman Sprint Triathlon. I couldn't believe it, I was weeks from becoming a triathlete! I wasn't going to be a superstar, probably not even top 3 in my AG of about 10, but I knew I would finish with a decent time!
Then disaster hit. Pain in my ankle starting one week from the event, two days later it got worse. I went to the doctor got the X-Ray and the bad news. Stress fracture. I was out of the race 5 days before the event. Once again I was thwarted on this race. I was close to doing the run on crutches but decided the chaffing wasn't worth it, I even considered gritting through the pain. But with my first collegiate season approaching I opted for the better safe than sorry plan.
360 days straight... Still not a triathlete... I was not a happy camper.
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