Q: What does any bored triathlete do in the middle of the winter?...when it's negative 15 outside with the wind chill and stir craziness has set in deep?
A: Why, they do a triathlon of course!! (Duh, as if there was going to be another answer).
I live in Iowa...it's cold here! Triathlon season doesn't officially kick off until May, and even then...I don't recommend it. I'm hard core, but when water temps hover less than 60 degrees...count this hard core tri chic out!!! I've killed many many many many braincells (some more recently than others...BRR Ride what?...but that's for another post, stay tuned :)), and I may not be the smartest fish in the pond...and we all know that I LOVES me some triathlon, but damn, cold is cold, and there's no way in HELL I'm getting in a lake in Iowa in May. Sorry Charlie! I'll volunteer and spectate and bring a lot of cow bell to the occasion, but participate HELLZ to the PHUCKING NO.
Anyway, where was I?...oh yeah, tri season isn't until May around here...AAANNNND, it's still February. PHUCK! (Sorry, I'm about to sound like my 8 year old here, but...) OMG, I'm soooo bored!!!! Good grief! Somebody entertain me??? (Yeah, that got no response...thanks guys... :)).
Here's the deal, (if it's not already glaringly obvious) I absolutely hate winter (for the most part) and I'm tired of all the mental mind games that go along with the off season training plan (pros call it base building...I call it boring...necessary, but boring-as-shit). So, sometime during the course of the day it occurred to me that there was absolutely nothing stopping me from doing a tri right now...like RIGHT now. My gym has a pool, and bikes, and treadmills...so why not???
After work I donned my finest TYR swimsuit and goggles (if anyone from TYR is reading this, and wants to sponsor a middle of the pack, random, potty mouthed, age grouper from Iowa...call me :)), packed up my Mizuno tri bag (again, I'm not too proud to beg here...I can pedal ice to an Eskimo :)) and headed to the gym to complete my first sprint tri of the 2011 season. One 500 meter swim, a 15 mile bike, and a 5K run later and this tri momma found some much needed zen mojo on a cold miserable winter day. (Seriously, we're under a wind chill advisory for the next 3 days...BLAH!!!...anyone not aware of what a wind chill advisory is, it means that any exposed skin will frostbite in less than 30 minutes outside...sweet!...sounds enjoyable eh??)
On the way home in the car, as brain drain was fully setting in, something else occurred to me...most people consider a sprint tri something to train for, not just to do for the hell of it as part of training cuz we're bored...huh... (well, I never said Triathletes were sane :))
I love this sport!!!
Tell me friends...what kinds of things to you do in the off season to keep your excitement high?
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