First, Happy New Years! I hope everyone had a safe and fantastic holiday!
Typically a new year brings fresh goals, new perspectives, and renewed motivation. In addition, my new year brought a new pair of running shoes with it!
With no real intentions of obtaining new shoes, I went to my local running store last week. My then current shoes, Brooks Glycerin GTS 21, had about 320 miles on them. The soles were completely flat and wore down, however I thought they still had some life in them yet. My feet, specifically my toes, had other plans.
My last few runs all started off well but I noticed some interesting pain as the miles started passing by. The tips of toes started to hurt. Very light pain at first but it did grow as the runs went on. I did my best to ignore it and continued the runs, which is pretty stupid if I’m being honest.
When I got back to the house and removed the shoes everything appeared fine. No bruising, pooling of blood under the toe nails, or blisters. The toes ached though, and they straight up hurt when touching them. It actually was painful to walk after a few minutes.
I first decided to buy new inserts, as the current ones were as old as the shoes. I have extremely flat feet and inserts assist with proper pronation. My thought was that, after 300+ miles they were likely flat as a pancake. So I ordered a new pair. They did not, sadly, resolve the issue. So to the running store I go.
The ladies at the stores were extremely helpful. They talked through what I was experiencing. They also discussed what I was training for and how I was training. After a decent bit of conversation I tried 4 different shoe pairs; Saucony, Brooks Glycerin GTS 22, Brooks Adrenaline GTS 24, Brooks Adrenaline GTS 25. Immediately, I did not like the Saucony. They just did not feel right. The Glycerin had a good feel to them but still didn’t rock my world. The Adrenaline 24 was the same, with them feeling just a little too wide. The Adrenaline 25 felt fantastic and natural, so I went with them. Plus they had a nice bright green in them, which is always a good thing.
Eager to fully try them out I went on a short 3 mile run the next day. Aside from the stiffness of new shoes they were everything I wanted. No pain, my running gait felt natural, and I didn’t have pain in my toes at the end. I know I need to log some longer distances, however I am feeling very positive!
Stretching is by far one of the most important aspects of healthy and successful training. It lengthens your muscle fibers and connectivity tissue, improving their ability to stretch further. Being consistent with stretching has a large number of benefits that you should not ignore:
Increased flexibility, you become more bendy!
Reduce soreness and tension, which is key to recovering quickly from training
Reduces chance of injuries
Can help alleviate stress and improve relaxation
Improve performance because of the above!
Honestly, you would be remiss if you skipped out on the extremely important activity. However, as I mentioned at the start, I do have a love-hate relationship with it. I absolutely love yoga and practice every day, usually first thing in the morning. Alternating between vinyasa and yin, I practice yoga to help wake my body up in the morning, strengthen my muscles, and increase my flexibility. I actually get grumpy when I don’t get to practice in the morning.
I hate stretching because it is absolutely the last thing I want to do after a workout, which just happens to be one of the more important times to stretch. Stretching after a workout promotes a quicker recovery, allows for deeper stretching due to the muscles being warmed up, and prevents soreness and injury. Knowing all this I will STILL find every excuse under the sun to skip or shorten my post-workout stretch. I just finished a long cardio workout and my legs feel like jelly, why in the world would I want to do MORE working out? I just want to catch my breath, not move!
As much as I hate the post-workout stretch I still take at least five minutes to do it. I learned a hard lesson a few years ago when my right achilles suddenly started to shoot pain anytime it moved. It was discovered that, at some point, I slightly tore it. I didn’t know this so it healed by tightening into a little ball where the tear was, effectively shortening it. I was put in a boot and sent to physical therapy to hopefully resolve the issue. The caveat being that if PT didn’t resolve it then surgery would be next. After a good bit of physical therapy to help slowly stretch it back out it is, for all intents and purposes, back to normal. However, both the sports doctor and physical therapist told me that it occurred because I was not properly stretching, especially after a workout. I need to ensure I stretch afterwards every time to prevent this from recurring.
So, dear readers, stretching; do you love it or hate it?
By far my biggest struggle with winter training is the swimming. Unfortunately there is an extreme lack of public year-round pools in my vicinity, a large total of 2. One is indoor while the other is outdoor.
The indoor pool is nice-ish and 25 yards in length. However, their hours do not work with my schedule at all. I use to be a member but, because of the scheduling issue, I cancelled it.
The outdoor pool, whose facility I am presently a member of, is very nice. Couple of drawbacks are its length, which is 18.5 yards, and the fact that it is outside. Now, this pool is heated to 85F. However, that does nothing for the cold air one will be exposed to upon placing any part of your body out of the water.
I haven’t done any swim training in 1.5 months and it is killing me. I know I am losing progress so I really want to, and need to, get back to training. It’s definitely more will power than anything, at least until the air temps get into the 30s. I don’t believe a wetsuit is needed and honestly, based on my scuba experience in very cold climates, they don’t do much to prevent coldness once you are out of the water.
I have seen various versions of warm changing robes that could alleviate this problem but I haven’t decided if I want to pull the trigger. Based on reviews they are great when transitioning out of the water, whether it is on race day or training. In particular I am looking at the USWE Robe (Not affiliated in any way, shape or form). It’s currently on sale thanks to the holidays so I may just bite the financial bullet. If I do I will post an update and review here.
So, dear readers, do you have any thoughts or recommendations on this?
I finally participated in and completed my first “triathlon”. After reading that you may be saying to yourself “J, why is triathlon in quotes?”. Well, while it was officially my first triathlon I did not get to participate in all three disciplines. Unfortunately the area was being hit by a nor’easter, causing that particular portion of the Atlantic Ocean to be extremely dangerous for swimming. This, of course, led to the swim portion being cancelled and rightfully so. The waves during check in were rough, between 4-6 feet tall, and breaking within 50 yards of the shore. You could see whitecaps to the horizon. While I was extremely disappointed that the swim was cancelled it was absolutely the right call. Oh well, on to the actual event.
The triathlon was on Vilano Beach, which is technically part of St. Augustine, FL. It was oddly cool that morning thanks to the nor’easter but I was happy for that, I hate being hot. My wife dropped me off at the event at a lovely 5:30 in the morning, then went back to get my daughter ready. I proceeded to look around lost and a little overwhelmed before I identified where the bike check-in and transition area. I quickly put my number on my bike (more on that later), then moved to check-in and to get my markings/timing chip.
It was easy to find my rack in the transition area and, luckily, I was on the end right next to a grassy area. I took my time in ensuring I had everything set up correctly, freaking out whether I racked the bike facing the right way, wondering if I was taking up too much room, etc.. After taking a few deep breaths I focused and went over everything I read regarding setting up your transition area. My bike, to my knowledge, was facing the correct way. I had a small towel down with my running shoes, cycling shoes, and socks for each on them. One gel was in each pair of shoes, just in case I felt they were needed. My bike helmet was nestled on the aero bars upside down, sunglasses sitting inside. Two water bottles were in the rear cages of the bike, one containing Tailwind’s Blueberry Lemon endurance fuel while the other had a packet of Mortal Hydration margarita. I know this may have been overkill for a sprint but I sweat A LOT and I would much rather be safe than sorry.
Satisfied that I set up my gear correctly I left the transition area and walked around a bit, stretching while waiting on my wife and daughter arrived. Once there they hung out while the olympic distance athletes started, giving me a preview of what to expected in the transition area.
Finally it was time for the sprint distance athletes to get ready. Even though the swim was cancelled we still started on the beach, acting as if we were transitioning from the swim portion to the cycling portion. Apparently this was to allow the organizers to still report the results as a triathlon to the USAT. I stood in line waiting on my turn to run up the wooden ramp, over the dunes, and into the transition area. They were starting us in groups of two, fifteen seconds apart. Let me tell you, my heart was racing due to nervousness. I don’t take pre-workout but if I did my heart may have burst through my chest. Then I heard “Go” and I was off!
The Swim – T1 and Cycling
I will say I was slow in getting my cycling shoes and helmet on, taking my time to ensure I did everything right and would not get a penalty. I also did not run out with my bike but I did do a pretty impressive speed shuffle/walk. Once I exited the transition I mounted my bike and was off.
The cycling route was a simple out and back on a relatively straight road with a total of four turns. There were a couple of intersections but the local police department was there to stop traffic whenever us cyclist were approaching. Once I was past the last turn on the leg out (they were right at the start/end) I moved into aero position and did my best to enter my “zen” state. I will say that the cycling portion made me the most nervous in regards to penalties, specifically regarding no drafting and the time you have to pass someone. When approaching another cyclist, as soon as I felt I was about four bike lengths away, I would move to the left so I was not in their slipstream and hammer the pedals a little harder. I wanted to ensure I passed them in the allotted time. Either there was never an official that witnessed me doing this incorrectly or I actually did it right but no warnings or penalties were assessed. Yay!
Overall it was a great cycling leg. I know I am far from alone in this but I definitely push myself harder during race time than while training and I could feel it in muscles (in a good way). While I know am I not the fastest cyclist I was amazed at how fast some of the athletes were passing me. I’d be going a good 20 mph and they would come flying by, at least at 27 mph (my judgement may be WAYYY off). It definitely made me realize I need more time in the saddle. I wanted to push myself harder each time I was passed but I willed myself not to, remembering that my goal was just to finish since it was my first triathlon.
T2 and Running
I was nervous coming back into the transition area but had no issues, unclipping and easily sliding off as I came into the transition area. Quickly racking my bike, I swapped out my shoes and put on my headband, then took off. I quickly realized I did not drink much water prior to starting or during the cycle, unfortunately the water station was a little over a mile into the run. I sucked it up and took a gel, which I do NOT recommend without water. It’s amazing how thick they get without water.
My run felt slow but good, around a 10-ish minute mile. I thought my legs would feel like jelly coming off the cycling leg but they felt surprisingly good. Really good actually, much better than just moving into a run. Other than that it was really an un-eventful run. I came through the finish line and was not out of breath as I expected.
Final Results and Thoughts
I finished 40th overall, out of 96 athletes. I was 3rd in my age group, which was a nice surprise. My final time was:
1:55 – T1 (How? Did not feel that long at all) 35:00 – Cycling 1:41 – T2 28:42 – Running 1:07:51 – Final time
First triathlon verdict: Absolutely addicted and cannot wait for my next one!
Key Takeaways It’s easy to stress out, at least for me. Nerves are normal but do not let them get in the way of enjoying yourself. Keep in mind that, no matter how much you prepare, things may go off the rails. While this did not occur to me I passed three cyclists having bike issues. Two of them appeared to be flat tires, I’m not sure what was wrong with the third cyclist but I saw them walking their bike back to the transition area. Drink plenty of fluids. Due to my nerves the only fluids I had in me until the run was coffee. It was not pleasant having dry mouth while running.
Ok, I know it has been a long while since I posted. No real excuses for this, I simple became distracted by several other things. Fully focused, I’m back and will be posting more frequently. My goal is two posts a week. I’m working on a full, substantive post for later this week about my first triathlon!
Also, I love these AI generated images. They are ridiculous.
FINALLY got to ride my new tri bike, a Felt B Performance 105, on the actual rode today! Beautiful, early morning weather greeted me as I left the house with my bike racked up and my nutrition next to me.
I woke up a little earlier than I originally planned (my alarm was set for 7am) but that’s completely fine. When I saw it was 6:43 I almost rolled over to go back to sleep but decided I would probably feel worse if I did so I decided to go ahead and get started. I downed a bowl of strawberry protein Cheerios before packing up everything to head to my normal riding spot, mentally running through my checklist multiple times (although I really need a written one as I’m pretty sure the list in my head keeps changing). After assuring myself that I had everything I pulled away, excited for my first session on my new triathlon bike.
My planned session for the day was a one hour ride in zone 2 so I didn’t go heavy on nutrition. I always have two water bottles on rides; today one contained Tailwind Blueberry Lemon Endurance Fuel (hands down my favorite flavor) and the other had Mortal Hydration’s Salty Margarita. The endurance fuel is because I knew the cereal I ate really wouldn’t cut it for a good ride, the Mortal Hydration is because I would sweat even if I was in an igloo so I always need electrolytes.
Overall it was a fantastic ride! I need to get more comfortable riding in the aero bars as the handling is more touchy than I am used to. About halfway through the ride I finally felt my tension start easing up as I started learning how to handle the bike while in aero. While I currently do not have any way to measure my power I absolutely felt that my output was higher but I cannot quantify how much.
The only real bump in the ride, which ironically came from an actual bump, was one of my bottles being launched when I went over what I thought was a small bump. It did not feel small in the least. When I heard several loud clangs immediately after the bump I thought there was some major damage to the bike, so I was extremely relieved when I looked back to see my bottle sitting in the road.
I can’t wait to get back on it and keep pushing! My first triathlon is less than two months aways so I definitely need to get comfortable on my triathlon bike.
Today I did my first real brick session of my triathlon training, but not 100% the way I hoped.
A brick session is when you work two disciplines back-to-back. Today it was cycling to running. The cycling was on my Kickr Core indoor trainer, which was my second choice. I would have preferred to have cycled on my new tri bike for the first however the large amount of rain we have been experiencing put a stop to that.
To prepare for the session, and I may have went a little overboard, I ensured to have the right nutrition before and during it. I took a Gu gel 5 minutes before starting and during the ride I slowly drank Tailwind Endurance Fuel (Blueberry Lemon, which is FANTASTIC!). On the run, primarily because I sweat a good deal, I had a water bottle with Mortal Hydration. I never felt dehydrated or tired during the session. Afterward I had a serving of Tailwind Recovery mix, chocolate flavored.
Even though I did not get to ride my new bike it still went well, riding a little over 13 miles over 50 minutes. A little slower than I wanted but there was a decent bit of elevation than what I will encounter on my first triathlon. What I was surprised about was how my legs did not feel like jello when I started the run portion of the brick session. I figured it would an unsteady first couple of minutes but it did not go that way. The run was pleasantly smooth and, overall, I was happy with my pace.
I will say that my legs were definitely NOT happy later in the day but I made sure to gently stretch and massage them. As a result there was very minimal soreness the next day.
Never did I think, in a million years, that I would voluntarily sign up for an event where I have to swim, cycle, and run all together, but here I am. I have spent more time in the last few months looking up gear, nutrition, and how to prevent chaffing in that one sensitive spot than I ever thought I would.
My name is Jason, a late-30s husband and father who decided to compete in a triathlon. From an athletic perspective my background is very “meh”. I played baseball when I was much, much younger (think 12 and under), and I was not very good at batting. I don’t think I actually ever hit a ball from a pitching machine more than once (I promise I have since improved and do enjoy visiting batting cages). I played tennis for my high school and then recreationally throughout college, then that is kinda it for a while. I have done the occasional 5k here and there, I’ll start a random exercise program for a few weeks before drifting off, but never really took anything serious.
This isn’t the first time I have wanted to do a triathlon, I started “training” for one back in my mid-twenties, I just was not very serious about it. This time around however, I have taken the training much more seriously. I’ll document my progress thus far in a separate post.
My first triathlon is this October and I’m currently registered for the sprint distance. I am more than confident in my ability to complete that distance so, based on how I feel the day of the race, I may upgrade to the Olympic distance. HOWEVER, my big goal is the IRONMAN 70.3 in Panama City, FL for May 2026. That is ultimately what I am training for.
So, please join me on my journey as I document my training for my first triathlon, the realization that I did not know how to properly swim freestyle, and confusion on how much and what I should be eating.
Trying to Tri 