My swim was 20m 49s--5 mins over target :-( the bike was 49m 52s (on target of 50 mins); the run was 34m 28s (slightly below target of 36 mins. Yea!). Overall time including transition time between events was 1:59:15. No world class records were set by me during the race, but I really feel good about it.

I finished!!!

Today was the day. I had a hard time sleeping last night as I was amped up about the triathlon. I didn't think I would be but I was. I got up at 4:45 so we could get there about 5:45. You have to get your bike and other gear setup in the transition area. Our heat (first timers) went off at 7:35am. The sunrise was spectacular.



We waited in the water for about 10 minutes for the start of our heat. I kept looking out at the other swimmers in front of us and you could see how the wave action affected them. The water was about 68 degrees today but it definitely got colder the further out I went. It was quite the rush. I was definitely thankful for the wetsuit. I got about 1/3 of the way out and was struggling and had to hold on to a buoy for a minute or so. The tide was coming in and the wave action was pretty heavy so it made for hard going. I know that in the future I will have to do more open water swimming to prepare. We had to swim out a couple hundred meter, turn left for a 100, then swim in two hundred. I was pretty well tuckered out when I got out. This was the hardest for me of the three events. But everyone is there cheering for you when you get out and it really picks you up as you head to transition to start the bike.


After that was the bike ride. We had to go over the Kemah bridge, under it, then back up the other side and across the bridge again. What a way to start the ride. Better at the first than the last though. My son Jeff borrowed a road bike from a friend of his for me. Wow! No substitute for a high quality bike. It made the ride much easier than my old 10 speed bike. We had the wind against us (about 12 mph) all the way out to the turn around (about 7-8 mile mark) Nice having the wind with me on the way back in. The bike was my best event.

The run was tough after the swim and bike. I had to slow to a walk for 10 or 15 seconds several times throughout the run, just enough to get my breathing back. But I completed it. I was completely unprepared for my emotional response after I crossed the finish line. I heard my name being called out, walked over to get my First Timer's Finisher's medal and then realized I had done it. I completed a sprint triathlon! I know it isn't the Ironman in Hawaii, but I did it and I got choked up a little. My lovely bride of 22 years was there to greet me and take pictures. I saw the pride in her eyes and felt like I came in first place.

The last picture is the group of guys with whom I entered this race. I couldn't picture a better group of men to do this with. I was proud to have participated in this with them, and proud of them.


Thanks to all of you well wishers and contributors to the charity. I was blessed to have you all as partners in this. Diane and her sons I know are appreciative too.
Blessings to all of you
Pete Trivanovich--newly minted Triathlete

Openwater swim...

Wow is all I can say.

We signed in at the ramp and they separated us into male and female groups. They ladies went first. They herded us down the ramp and into the water like cows in a shoot to be slaughtered. Actually it wasn't that bad, at least until your feet entered the water. The water was 60 degrees. We stood there about knee deep while they went over a few things, like the buoys that marked the course and which direction we needed to swim, etc... The course they had setup was only about 300 meters today. I was watching the ladies rounding the furthest buoys and it didn't look to bad. After our briefing, the guy said "Ready?" Then, "GO!" and the mock race was on!

I had to wade out a little further before I could dive in to start swimming. Then I immediately stood right back up again. I was completely unprepared for the shock of how cold the water would be, even with a wetsuit on. It quite literally took my breath away. I waded out a little further and began to swim, trying to acclimate myself. It was so hard to force my arms to do the work because it was hard to breathe. Also people were bumping into you. About a third of the way out, I was breast stroking instead of freestyle. I couldn't force myself to keep my head in the water and freestyle like at the pool. The waves, as small as they were made a significant difference. My heart rate had to have been at the 160/minute level if not a bit higher. When I am running, it usually creeps up to about 140. This time it felt like it wanted to jump out of my chest. I grabbed one of the kayaks on the course and the lady that was manning (womanning?) it talked me through calming down and breathing. She asked if I wanted an escort back in. I couldn't help but think that I didn't come here to 'layup'. I said thanks but no. As soon as I thought I could continue I let go and went on.

I had to take hold of a kayak two more times, but I forced myself to complete the course. As I said previously, I was completely unprepared for the effects of the cold water. As I write this, I am thinking about the Titanic. I can't imagine being in that ice cold water for hours on end. I had a wetsuit on and the water was only 60degrees. I have gained new found respect for those that survived that horrible tragedy. What strength of will to live they must have had.

I am glad I did this test swim. My mind is definitely better prepared and knows what to expect the next time. The wetsuit was definitely a God-send. Not only did it help with the warmth, but it gave me some buoyancy that allowed me to be able to rest by floating when I had to. I know that without it there is no way I would have been able to do this. Also, while training in a pool is fine for developing strength and stamina, there is definitely no substitute for open water training. It is a completely different beast. I will have to incorporate more open water swim time next event I do.

We also had a test run for the running course. While running really isn't my bag (I'm not sure any of this is) it was nice to be able to run it ahead of time to know where you are going. I am able to hold to about a 12 minute average pace. A friend, Wes, ran with me at the start and then at about a mile I told him to go ahead, and off he went. I think he completed his run in about 25 minutes. He probably would have done much better if he hadn't been holding back with me. I think back to my Army days and my best on a two mile timed run was about 15.5 minutes. I think that the old adage is true: Youth is wasted on the young. I would kill at this point to run an 8 minute mile pace again.

Two more weeks and I will be able to call myself a tri-athlete. I never thought I would be doing something like this at 48 years, but I am glad I am (thanks again Stan!)

BTW--Thanks to all you who have contributed at this point. I know it will be a blessing to Diane and her children, but I want you to know that it has been a blessing to me as well. Very encouraging to know that there are people in my life, both centrally and peripherally, that have hearts that are generous and compassionate. I pray that God bless you all in ways that even you can't imagine.

Bad last week...

Last week was spring break for my sons. A time of rest, relaxation and cessation from school. For me...not so much. I started with a dry cough on Sunday. I did my swimming on Tuesday (1500 meters) in about 48 minutes. I felt worn down and my time showed it as it was 3-4 minutes more than I normally take to complete the distance. By Wednesday I was in the doctor's office. While, "You have pneumonia" aren't the worst words I have ever heard, they sure brought me down and put a cramp in my training. Doctor's orders were rest, take the meds, drink plenty of fluids. No training.

I got some antibiotics and some steroids (hope they don't pee test me) and they seem to be helping. I am still coughing some, but the bubbling sound from my lungs is gone. I'm pretty sure that is good. I am going to resume training this week and will be bricking two events per work out. It's crunch time now.

This weekend on Sunday they are having a pre-race clinic and an open water practice swim. This will be the first open water swim that I have done. Everybody goes to the beach and splashes around in the ocean, does a little body surfing, and gets salt water in their mouth/nose, and hangs out around the shore line. For me, other than in a boat, this will be the first time that I have ventured out this far from shore, which is a little mentally unsettling given stories of undertows, etc... However, I am stoked about the challenge of all this and there will be lots of volunteers in kayaks, boats, and other floating stations should I need a break.

Stay tuned and I will tell you how the open water swim goes.

More Triathlon news

As I begin to write this, it is 30 days, 22 hours, and 35 minutes until the start of the race. After last night I now know that I can do the entire Triathlon and complete it. Last night I bricked all three events: the 500 meter swim; the 12.5 mile bike ride; and the 3.1 mile run. I completed all three events in 102 minutes. The swim took me 14 minutes; the bike ride took me 51 minutes, and the run lasted 37 minutes. These are raw times with no transition time added, so it will be a few more minutes added during the race. I am feeling pretty good about it right now. It was a big confidence builder to do this.

I was trying to think the last time I put so much time in on doing something like this and it has to have been within a couple years of graduating college. I used to do a lot of biking and I would do a 50 mile loop once or twice a week. That would take me a little less than 3 hours. That's probably 16 or 17 years ago. A lot of water has gone under the bridge, and more than a few pounds added under the belt. It is my goal to get down to a 'fighting weight' of about 230 this year.

The next step for the triathlon is to do a couple open water swims. I still need to get my wetsuit to do that though. The bay water temp is about 58 degrees right now. BRRRRR! I imagine it will be up a few degrees in 30 days, but it still sounds pretty cold.

1 month since my last post...

Wow. Time sure flies. It is now March 4th and it has been a month since my last post. I continue to swim 3 days a week and run and bike on other days. I believe I have made some good progress. Over the last two weeks I have increased my swim sessions from 11 laps to 33. That's 1500 meters or 1.5 kilometers. I can definitely go further and longer without stopping. I felt really good in the pool and made significant headway on working on swimming and breathing. Getting a rhythm down for breathing isn't as easy as it looks. Definitely have to be able to breath to do this. The biking is the easiest of the three for me and I am averaging about 15mph. No speed demon, but it will be fine for this event. In the beginning I thought the swim would be the worst event for me. However, the running is the hardest. My runs still average about 12-13 minutes a mile. My time is significantly influenced by my weight, which continues to hover around the 267 area, but I have noticed my pants are definitely looser now. I can run more laps on the track now without dropping to a walk.

I have started 'bricking' my workouts now too. This means that I put at least two of the events together back to back once a week. Swim/Bike or Bike/Run usually. The swim and the bike takes me about 65 minutes. The bike and the run take me about 90 minutes. I am targeting bricking all three next week. This should give me a feel for what I can expect when I do the actual Sprint Triathlon. I am thinking that all three will be about 105 to 110 minutes.

time to event 36: 18: 58: 16
Days Hours Mins Secs


TTFN
Pete

Details on how the mini-triathalon training is going:

When I started, about the 12th of January, after I was threatened about getting my wife involved, I signed up. I weighed myself (278) and took pictures (maybe I will show those at a later time when I can post some progress pictures too). Then I did my first swim: 45 minutes to go 500 meters. I felt like some sick whale. I think I swallowed too much pool water. It was an exercise in trying to figure out how to swim and breathe. I mean I can walk and chew gum with no problem, but swimming and breathing without inhaling 1/2 the pool was another thing altogether. Last night I did the 500 meters in 19 minutes and only choked a couple times. It is getting easier, but I still need to rest at the ends of the pool after two or three laps. The goal is no longer to reduce time, but to do the swim without stopping. Oh, and btw, the actual swim will be in open water in Clear Lake near Houston (which is neither clear, nor a lake, but part of the ocean)so I imagine the wave chop will present a little more challenge than the 'chop' in the pool. While I won't ever compare with Michael Phelps, I am getting into this swimming thing. Although Michael and I both 'swim', I am quite sure what we do is not even remotely related. I mean, he can swim through walls and pavement. You've seen the Subway commercials right? Must be true if it is on film.

The most I have swam at any one time now is 750 meters, and I feel pretty good about it. Have I mentioned that I have lost 11 pounds since I started? I now weigh 267. Those comparison pictures are starting to get closer to reality. Belt goes in another notch now.

The bike is easier for me. I can do 14 miles in 60 minutes at this point. I used to do about 125 miles a week averaging 15-17 miles an hour, so this part won't be as bad as the swim and the run. I did a swim and 14 miles on the bike in 82 minutes, back to back last week. While I was tired, I felt pretty good afterward.

Yesterday I did the swim and the run in 57 minutes. The run killed me though; 39 minutes for 3 miles. When I was younger and in the Army, and for quite awhile afterward, I used to run 8 minute miles for 3-5 miles at a time. Now it is about 13 minutes. I was thinking 10 minute miles when I started this. I was more than a little disheartened at the state of my physical capacity to do exercise. The word decrepit comes to mind. When I first ran the three miles 3 weeks ago, it was 45 minutes. Still, I was hoping to see myself make better progress.

It saddens me that over the years I have rationalized my weight gain as getting older, just part of what happens due to life, lack of time, etc... Self-deception is insidious to so many areas of life, isn't it? If you are reading this, I adjure you to take a close look at your life and relationships, asking yourself: where am I deceiving myself or allowing myself to be deceived? I think it will be eye opening, if you will be honest with yourself, which may be harder than you think. Another BTW--I am 48, married with children, and have two grandsons. Self-deception talk allowed me to use my age and family as excuses to avoid being healthy, rather than reasons to stay healthy.

I can tell it is the weight that is holding me back. I know I can't expect to haul 267 pounds around as easily as I used to do 220. I am 6'3" BTW, and people would tell me I didn't look 'bad' or 'really don't look overweight', or 'I carried it well', which only shored up the self-deception. But spend any time in front of a mirror, or look at yourself in pictures that were taken when you weren't looking, and it becomes apparent how much one can deceive one's self. See, there it goes again. Talking in third person to avoid applying it to myself. But, the mirror and the camera only report what they see, don't they?

While the family that we are helping will certainly benefit from our doing this mini-triathalon, ultimately I (and my family) may be the biggest beneficiary of this challenge.

It's the 5th of February (pronounced Fe-brew-airy, not Fe bue airy) and I am roughly 4 weeks into a new training regimen. New Year's resolution and all that. I don't normally make them as it seems a little contrived. If you aren't a goal setter then you are surely going to fail on any grandiose notions you might have just because it is the beginning of a new year. So I guess a better resolution might be: to be a goal setter, or not to be, that is the question to be resolved first.

However, this year is a little different. One of the guys in my table group kind of threw down a challenge. (BTW a table group is a small group of Christ Followers that get together once a week for food and fellowship: our core values revolve around the concepts of belonging, playing, serving, and growing). The challenge was to do a mini-triathalon on April 10th in Kemah, Texas (500 meter swim, 12.5 mile bike, 3 mile run). The challenge has two aspects of our core values: playing, if you can call it that; and serving. We have a single mother of three boys who lost her husband a couple years ago. Now she has lost her job. Well, we are going to do this triathalon thing and use it as a charity spring board to helping this woman and her boys. The money we raise will go towards helping her meet her bills and taking care of her boys. If you read this and feel compelled to help, please contact me at petertrivanovich@comcast.net and I will give you the info to contribute. It will be run through our church and will be fully tax deductible, not to mention someone who really needs it.

So, how is the training regimen going you ask? I must admit it has been difficult, but satisfying. Having an external reason to actually pursue doing this has been very motivating (thanks Stan!). I just checked the website today and there are 63:17:45:29 (Days:Hours:Mins:Secs) until we cross the start line. More tomorrow.