+1 Training Buddies Rock: Things I Wish I Knew as a New Triathlete

#6 Training Buddies Rock
Series: Things I Wish I Knew as a New Triathlete.

My family moved from New York to Minnesota and I became the new kid on the block. Each day my Dad walked me up and down our block looking for other families with young kids. Fortunately we found several. My sister and I joined the neighborhood pack and spent our free time running wild and loving it.


As an adult, training for my first iron-distance triathlon, I desperately needed some pack time. But, I was intimidated by the large local triathlon clubs. I tried a couple of clubs' rides but I felt awkward. I thought I was: too inexperienced, too slow & too heavy to fit in! I felt like an idiot and my shyness made Twilight's Bella Swan seem outgoing.

My Ironman training suffered. While triathlon is an individual sport, a good training buddy is a powerful training boost! The right training partner(s) can: motivate, encourage, & push you to become a stronger, wiser, healthier & happier triathlete.

Years later I'd finally connect with some great training buddies:
- Amy V, Bob, Steve & Sarah took care of me on my first bike tour.
- Amy G & I rocked spin class.
- Stephanie and I trained together for her first sprint triathlon.
- Teri & I power-walked the hills in our neighborhood.
- Anna, Betsy & I work our core and more while doing Zumba together.
(Seinfeld's Elaine Benes has nothing on our dance moves...)


And, I've found friendship and confidence participating in online tri communities. Visit me in active.com's triathlon community, I'm a volunteer moderator! I love chatting with other triathletes. Come check us out.



And, visit GOTRIbal, a global organization aimed at empowering women and promoting triathlon around the world. With two-time World Ironman Champion Chrissie Wellington's support GOTRIbal is quickly connecting triathletes across the world.


Visit GOTRIbal

Questions for you:
- Do you train with a pack?
- How did you get connected and what have you learned by training with a friend/group?
- What communities have you grown to love?


Triathlon is a rewarding sport for people of all ages and abilities. 2009 is your year to taste triathlon. As a triathlete, you'll surprise yourself as you face fears and set personal bests. You'll be more confident, have more energy and smile more often. People will be drawn to that difference. Triathlon is a rewarding sport for people of all ages and abilities, wearing underwear is optional. Sleestak sightings rare. Dogs, many. Bunnies, eaten. Friends essential.

Check out Why You Can series:
Common excuses:1-I have no time. 2-I can't afford it. 3-I'm too old. 4-I'm afraid. 5-I'm not an athlete.

Series: Things I Wish I Knew As a New Triathlete:
#1 My swimsuit was see-through.
#2 Go Commando: Things I Wish I Knew
#3 Land of the Lost Training
#4 Chopper, sic'em, Boy!
#5 I Ate the Bunny

photos: top-My dad & I sit on the backyard fence of our new MN home. bottom-Stephanie & I before the start of our swim. Excited to race!!

I Ate the Bunny: Things I Wish I Knew

#5 I Ate the Bunny
Series: Things I Wish I Knew as a New Triathlete.

Seinfeld's George Costanza eats peanut butter out of the jar with his fingers, rescues eclairs from the garbage and devours hot fudge sundaes (4 min mark).

True George lives with his parents, but he should know better. And, as a mother and experienced triathlete, I should too.

As a triathlete, I swim, bike and run. And, too often, I overeat or eat too much junk. Over the years, I've learned a lot about my diet. What my red light foods are. What emotional environments encourage me to overeat. How my body responds to different food choices.

One of my biggest problems--is thinking I can eat (Oreos, caramel bunnies, El Taco Loco) because I've worked out. My reward item often outweighs my workout. It'd be simpler to not eat the junk food at all. Can I "just say no" to snack-size chocolate?

With a better diet where could I be as a triathlete? I'd hope I'd be lighter, leaner, faster. All good things. Eating well should be straight-forward, but I make it complicated. I eat when I'm tired, angry, stressed-out or bored vs. when I'm actually hungry. Add on the post-workout reward and the calories pile up!

Even world-class triathletes struggle with food choices and nutrition. Six-time World Ironman Champion Dave Scott shares his advice on nutrition and common mistakes in this Inside Triathlon article.

More help:
- Stop by USA Triathlon's Fuel Station for weekly nutrition articles.

- Weight Watchers offers 28 Small Changes to Make a Big Difference here.

- Nutrition Overhaul for a Triathlon Newbie
- Quick Meals for Busy Triathletes

- Check out active.com's nutrition expert Nancy Clark RD

Lately I've been: trying to eat smaller amounts more frequently, eating smarter portion sizes and drinking more water. When I fail, I start over, right away. Tell me, how do you handle tempting food choices? What works for you?

Triathlon is a rewarding sport for people of all ages and abilities. 2009 is your year to taste triathlon. As a triathlete, you'll surprise yourself as you face fears and set personal bests. You'll be more confident, have more energy and smile more often. People will be drawn to that difference. Triathlon is a rewarding sport for people of all ages and abilities, wearing underwear is optional. Sleestak sightings rare. Dogs, many. Caramel bunnies, eaten.

Check out Why You Can series: Common excuses:
1-I have no time. 2-I can't afford it. 3-I'm too old. 4-I'm afraid. 5-I'm not an athlete.

Also see the entire series: Things I Wish I Knew As a New Triathlete:
#1 My swimsuit was see-through.
#2 Go Commando: Things I Wish I Knew
#3 Land of the Lost Training
#4 Chopper, sic'em, Boy!

And visit me in active.com's triathlon community. Come say hello, I'm a volunteer moderator!

photo credit by me: A caramel bunny calls out from my countertop... eat me.

Chopper, sic'em, Boy! - Things I Wish I Knew

#4 Chopper, sic'em, Boy!
Series: Things I Wish I Knew as a New Triathlete.

In the 1986 movie Stand by Me, a kid named Gordie gets caught taking a shortcut through a junkyard. Milo, the junkyard owner, demands answers and Gordie runs. Milo calls to his dog, "Chopper, sic'em, Boy!" But Gordie hears, "Chopper, sic balls!"

The chase begins.



I'm a dog person. I grew up with dogs as pets. Our family has a Lab named Sherpa . But, as a triathlete, spending miles on the bike and run, I hate dogs. They stalk, chase and terrify me.

The Choppers I've met on the road aren't sweet-hearted Retrievers like in Stand by Me. Instead, my Choppers are nasty, aggressive biters and like Gordie, I run and scream.

I've tried:
- outrunning/outriding the dog(s),
- screaming like a crazy person,
- pretending I'm not actually scared (we know from Jerry McGuire that dogs and bees can smell fear), and
- sacrificing my husband (Ken), making him ride past first.

Ken's not scared. He barks back and thinks that's funny (though he did get bit by a Golden Retriever!). Other triathletes say squirt loose dogs with water.

Read these suggestions & then tell me how you handle a Chopper:
- Stay calm, don't smile & don't run. If Chopper gets you, curl into a fetal position, stay still and don't scream. More tips here.
- No eye contact! What if the dog jumps? Tips here.
- Don't pet the dog.
- BeginnerTriathlete discusses dogs.
- Even Chihuahuas give a good chase.
- An old but good discussion thread from bikeforums.com.
- Dog vs Bike in the Tour de France here and here.

Tell me, what works for you? Anyone try Crocodile Dundee's custom move? (2nd half of the clip)

In Stand By Me four kids setoff on a journey hoping to find the dead body of a missing boy. The film's trailer says, "For some, it's the last real taste of innocence. And the first real taste of life. But for everyone it's the time that memories are made of."

Like Stand By Me, triathlon is an adventure, filled with memory-making moments. While my bike and run miles may not be Chopper-free, I hope to deny Chopper his first real taste of me.
Bite me Chopper.

Triathlon is a rewarding sport for people of all ages and abilities. 2009 is your year to taste triathlon. As a triathlete, you'll surprise yourself as you face fears and set personal bests. You'll be more confident, have more energy and smile more often. People will be drawn to that difference. Triathlon is a rewarding sport for people of all ages and abilities, wearing underwear is optional. Sleestak sightings rare. Dogs, many.

Check out Why You Can series:Common excuses:
1-I have no time. 2-I can't afford it. 3-I'm too old. 4-I'm afraid. 5-I'm not an athlete.

Also see Series: Things I Wish I Knew As a New Triathlete:
#1 My swimsuit was see-through.
#2 Go Commando: Things I Wish I Knew
#3 Land of the Lost Training

And visit me in active.com's triathlon community. Come say hello, I'm a volunteer moderator!