Practice Tri with a New 5K PR

My official triathlon training plan doesn't kick off until next month, but practice makes perfect. It was beautiful outside with temps reaching into the 40s, so I set out to enjoy the day.

I started with the last leg of the triathlon, the run. Because it was so beautiful, I was amped up on coffee and the tunes were great, I ran my fastest 5K ever. I finished just short of 3.1 miles in 25:04. My first race ever in October of 2010 was a 5K and it took me 33 minutes, during which I thought I would die. This also marks my fastest mile ever, 7:43.

After that, I took a little puppy outside, refueled with an orange and drove to the gym to swim. This is why I don't consider this a real brick workout. I took my time through my 45-minute transition to the gym, then swam the 450 meters I'll have to swim on race day. It was hard. Really hard. Of all the things that I'll have to do during the triathlon, the swim might be the hardest.

After I was done with my official distance, I did some drills with a kick board and pull buoy. I had the lanes almost to myself, which I thought was strange for noon on a Sunday, but I'm not complaining. Post gym and shower, I made the mistake of not refueling immediately. By the time I got home, I had skipped the "hungry" stage and proceeded directly to the nauseous stage. Lesson learned.

I tore through some roasted cauliflower, tuna, pumpkin Greek yogurt and turkey jerky (not in the same dish, of course). Napoleon enjoyed licking the can the tuna came in, which might have been the fastest he moved all day. If reincarnation exists, I hope to come back as my dog.

Several hours later, I loaded up the bikes (Tim bought a Trek on Craigslist this week) and headed to Busse Woods for a ride. However, when I got there, I realized the trails were still obstructed with snow. I'm a little gun shy after my accident, so I completed barely four miles before backing it in for the day. I'm starting to call my car the triathlon wagon, because it holds both bikes and has a few tie-down hooks that are perfect for hanging up my swim cap and suit to dry. And much like a triathlon, music is not allowed in my car, because my stereo is broken.

Overall, I felt good during each leg, but I have a long way to go. I am, however, celebrating my progress in the 5K arena and working on a better nutrition strategy.