I'll be off island for the actual Cayman Islands Triathlon (it happens over US Thanksgiving weekend), but the CITA organizes a series of build-up races (untimed, casual, fun) in the weeks leading up to the race, and I was delighted to be able to participate in the second one today. They offer two recommended distances, I did the longer: 750m swim, 20k bike, 5k run. (Standard sprint distances, appropriate as training session for the Olympic-distance triathlon.)
I was very slow, but I just felt super-lucky to be out there - and though I am completely unfit and overweight right now, it is still not like starting from scratch, if I were truly unfit I would not be able to exercise continuously for approximately an hour and forty minutes without feeling overloaded. I felt that at the gym this week, too - I have reasonable residual strength even if I do feel unfit, I can lift respectable weights and maintain a reasonable workload for the full hour. There are benefits from maintaining a regular year-round exercise regimen, even if you periodically fall off the wagon...
(I must say, too, that everyone at these races is so nice, I was by far the last finisher and C. and W. rode their bikes round to see how I was doing and cheer me on for the last bit of the run! There was also a very attractive and shaggy lolloping stray dog who accompanied me on that bit of the course...)
2 comments:
I think those of us who actually do exercise quite a lot, but are not superstars, and are generally focused on the things we wish we could do, are much more fit than we think. I think of my capacity to do basic abs, planks, etc., not to mention run pretty much forever, so long as I'm running super slowly, as non-fitness, just the way things are, but then I realize how many people can't do those things and think maybe I should give myself a little more credit! As should you. [And the word verification is, I kid you not, "bless."]
At the moment the speed is not important, you did it and this is important. You have a lot of time to prepare at the best the main event.
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