Learning : Introduction

I realized recently that I have learned a whole lot in the last 9 months about triathlon. I'm not an expert, coach, or professional athlete. I'm simply a middle of the pack age grouper that started from - well - literally, my couch. I have never been much of an athlete. After college, *gulp* 8 years ago, I settled into 10 hours a day in front of a computer, 5 hours a day in front of the TV, and the rest sleeping and eating (and eating and eating). By age 29, I was not in a good place. It was time for a change.

In June of 2005, I made some major changes and began embracing a new way of life. A Triathlete's Life. A life filled with movement, early mornings, late evenings, risk, reward, planning, learning, and personal achievement. I've met a ton of great people and done things I never thought possible. I became a Triathlete. I can honestly say I am happier and healthier than ever.

Honestly, I was overwhelmed in the beginning. Where do you start? How far do you go? Is it OK to rest today? What kind of bike should I buy. Do I really need a speedo?

Bottom line - Triathlon works for me. Yes - my schedule is full, but I eat better, use my time more effectively, and grow everyday. I've lost a bunch of weight (I actually weight less than I did in college) and I feel great.

There are lots of books out there on how to train better, develop training plans, run, bike, swim, eat, etc. I don't want to try to recreate that here. Honestly, I'm don't know enough about all that stuff to help anyone. I owe a lot to this great sport and it's time to give back. In fact, this season I'm going to go out of my way to try to give back to this sport. My goals for building these pages are:

1. Write down what I have learned and what I continue to learn.
2. Create a resource for those new to the sport of triathlon.
   

I decided to pick a handful of topics and create a 'page' for each one. As I get new information, I'll post new pages and/or content. I'll try to note the updates in my regular posts, so my everyday readers will know when I've updated.

So, here is the list of topics:

• Tools - Training Logs, Websites, Special Gear I use on a day-to-day basis
• Swimming - All things Swim
• Cycling - All things Bike
• Running - All things Run
• Lifestyle - The 'soft' side. How do we get it all done?
• Events - The icing.

See ya out there...