Lynne Kiesling
The last time I did a triathlon was about 18 years ago; I can’t even recall the exact date. In college I did a few, and I was in shape enough from soccer that I could do a sprint triathlon (0.5 mi swim, 14 mi bike, 3.1 mi run) without even training.
Not so any more; work, other interests, and an aging body have distracted me from triathlons. In 1997 I intended to do one, but injured my knee playing squash and couldn’t train. Then I got distracted by yucky life stuff. Then I started playing hockey, which I found wonderful and all-consuming (but too time-consuming, which is why I’ve had to stop). Then last year I signed up for a triathlon, but got plantar fascitiis while training.
This year I trained sensibly and in a disciplined way, with only as much running as I had to do, and finished the Reebok Naperville/Chicago Women’s Triathlon (results will be posted at this link soon after the event).
According to my unofficial watch, I even finished in 1:45:35, 5 minutes faster than my target time. And that’s even though I lost two minutes in the swim, which was more of a scrum than I anticipated. I am a good swimmer, but it’s hard to train for the adaptation to the kicking and water swallowing that inevitably occurs in a competitive event.
Even better than the feeling of accomplishment is the fact that I had fun, and the KP Spouse was a great cheering section, as were all of the spectators. I hope I don’t wait another 18 years for my next one!