Happy Friday to you!
The week has flown by for Eric and I. Last night we sort of freaked out because we realized our Try-a-tri is in 2 days!
1) We had to pick up our rented wetsuits…
Aren’t they so cute? :lol:
Sketchie wasn’t so sure about these mystery objects…
Having the wetsuits here in the flesh made it much more real. As in… you can’t back out now suckas!
2) We had to look at the rules of the race and figure out what we need to bring.
We put together a GAME PLAN…
[Thank you to Grace for showing me her Tri checklist!]
We also liked this tip on the beginners tip page:
“The best advice I can give any Newbie triathletes is to get to the swim start early and do a good warm-up in the water. The swim is often the most daunting part of a triathlon and I don’t care if you come from a swimming background, open water swimming is different than pool swimming. When you can’t see the bottom and there are no lane ropes people often freak out a bit and then they have trouble swimming. Factor in any trouble navigating and you’ve got a long swim on your hands. Take some time to get comfortable in the water and with the fact that you can’t see as well. Practice sighting the orange buoys so you won’t get lost. The more time you spend getting comfortable, the less time you’ll spend panicking.”
Hopefully we are not forgetting anything major. I am still debating whether I will bring Dwight. I don’t think I can wear the Garmin 305 in water and I am a bit uneasy about leaving it at the transition area.
We found out last night that we have an open-water start, as opposed to starting the swim on land. They did not specify whether we will be able to stand in the water or if we will be treading water before the gun goes off. Either way, I am sure it will be fine. It is a try-a-tri for beginners after all. I am sure they aren’t going to throw us under a bus!
(click to enlarge)
There are 3 WAVES for the try-a-tri start and each wave is 3 minutes apart. We still don’t know what wave we are in yet, but we should know by tomorrow.
We both feel a lot better now that we have taken some time to review how the race will proceed. Fear definitely comes from the unknown and once you understand what you are doing the fear dissipates! The same thing happened to me following my very first race last June 2009. I used to think running in a race would be scary and I swore I would never do it, but once I just did it I realized it wasn’t bad at all.
Right now they are calling for RAIN on Sunday and I hope that changes because I am not a fan of biking in the rain.
Onto breakfast! :biggrin:
Last night I also tested my first batch of dessert hummus!
In this batch of dessert hummus went:
- Chickpeas
- Peanut Butter
- Pure Maple Syrup
- Sea salt
I know it sounds completely weird and gross, but you have to trust me on this one…it was DELICIOUS! I didn’t measure when I made it last night, so I have to do another trial before I can post the recipe for you guys. It will be coming soon!
I decided it would be a fun layer in the banana soft serve vegan overnight oats this morning…
Yummmmerz.
I made the carob banana soft serve again today (mix 2 tbsp carob powder into the banana soft serve when processing).
With a sprinkle of coconut and a layer of dessert hummus, this was deelish!
Back to work! I have a very lofty goal of getting caught up by the end of today. I don’t see it happening, but miracles do happen. :biggrin: Have a great day!!
Your breakfasts always look so decadent and delicious! Good luck at the Triathalon. I am sure you’ll do great!
I love how the banana soft serve if dripping over the glass. Yum!
My boyfriend is doing that tri. Maybe I’ll see you there on Sunday!
Hope to see you! I will keep my eyes peeled :)
OMG good luck to you on your TRI! That’s a good little checklist!!!
OH AND HOLY YUM, BATMAN! Loooove the oats!
I just… I…
I’m speechless over how creative you are with your food!!
Aaaaaaaanddd of course AHH GOOD LUCK!!! You’re so amazing Angela!!
Angela, I have heard (not experienced) that it is important when putting on your wet suit to pull up the arms and legs toward the chest to make sure you have as much give as possible around your chest. If you don’t the material can be very constricting and make you feel short of breath on your whole swim. I think that just sounds awful! Good luck, have fun!
Yes they showed us that when we put them on…it is a good tip b/c I never would have known!
I had no idea you could rent wetsuits! So much smarter than buying something you’ll likely never use again.
Good luck on your TRI!
Oooh! You making me excited and nervous about my triathlon in July. I’ve got butterflies in my stomach.
Oh my gosh it’s so close!! :D You guys must be getting pumped.
That chocolate banana soft serve looks devine. Almost too sinful for breakfast :P Nah..what am I saying? It’s never too early for soft serve!
Dessert hummus sounds good. I bet it’d be good with cinnamon pita chips. :)
Good luck on the tri!!
That sounds AMAZING!
You know, I don’t think I ever really thought about how different that open water swim would be as opposed to swimming in a pool (with CLEAR water and LANES). Gosh, I bet that is pretty daunting. Glad you guys have a gameplan! You’ll both do great!
Have a great race. My hubs is doing the duathlon that day as well.
Don’t forget to put sunscreen on AFTER you get marked..otherwise it won’t stick.
Don’t touch anyone else’ ‘stuff’ in transition..that is usually a DQ but may just be a time penalty for a TryaTri.
fingers crossed for no rain!
I made Maple Peanut Dessert Hummus for my blog a few weeks ago, and it is AMAZING, isn’t it?
mmm sounds deelish!
Good luck on your race!
One of the sales girls at Lululemon once told me that she puts on baby powder as well to help with the quick transitions between sports bras, etc. I also use it sometimes because I was getting rashes where my sports bra was touching my back after prolonged exercise. Might be helpful especially after you switch from your wet suit to your run! :)
-Alison
oh my gosh those wetsuits look extreme! I’ve only ever used warm water wetsuits which just look like full body rashguards. You must be getting so excited!
Also, about your Garmin, could you burrow it into the toe of your shoe behind your socks? It seems highly unlikely that someone would go looking in them. But then I’ve never done a tri so maybe you shouldn’t take my advice. :)
Good luck to both you and Eric – I’m sure you guys will do great!!! That dessert hummus sounds aweeeesome!
Here’s a tip – in the transition area lay down a brightly colored beach towel on the ground and then lay all your stuff on top of it. When you’re running into the transition area you can spot your towel quickly and get to your area fast. It also sort of marks your territory.
In a small triathlon it might not be as important, but in the big ones its easy to get lost in the transition area!
great tip!
Dessert hummus is such a neat idea for a dip! A vanilla or cinnamon flavoured one would probably taste good too! :D
I’m sure the tri will go super smoothly since you guys sound so prepared!
Good luck with the triathalon. You are right the unknown is daunting. It’s good you took the time to review the plan.
can i come eat breakfast with you???? :) you always seem to have an amazing breakfast.
I hope all goes well with yoru tri. it seems so clossseee!! your so inspiring i know you will do great.
I’m so excited for you! I can’t wait to hear all about it. I love that there are triathlons out there for beginners…it’s something I’d like to try, but it’s super intimidating!!
Best of luck!!!
Good luck! You’re going to ROCK the tri! And you are so right about the fear of the unknown..
Good luck Ange! Have fun and be safe :)
I definitely get anxiety when I’m heading into something new. Looks like you are well prepared though.
i can’t believe the try-a-tri is in 2 days! time flies when i watch you guys having fun :) in all seriousness though i’m excited to hear how it goes…i bet y’all have a blast doing it together!
This is so exciting! Triathlons sound so awesomely impressive. You sound very prepared and ready for your tri – best of luck! :)
Wei-Wei
I just signed up for my first triathlon last weekend and I only have 3 weeks to train. I’m a little nervous as I am not much of a racer, but my husband (a legit triathlete) promises that he will stay with me.
I cant wait to hear how yours goes this weekend. Good luck! You should be so proud of yourself for doing it–and wearing a wetsuit ;)
Goodluck with your race! I’m sure you will have lots of helpful advuce from your hubby!
oops advice
Good luck on your Triathlon!! So exciting!! I watched my hubby to be do one a few summers ago, it was intense, but so awesome!!
Desert hummus, you are brilliant my dear!!
I wonder if anyone had tried putting a dessert hummus togeather before my crazy camel dessert hummus hit the market, web and food blogs? Just wondering desserthummus.com
Those his-and-hers wetsuits are too cute!
It’s getting exciting!
I probably just missed it, but did you decide to stick with your husband for the race or will you both be on your own?
After reading everyone’s comments we kinda figured that it will be impossible to stick together, so we decdied to just take it as it comes. If we see each other on course, all the better! But I doubt we will even be in the same wave.
Good luck! My husband has done the Milton duathalon twice and it’s always a good event. Very cool watching all the heads of the swimmers bobbing in the lake. Get there early as you have to park waaaaaaaaay out then walk your bike and gear to the starting area. Both times he did it, it was crazy hot but he also wasn’t interested in doing it in the rain. I have ridden the bike portion with him before and those hills would be tough in the rain! If it is sunny, don’t wear black as he did the 1st time. He said he felt like he was melting during the run on the hot asphalt.
Can’t wait to hear how you do.
Thank you! Good to know about the parking too…I was wondering about that!
I totally thought the GF305 was ok in the water, but I guess swimming with it isn’t recommended :(
Is the Forerunner 305 waterproof?
One question we get asked a lot is “can I wear my Forerunner while swimming?” It’s of obvious concern to triathletes.
The Forerunner 305, like most Garmin GPS receivers, carries a waterproof rating called “IPX7”. Garmin say “An IPX7 designation means the GPS case can withstand accidental immersion in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes.” In practice this means that an IPX7 GPS is likely going to be just fine if it’s used in the rain, or if you dunk it briefly during a cross-country run or mountain bike ride. But neither we nor Garmin recommend swimming with your Forerunner.
In a triathlon it makes sense then to have the Forerunner already mounted on your bike (theft concerns permitting) ready to go after your swim. At the end of the ride you can use the quick-release feature to instantly transfer it to your wrist for the run.
BEST of luck on your TRI!! You guys will do great!! Can’t wait to read the recap :)
Good to know! Thank you :)
My “Tri-It” is also this weekend!! It may rain here as well but I guess I just have to hope for the best!!!
goodluck!
Good luck this weekend! I am so excited to hear how it all goes. And your breakfast looked so amazingly delicious. I really wanted to jump through the computer and eat it! :)
You guys will rock it – so excited for you!
OMG good luck for your first tri! I am so inspired. I am not sure of the swimming part as all those other people around me will so freak me out. i would love to do a duathlon though, I so hope it goes well, you seem so prepared so I’m sure you’ll do so well. I look forward to reading about it.
I’m doing my first 5km this weekend too, I’m a little nervous. I shouldn’t be because I run 5km 4-5 days a week. I’m just not used to competeing.
Good luck to you and Eric.
Goodluck with your 5km you will rock it! :)
I can’t believe your Tri is already almost here!
I remember you talking about signing up and it seems like it was just a week or 2 ago!
The open swim is definitely what keeps from me from a tri. I just have no desire to do that part! But I can’t wait to read about your experience.
Your breakfast parfaits always look so amazing!
Good Luck! I am anxious to hear how it went, as I am doing my first Try-A-Tri in Aug out in Oakville. I decided to choose that one simply because it was later in the summer so the water would be warmer (not for the 2hr drive to get there lol). Would love to come see the course and cheer you on, I will think of you while I run my 8k race Sunday am.
Stay warm and I have full confidence you’ll ROCK!
ohhh an august swim sounds much much warmer! lol. Thanks for your goodluck wishes! I agree confidence is key when trying something scary.
I’m so excited to hear about your triathlon! I had a few tips I wanted to share with you (learn from my mistakes!)
As someone mentioned before, a brightly colored towel helps you find your bike b/c when you run into transition, it’s so hard to figure out where yours is! I actually always put my brightly colored towel on TOP of my bike, so I can find it faster. I lay out my stuff on a handtowel on the ground. This really helps establish your “space” – transition area can be cramped! I’d also suggest bringing an extra bottle of water or two to rinse off your feet. The run from the swim into transition can coat your bare feet with sand, dirt or gravel, depending on the location. Being able to rinse them off really helps! Just be careful that when you pour the water, it doesn’t pour down onto someone else’s stuff. Whoops. :)
As far as the tank top goes, it is REALLY hard to put on a tank top (especially one with a built in bra) over your swimsuit. Trust me – I”ve tried. It gets rolled up and…no fun. My friend had pinned her number to her tank top, tried putting it on, and the number ended up ripping off. No good. Are you going to wear any shorts? I pinned my number to my bike shorts the first time and that helped – I didn’t put a shirt on, just biked and ran in my bathing suit and it saved me that time. For my last triathlon, I got a race belt – BEST thing ever for triathlons. Your race number is clipped to that and you just put it on over what you are already wearing. Really makes things quicker.
Okay, so I have now realized I need to just write a blog post about triathlons for beginners and my own personal do’s and don’ts. :) Hope this helps!
Thanks for the tips!
When you said you put the race bib on your shorts- didn’t that get in the way when biking?
Your wetsuit looks so tiny!!! How exciting for your tri! My first post partum 5k is this saturday and I’m getting nervous just for that lol
I’m sure you and Eric are gonna kick that triathlons booty haha! Best of luck :)
One more tip I heard recently: Vaseline (or Body Glide) the neck as well!!!
Enjoy the tri! I did my first last year and I was SO nervous. Mainly about the swim. And it’s true, it’s easy to freak out but as long as you know that, you can talk yourself down. And everyone was so helpful and accomodating as I am sure they will be for yours. And you can always flip on your back and swim a little like that while looking at the sky to calm your nerves. It helped me!
I loved it and felt so exhilirated and proud afterwards. I made sure to have fun at every point. And I did! I think you will too. :)
Good luck!
I just wanted to say that I love your site. All the different food creations look so delicious and really inspire me to try new things! I actually featured OSG on my blog because if there is anyone out there not reading this they darn well should be!!
Good look on the Try-a-Tri!
awww thank you!
Thank you! That is so nice :)
Best of luck to you and hubby on Sunday. There’s no question in my mind that you’ll do fine!
Looking forward to hearing all about it!
I’m so excited you made dessert hummus! I cant wait till you come out with the recipe. I shall definitely be making it!
The wetsuits actually ARE cute. I’ve been thinking about trying dessert hummus, too!
Do it, it is SOOOO good!