Running with a Purpose: National Triathlon Week 2018

In honor of national triathlon week, I'm going to try to post something each day this week. Day 1 is swim day. When I started out a few years ago, swimming was the one discipline that I had no experience with and I decided to teach myself. My first few trips to the pool were very awkward and I couldn't even make it farther then a full length of a 25 yard pool without stopping for a break. It took several months before I was even able to figure out how to breathe properly. From there I worked on body position in the water and then my stroke.

I have spent countless hours at the Urbandale pool over the past 3 years

Once I finally started to build some confidence in the pool, I decided to tackle an open water swim. That experience was something that I was not prepared for and the panic nearly broke me. I remember that day at Big Creek very well. The combination of not being able to see in the water along with having to sight while swimming got in my head. Luckily, over the next several months I forced myself out to Big Creek a few more times and was able to at least tolerate the open water.

Another open water swim at big creek

Of course swimming in open water was one thing, doing so with other people hitting, kicking, and swimming over top of you is something entirely different. During my first triathlon in 2016, I learned quickly how to stay calm in that exact situation (I also learned to swim wide around the turn buoys). There are 2 kinds of swim starts for most triathlons. The first is a rolling start, which is my favorite, and involves letting a couple of athletes start every few seconds. The Second is a wave start, where athletes are grouped together in groups of 50+ and sent off in waves all at once. Usually there is a few minutes between each wave to allow for the swimmers to spread out.

Swimming in my first tri at the Des Moines Triathlon in 2016

Ever since that first race I have continued to work on increasing both my endurance and speed in the water. After a few more races, I also became comfortable swimming with people around me. Although I still have a lot to learn and plenty of room for improvement, I am continuing to improve. That first race I averaged 2:45/100 yards (that is very slow), but my race this past weekend I nearly broke 2:00/100 yards. In the past year I have completely overhauled my swim stroke as well and am expecting even more improvement over the next year. I am determined to turn my weakest discipline into a strength, it just takes time and a lot of work.

I have come to learn that it is swimming that keeps many people from competing in a triathlon. If that is you, I hope that my story might give you the confidence that you need to give it a tri.