So where does a running group go when it has conquered marathons & ultra-marathons? You simply add two more disciplines, swimming & cycling, and venture into triathlon! Sounds easy? Yes and no. It's easy to tackle swimming, biking and running for health & fitness purposes; but to train for a triathlon race is certainly not an easy task! In the words of Ironman Champion Chris McCormack: "If it was easy, everyone would be doing it!"
Ever since November 2011, when it was announced that the 2012 Ironman 70.3 Philippines would be held in Cebu City, the excitement and anticipation was already abuzz. Cebu would be playing host to two international triathlon events for 2012: Xterra Philippines in March and Ironman 70.3 Philippines in August. It just doesn't get any better than this! Swimming coaches & trainers were suddenly having full schedules, while local bike shops are reporting record sales up to today! And once online registration opened for Ironman and Xterra 2012, even the most inexperienced athletes signed up for the challenge ... me included!
So now the hard part: training for triathlon! Most athletes follow certain training programs, while others have their own personal coaches. For me, I have TTB! Aside from comparing notes, tips and advice, it's certainly easier to motivate yourself to train when your teammates are also doing the same routines...maybe even more! Century bike rides, LSDs, brick training and tri simulations with the team has been really fun and fulfilling! Not all of us are fast swimmers, seasoned cyclists or swift runners, but I'm sure we all have the same will and determination to face the challenge of a triathlon race. I can see it in each and everyone of us that it's about taking on the challenge. It's the same attitude that brought TTB together to tackle half-marathons, marathons and ultra-marathons in the first place.
And when 2012's triathlon events came, TTB was there to tackle every challenge!
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| Xterra Off-Road Triathlon 2012 Finishers |
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| 1st Talisay Triathlon (1k swim, 30k bike, 7.5k run) |
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| Century Tuna National Age Group Triathlon Series (1k swim, 30k bike, 7.5k run) |
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| Tabuelan 111 Triathlon (2k swim, 88k bike, 21k run) |
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As for me, I'm just enjoying the ride! After all, six months ago, I had tendonitis and could hardly run. I could barely complete a 50 meter lap in a pool. But together with TTB, I've taken on the challenge of triathlon and loving every minute of it! See you guys in August!
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| Tabuelan 111 Triathlon official finish time: 7hrs, 8min, 8sec |
