Well, I made it through my first official week of training! (Insert pat on back or perhaps a golf clap.) I spent two week unofficially training, but decided that I needed a more structured program to help me make the most of my training time. I bought Joe Friel’s book, “Your First Triathlon” and it has been an amazing help! I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for an intro into triathlons. You can even follow Joe on Twitter at @jfriel.


I have 8 weeks until my triathlon in New Jersey, so I decided to start his 12 week training program at 8 weeks out. This seemed to work well for me because I was already in moderate shape. What is great about this program is that the training sessions aren’t that intense and overwhelming. You are given a very doable, specific task that makes the workout fun. There is no, “now go run for 65 minutes on the treadmill.” That type of working out makes me quit. I made it through the first week of training and I’m so proud of myself. I did every workout session and even did most of the optional exercises as well. This is huge.

Also, I bought a bike!! After much deliberation with my brother, we picked a bike that fit my extremely modest budget and it arrived on Friday. I had it put together at my lock bike shop, The Bike Stop on 28th Ave. in Astoria, NY, and went for my first ride. I need to make some adjustments to the seat, but besides that, she’s riding quite nice! I can’t wait to really break her in this week.