3rd Sprint Triathlon: Personal best! =D

Just yesterday morning I had my third sprint triathlon race. It had been quite a while since my second race and this time I wanted to make sure that absolutely everything was set correctly so that nothing could go wrong.

Was quite early at the starting line therefore I had ample time to set up my stuff in the transition area and also to speak with some training mates. My targets were already set weeks ago, time to beat 1hr 20 minutes and if I'm feeling like doing a miracle, 1hr 18 minutes.

Got in the water few minutes before the start, concentrated and off we go. I did a steady swim while trying to keep my heart rate down as possible. Got out of the water after 17 minutes, not the best of times but I was aware and to be honest I was trying to finish the swim in 16 minutes but that's not a problem, I could make up the lost ground during the run and bike.

Transition 1 (swim to bike) was flawless! Manages to complete the bike section within 36 minutes 21 seconds. Was sure that till that time I was going to do a personal best however I wasn't sure about the sub 1 hr 20 mins target.

me (on the right) during the bike section

Transition 2 was fast too and without any flaws. Began the running section with a good pace, did not cramp at all and kept pushing and finally I managed to finish the race in 1 hr 19 minutes 19 seconds. :D

I was really happy with my time but now I will be competing in the season's last race and I am making it a point to complete the final race within 1 hr 18 minutes!

That means only one thing...train harder and smarter! :)

Completing my objective was only possible with the help, assistance and suggestions of my coach Fabio Spiteri and with the patience and help of my Fiancee Erica Grech :D Thanks a lot

Until next post, stay tuned for more updates.

Malcolm

Dare to be there - I'm in! XD

So, following my last post on this blog, I asked my followers to send an SMS so that I could take past in the "Dare to be there" TV Show. First of all I would like to thank all the friends, relatives and whoever sent an SMS with my name. Secondly, I am proud to say that I made it through the final selection and "I'M IN!!!!!" :D

I was extremely happy when I saw the result and I cannot thank you enough, since without your SMSs, I couldn't make it through this selection! THANKS AGAIN!!! :D

Just yesterday we had our first challenge and it was REALLY fun! All the athletes were divided into 9 teams of 3 persons each. We competed against each other by doing archery, paintball (capture the flag), paintball (sharp shooting), slingshot (with water balloons) and knife throwing.

I did really good in certain sports and moderately good in other....considering that I never threw knives, used a paintball gun or held a bow and arrow in my hand I am pretty satisfied with the result!! :)

Next challenge will be held next month and apparently it should be a water based challenge/s.

Triathlon training hasn't stopped, although last week I couldn't train as much as I usually do due to personal priorities. Will try to train harder this week. Also, I am really looking forward for my third race...hopefully nothing happens to my bike and I can give 100% and do a personal best of sub 1hr20mins! :)

Till next time, take care and thanks again!!

Secondary objective: Dare to be there Challenge (TV reality show)

It's been quite some time since my last post. So here's a quick update.

Training has been going good however have been training intermittently due to other (more important) priorities I have in life. Have been doing more weights especially in the upper (core)are to try and improve the swim. Running is going quite good however haven't been concentrating on speed these last weeks. Concentrating more on the bike to run part. Don't want to fade and have cramps in the first 1 - 2kms :) Cycling I'm improving and I am trying to gain more speed and control the lactic acid in my legs as well.

In addition to training I have recently done an audition for the "Dare to be there Challenge" which will be aired on ONE TV within the coming months (end of summer I presume). I have been shortlisted however now I need all your support to make the last step and be able to participate in the program.

Please send an SMS to 50614441and write Malcolm Aber in order to vote for me. :)


Thanks

2012 Championship - Race 2

Last Sunday the second race of this years' championship took place at Salina/Coast road area. Everything was set, training was done and quite honest I was quite confident that I could do a good personal best. In fact my aim was to finish the race in 1 hr 18 minutes.

Started the swim and was feeling good so kept swimming whilst holding a steady stroke. I finished the swim in 00:17:46 (2 minutes 8 seconds faster than the first race). I know it's still slow however I did not want to risk hyperventilating during the swim, at least not during my second race.

Went through the transition in 44 seconds, (9 seconds slower) however I knew that this would happen since during the first race the cycling shoes were already clipped on the bike, slipped and crashed just after the transition while wearing the shoes and I didn't want to risk it again. So I had to wear the cycling shoes before taking the bike and then just clip in and go, and that's why it took me 9 extra seconds. I was quite confident that I would make a personal best in the bike since I had cycled a lot this month so 9 seconds wouldn't be a problem.

During the first kilometer of cycling I could feel something bumping on my back wheel...felt like as small bump every revolution. Immediately, my first thought was that I had a slow puncture or a pointed stone got stuck on the tyre itself. Suddenly, during my second kilometer I could clearly hear and feel that something is wrong with my bike. The bumping sound increased dramatically! I started trying to inspect my bike while still trying to keep up the race pace.

It took me about 2 minutes to identify what's wrong on my bike. Basically, the rear tyre came off the rim and the tube followed. I had to stop because I thought that if I take a puncture during a sprint triathlon I will would stop. I did not want a D.N.F. near my name. As a quick fix I deflated the tyre from 120PSI to about 30 PSI, tried to put the tube back in but no use. I had to continue the race with a very low pressure tyre, the tyre and the tube constantly scraping to the brake shoes. This will not work, after some meters I would have a puncture for sure. I quickly loosened the brake shoe as much as possible and tried to pedal again.

Fortunately enough, only the tyre was scraping the brake shoes now, meaning I could continue the race however I had to be very very careful and to avoid potholes due to the low pressure tyre. If I take a pothole, that could lead to a puncture and also damaging the rim, something which I definitely didn't want to go through.

After some kilometers I could smell burnt rubber and I was really afraid of having a puncture at that point. At times I had to stop pedaling to avoid lactic acid in my feet however this was not possible. The first time I stopped pedaling, the bike almost came to a halt after 10-15 meters. I immediately realized that this would not be an easy ride and had to continue pedaling whilst being cautious of potholes. Finished the bike in 38 minutes 58 seconds (1 minute 30 seconds slower than the first race).

At that point I knew that I had to make a quick transition and a good run in order to stick to the 1 hour 23 minutes 38 seconds. Transition lasted 35 seconds (4 seconds faster than last race) but now I could feel that my feet were already in pain. I wanted a personal best so I had to run at lest 5 minute/km.

Managed to stick to my 5 minute/km and finished the race in 1 hour 23 minutes 22 seconds. Did a personal best by 16 seconds. Was really angry about the bike part but I much now focus on the next race, within a month and a half. I have to train more, focus on a faster swimming style, have to get a faster bike time and a faster run. I want to finish the next race in 1 hr 18 minutes or less!!

This is what is left of the tyre:

Second race of the season

Since when I finished my first race, I have been working hard on my weaknesses and practicing not to do any further mistakes. The second race will take place within 11 days and I can now say that I can and will swim better, cycle faster and maybe run faster too.

I am confident that I will be completing the race in less time. In fact my aim for the next race is 1hr 18 minutes...maybe I am aiming too high...who knows...we'll see! :)

My first Sprint Triathlon - Official triathlete

Last Sunday I raced with Malta's top triathletes in the first Sprint of the Maltese Championship. I had been preparing for this day since last November. Lost weight, gained muscle and now I can proudly say that I am official triathlete! =D *wiiii!!*

The night before the race I ate a plate full of pasta so that I would have some carbs to use during the race and set the alarm to 5am. Usually, I do not like to wake up this early however yesterday I woke up at 4:15am. Maybe because I was quite excited since it's my first official race :)

I had everything set up the day before so theoretically, all I had to do is, wear the trisuit, and drive to the Coast Road (opposite Coastline Hotel). My fiancée also woke up early (at 5am) so that she would help me if I needed anything and also give me some encouragement during the race. Drove off to the race venue and while I was taking out my bike I noticed that I had a flat on the back wheel and I had also forgot the water bottle at home (too late to go and get it by that time).

Called Fabio (my coach) to check if he had a spare tire tube and a spare water bottle. The phone call ended with a positive answer and within 5 minutes I had a new tire tube and a water bottle. I quickly set-up my transition area, fixed my flat and did some warming up before the race. Needless to say, the water was really cold at 7:15am but we all had to go in and swim 750m....*BRRRR*

Ready.....set.....GO!!!!!!.......had a good start for the first 150 - 200 meters but I had heavy breathing problems so I had to switch to a recovery swim, thus I started swimming using the breast stroke. I tried various times to swim freestyle again however I could not cope with my breathing. Then I thought, I'll swim it using the breast stroke and then push during the bike and run.

One of the golden rules of triathlons states: NEVER TRY SOMETHING NEW DURING A RACE!....what did I do? The opposite!

Since it was my first race I knew that I had to clip my bike shoes to the bike before the race starts and attach 2 rubber bands to the bike frame so to keep the shoes upright. Got out of the water, grabbed my bike, mounted it and the rubber bands did not break with first pedal stroke so I decided to break them manually while still moving. Broke the first one, no problem...while I broke the second rubber band, I swerved with my racer (due to lack of momentum) and fell from the bike. :( Got up as quickly as possible, mounted the bike again....did 4 pedal strokes so to get a good momentum and then I got both feet in the bike shoes to start cycling.

Did my 20km bike, then off to the running part. Suffered from calf cramps during the first 1km however it felt better after a while.

Finished the race in 1 hour 23 minutes. quite happy with the result however I am determined to cut 3 - 4 minutes of my time if I swim better. Therefore, I decided to swim a whole lot more in the open water until the next race (within a month I believe). If I can swim 750m all freestyle I would have already gained 4 minutes, without any efforts.

Well done also goes to Keith Galea who managed to finish the race with an impressive time of 59 minutes, 39 seconds!

Last but not least, I would like to thank all those who encouraged me before and during the race, especially me fiancée, Erica Grech! :) Thanks sweet!

My first Sprint Triathlon - 2 days to go!!

With ONLY 2 days to go for my first sprint triathlon, I am quite confident that I will complete the race in a good time. I already set up some target times...I am sure that I can do better but since it's my first time, I don't want to risk suffering from another stitch during the race and having to slow down or walk!

Just yesterday I swam with a friend of mine (who is also having his first debut next Sunday) the exact same route as we shall be doing during the race. To my surprise it wasn't that different in open water. In terms of buoyancy I didn't feel any difference, the only difference in open water is that you have to perform sighting once in a while because you do not have a line at the bottom to guide you. after swimming half course, I could feel that breathing in open water is different....harder maybe....but I am determined to overcome it too!

Just after the swim comes my favorite part, biking! then straight after the bike part, running! I am sure that it will be extremely fun to do after all that hard training!

Good luck to everybody who is participating in next Sunday's sprint! Have fun! :D

My first official race - 1 week to go

Last weekend I did the Garmin swim-run and I did not bad. I know what my mistakes were and now I can avoid such mistakes. It was a stepping stone for my first official race which will be held on the 10th June(almost a week to go). I have to swim 750M, cycle 20KM and then finally run 5KM! It will be a tough one but I am determined to do it and give 100%. I have been training really hard for this and nothing will stop me from completing this race in an acceptable time! I am definitely not racing for the championship title but I will be racing against myself.

I still have 1 week of training to go and so I need to focus on training for now. Will see how it goes! :)

Garmin Swim-Run (benchmarking race) - CHECK!

Garmin Swim - Run race is now over! I really enjoyed doing this race particularly because I was with a good group! So, this is a brief overview of what I felt while doing the race.

Since the race was divided into groups, I had ample time to perform a good warm-up in the pool (25m in length). I was really worried and anxious of how I need to keep my pacing during the swim simply because I never took part in a race which had swimming as part of the race itself. This particular thought was bugging me these last 2 - 3 days....that is how worried I was because of the swim lol!

To cut the story short we had to swim 400m and then run 3km straight after the swim. GET READYYY....GO!!! I starting swimming at a moderate pace because I did not want to finish last either hehe :) after about 300m into the swim my heartrate was getting higher and higher...high enough to almost go into hyperventilation. Because of this I had to make 50m breast (recovery swim) to catch my breath.

400m done in about 7 minutes 45 seconds or 8 minutes...not sure (forgot to start my stopwatch because I was too busy thinking about the swimming pace)...anyway, got out of the pool as fast as I could and I already almost couldn't feel my legs. I ran to the transition area, removed my goggles and swimming cap, put on my running shoes, drank a sip of water and put on my sunglasses. Transition time was about 10 - 13 seconds...quite good considering that this was my first time! :)

So far so good! Managed to survive my first 400m swim in quite a good time (for me). Now I needed to run 3 km with a good steady pace...4minutes 30 seconds per km. By now I could feel that my legs were back to normal.

After about 500 meters into the run, I was feeling a stitch to my right side. I thought that it's not a big deal since during training I often suffer from stitches and after a minute or two I'll be back to normal.

I continued to run but lowered my pacing in order to recover from the stitch as fast as possible however more than half way into the run I was still feeling the stitch and it was getting worse...as one time I had to stop running for 20 seconds (at least) because I was in too much pain that I couldn't run straight any more. :(

After that 20 seconds stop I walked another 5 meters and started running again with a slow pace. I knew that the race was about 500 meters away. Crossed the finish line (still in pain) but quite happy to have finished my first race.

Conclusion: For my first race I think I did well but I can do much better because I know how much my body can handle.

Finished the race in 21 minutes 14 seconds!

Placed 11th out of 23 athletes! :) Quite happy with the result (next time I'm sure I'll do better :D)

Benchmarking race - 7 days to go...

With only 7 days to go for my first race (which will only be serving me as a benchmark) I am trying to set some targets for me to be able to complete the race in a decent time. Following all the hard training I've been through these last months I know I improved a lot and will be able to finish the race. Not only, I will also try to set a good benchmark for the simple reason that I need to know my limits before the championship begins...and not test me limits during the championship.

One might think that I want to win the championship and that is not the case...I will NOT win the championship for sure...but I will race against myself and I need to know my limit so that I can overcome that limit in the races to come.

Since swimming is the least part I have practised till now, my mind is constantly wondering how should I swim 400m...I never swam 400m at one go...but I guess I will find my answer the hard way! Breathing in water is still quite a problem till now due to hay-fever causing blocked sinuses :( at the most I will try to swim a rather slow swim and then give 110% during the run! I have to make up the time I loose during the swim.

Also, with summer kicking in I can start swimming in the open sea hoping that I can cope with the pack at the championship races.

I would like to wish a good luck to all the athletes who would be participating in the Swim-Run race!

LET'S ROCK!!! =D

16 days to go...

It's already been 8 months now since I started training and my first race will be within 16 days. However, I still have tons of questions related to my swimming style. I feel that this is my weakest part since I did not have enough time to practice it as much as I did with running and bike.

Even if this is only a charity race and is not in conjunction with the championship, I will still give 100% during both swim and run. I have been thinking about my breathing during the swim these last 2 - 3 weeks and practising like an idiot what to do and what not do to during the swim. So, if maybe you saw me driving and taking deep breaths please do not laugh...yes I know you're already laughing at this point haha!

Anyway, training overall is going great, knee pain seems to be gone as well, so far so good. The only change I did was adjusted the cleat, so I guess that was the problem. Time per km is going down too :) Weight is also going down and now I am 71.9kg and I also gained some muscle all around my body. Pretty cool! :D

Will keep posting some days before the actual race and also after the race.

Have a good day and take care!

Brick session with my training mates

With summer approaching, one can start training in the evening while daylight is still available. This will provide the opportunity for us tri-athletes to train without a turbo trainer. In fact, just yesterday we met near coastline at 6pm and did a tough interval session which included both speed and hills.

To my surprise I managed to keep up with the group really well and I could also push more if I wanted to but since it was my first time I did not want to risk it. during the speed session I managed to keep an average of 40km/hr speed and am really happy with the result! =D

After a hard interval session with the bike, we ran about 2.4km and I managed to run an average of 4:58 mins per km. Still need to run faster however I my running improved a lot since I started training. I cannot expect to reach the other athletes in a few months....but one day, I will :)

After all the hard training I have been doing...results are definitely showing!

Bring on more hard training Fabio!!!

Cycling - Knee pain

During these last 2 weeks or so, I was experiencing some back knee pain during and after sessions. When I asked my coach he suggested me to use deep heat and that is what I did. However, during last Sunday's cycling session I THINK that I found what is causing the knee pain.

I noticed that when pull me leg up (right leg) during a bike ride the knee tends to point more the the outer part instead of pointing it straight upwards. I guess that is the problem and I have to find a solution for this....and it has to be a fast solution. Therefore, if anybody out there knows what I should do or maybe can provide me some tips, I would really appreciate it. Please feel free to post your suggestions in the comment box below.

In the meantime, I am still training hard since my first race will be in a month's time.

Thanks and have a nice day! :)

Training: Running

After some months training with Fabio and training against a program set by the coach himself, I was beginning to question myself  if my running continued to improve or not. During yesterdays training session, Fabio gave us a 1 mile run for four times with 5 minutes rest in between. I managed to run at a pace of 6 minutes 55 seconds (average) per mile. I could have pushed it further however since I am having some issues with my right knee, I didn't want to push and hurt myself resulting in an injury.

In the meantime, I also noticed that my breathing improved a lot! I can now run with a faster pace without having breathing issues! I am really happy about the result and since the first race will be within 2 months I am really looking forward to be able to benchmark my fitness once again.

Hope that the knee pain I am having after a hard session will not persist. :)

More equipment (Trisuit) and my first charity race

Triathlon, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession. Triathletes compete for fastest overall course completion time, including timed "transitions" between the individual swim, bike, and run components.

When a triathlete gets out of the water he needs to change the swim suit and wear cycling shorts and shirt, and get on the bike as fast as possible. With a trisuit, there is no need to change clothes. Just get out of the water, get the bike and pedal as hard as you can!

With my first triathlon approaching within a few months, I needed to get one of these trisuits and last week I managed to get an Orca Core Trisuit.

Trisuits are made specifically for triathletes to be able to make a faster time during a Triathlon. The fabric of my Trisuit is made out of a thin material which improves blood flow throughout the body and decreases drag while in water. It also has a shemy in the groin area...thick enough to protect the delicate parts during cycling and thin enough for a triathlete to be able run without problems.

I didn't use it yet however I am really eager to use this trisuit and in fact my first race (charity race) will be held on the 27th May 2012. In the meantime, I am still training hard almost everyday to improve my skills.

At this point I wish to encourage all those people who would like to maybe start a sport to try out the Charity race that will be held on the 27th May 2012. Details below:

Equipment - Clipless pedals

Some months have already passed since I have started training for the Triathlon and when you are practising for a competition (any competition) one always tries to get better and better. Although this will be my first try, I am already aware that I will not place first but I not want to finish last either and that is why I am training so hard every day!

In order to improve in your discipline, you need to practice and the more you practice the better you become. However, having better equipment will help you get to the better results.

Last week I bought a new set of pedals. Not because I didn't like the pair I already own, but because I needed to be more efficient during the biking section. With the old pair all you needed was a pair of normal running shoes and the pedals themselves. You place both feet on the pedals and you push down to move the bike forward. But what about pulling up??? You cannot pull the pedal up while cycling!!

That meant that there is room for improvement and that is why I bought a pair of Clipless Pedals!

Old Basic Pedals:

New Pedals (Clipless kit):

The new pair of pedals consist of the pedals themselves and a pair of cleats. One would also require a pair of road cycling shoes.

The cleats would then attach themselves to the shoe like so:

The pedals would then replace your old pair and then one can clip the shoes to the pedals. By doing so one would be able to not only push down to more the bike forward, but also pull up, push forward and pull backwards too. A HUGE ADVANTAGE!

Last weekend I tried them for the first time and the I guarantee anyone that there is ABSOLUTELY NO COMPARISON between the 2 pair of pedals. The difference performance wise is HUGE. In fact, I managed to do my usual bike in 15 minutes less than usual.

Like everything, there are advantages and disadvantages with such pedals. Since the bike itself will be part of your body, you would gain a huge amount of power during your bike ride and one would not need to almost stop pushing when changing gears. As a disadvantage then one has to be more careful than usual. Meaning, if you need to stop the bike, you have to remember to un-clip both feet from the pedals or else you would fall. If you fall down and there are cars passing by one can suffer serious injuries. If there are no cars and you fall down while still clipped to the pedals, you would really look like an idiot.

Check out this video and you'll see what I mean! :P

Until next time...have a nice day! =D

Running - the cherry on the cake

Running is the last discipline in the triathlon and perhaps it's one of the most demanding of all the three. After swimming and cycling you still need energy and strength to be able to run at a good pace. Personally I prefer short sprints, and because I trained volleyball (in which you were required to sprint very short distances) I was not bad at sprinting. However, if I wanted to participate in Triathlon, I needed to train my body and my legs to keep a certain pace for a much longer period of time.

If it was for me, I would have started running everyday to increase my stamina. However, Fabio requested me to train with a very slow pace because I needed to burn fat as well. Till now I managed to increase my distance from barely 5km to 10km very comfortably. Time per km has also decreased and that means that I am getting stronger.

Now, you might be asking that running is fairly simple...just one step after another and that's it. You're wrong! Running requires a technique as well that I am still trying to master till this very moment. To change from one technique (random) to the correct one is very difficult because you might have to use a different kind of muscles.

Also, there are many techniques and every technique has it's pros and cons. The problem now is to choose the most energy efficient and fastest technique there is and stick to it. Patience is required in running...especially when trying to sticking to a different technique.

My current time per km is not very good however it's improving an I am pretty sure that it will continue improving from time to time.

Will see how it goes! In the meantime, I wish a good day to everybody.

Cycling - speed...speed...speedddd!!!

By far, my favorite discipline is cycling. To be honest with you, I don't know how I can explain the feeling during a bike ride....maybe intense while relaxing at the same time, maybe. One has to try it :)

I had bought my first mountain bike when I had only 13 years for LM80 and I really loved every inch of it, even if it was really heavy (27KG), wasn't top of the range, had only 18 gears, the rear derailleur was only a Shimano SIS etc. I used to spend hours in our garage trying to make the best out of my bike. Always trying to make the gears shift instantly without any "noise". Always cleaning my bike, covering it with a piece of cloth before leaving the garage so that dirt would not get into the gears and sit on the bike itself. When my school organized a bike event during the sports day I always rode from home to school (St. Venera to Corradino hill), participate in any biking event available and then cycle back home. I also repaired everything in my bike! I NEVER trusted anyone to ride my bike...I was that careful and till this very day the bike is still working like clockwork.

Years after buying my mountain bike I stopped riding my bike due to other commitments however about a year ago I had decided to buy my second mountain bike (Orbea Toubkal) with 2 objectives in mind.

- staying fit and healthy
- really missed cycling and it's freedom sensation

 

This Orbea had an aluminum frame, thus weighed only 16kg (huge leap from my older bike), aluminum wheels with double wall, better group set and more gears, disk brakes and front suspension. I was really happy with it and it was a pleasure to ride such a good bike! However there was still something missing but I couldn't figure out that. Then one day during my weekly routine ride I encountered a guy with a road bike just ahead of me who was just starting to go down the "Burmarrad" road. This meant only one thing to me...I HAVE TO OVERTAKE THIS GUY AT ALL COSTS!! I started pedaling as hard as I could (while he was not pedaling at all), however I did not manage to overtake this guy. It was at that point when I realized that is missing in my bike....SPEED!! I am addicted to speed but could not afford a road bike.

To cut the story short, I managed to buy a road bike and everything...and I mean EVERYTHING changed from good to better. The ride seating position was something incredible, the aero-dynamics, the grip, the width of the frame....WOW!!! :O EVERYTHING IS MAKING SENSE NOW!!! =D

Swimming - the "all technical" discipline

The first thing my coach asked me was "do you know how to swim?" and my reply was "I have no problem whatsoever with swimming freestyle however I do not have the technique required to accomplish the swim part without drowning...lol"

My first swimming session started with a brief introduction of myself to the other triathletes and then, into the pool! Fabio (my coach) requested me to swim 100m as my first exercise to check how my swimming style is, what weaknesses I have, and all the other stuff. Swam my first 100m as requested and he told me that I need to put my head into the water, breath into the water and make myself more linear to the water surface. Doing those three things would make my swim more efficient and less energy consuming.

First try: Put head in water and start swimming...1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 strokes then stopped because I forgot to breath....

Second try: Put head in water, stroke 1, 2, 3, 4, tried to breath out....stroke 5...head out of water to breath in....head into water....stroke 7, 8, 9....stopped because out of breath.

To cut the story short, my first swimming session was really crap however since I was determined that I can do it and also knew that this would be the hardest of the three disciplines I managed to grasp the breathing technique after about 6 sessions. Finally, I can now focus on my strokes, how to perform a more efficient stroke, kicking, body rolling etc.

Now, I have been practicing swimming for quite a few sessions and every session I feel that I am getting better and stronger...maybe it's just a placebo effect however results are already improving! 46 strokes to a cover a total of 50 meters.

Target: Train harder to swim more efficiently!

PS: Swimming in the cold climate of January and February in a heated pool, BLISS! =D

Triathlon Gear & the first few training sessions

As you should know by now, the discipline of Triathlon consists of three different sports in one. This means that before you decide to continue practicing this sport, you need to sit down and think about how much time, money and how many sacrifices you're willing to spend/do on such sport.

- If you have a very hectic and busy life such as going to work at 6am and not going back home before 11pm (due to other activities) then this is not the sport for you.
- If you want a sport that you do not have to spend hundreds on it, then forget triathlon. This is quite an expensive sport and if you are willing to get to a professional level, then you have to pay much more for equipment, memberships etc.

I had asked myself such questions and even if I am not a wealthy person, I wanted to do this sport.

"Where there's will, there's a way!"

Standard equipment you much have to be able to participate in a race:
- Good pair of sun glasses
- Good running shoes
- Running clothes
- Bike (Road bike is better than a mountain bike....however it's more expensive)
- Turbo trainer (to be able to cycle indoors when it's raining)
- Cycling clothes
- Swimming shorts
- Pull buoy
- Kick board
- Goggles
- Time, dedication, patience and support (a big thanks goes to my fiancée Erica)! :)

Fail in having one of those...and you will not be able to do such a race.

When I decided to start training, my coach asked me to perform a 5km run. No problem, started running but after 5 minutes my legs were already feeling a little bit wobbly. I managed to do a 5km run (without no hills) in 35 minutes but I was going to die when I stopped. I felt like fainting, and was going to puke. I was really out of shape however nowadays I can perform a 10km run within 57 minutes without experiencing any pain of dizziness.

When I had my mountain bike I used to ride from St. Venera through Attard, Rabat, Mosta, Burmarrad, St. Paul's Bay, Bugibba front and back in about 1 hour 37 minutes. Now, it takes me 1 hr 10 minutes to do the same route. That is what I call improvement! (This was also possible by using a road bike and not a mountain bike).

I know how to swim in sea and in the pool however I NEVER practiced swimming with my head in the water. That in fact was one big monster I had to tame. During my first swimming lesson I felt that I was really bloated. with the amount of water I had swallowed! You have to swim, and breath at the same time without loosing a second. This was really hard for me at first and however after some training sessions I am feeling that I got a better idea how things need to be done.

Weekend is approaching and that means that I have more time in which to exercise and get stronger.

Wish you readers a nice, relaxed weekend! :)

Motivation = fuel...MY FUEL

Triathlon...Swim, Bike then RUN! Usually anybody who chooses a sport would choose one discipline and train really hard to achieve his/her goal. Therefore, you can imagine how hard it is to train three disciplines at one go and practice them one after the other without resting a single second. You have to train constantly (physically and mentally) and with a plan in mind to be able to achieve this goal.

Some people/friends already told me that I'm mad to swim, cycle and then run...but hey, that's me! Maybe I'm mad...who knows! Maybe I chose triathlon because I do not excel in one sport and so I chose three at one go...could be! I also thought that I am mad during the first few months of training...having to swim in December, January and February is no easy task to do but I did it, and I'm still here, ready to kick some ass!

Motivation is key to anything we need to do in our life and motivation for triathlon is like using Nitrous Oxide during a car race! Usually I gather my motivation from video clips like the one I am posting below:

If any athlete/triathlete is reading my blog and maybe he has questions that needs to be answered before his race, you're not alone. New questions popup into my mind everyday, you're not alone! My approach to such questions is to TRY....if I don't succeed, TRY AGAIN!

Remember: What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger!

For now, I am trying to make my best in learning the technique of all three disciplines...then I will concentrate on speed (the part that I like most :) )

Something that keeps me going

Five months have already passed since when I started training. Weight is constantly going down, getting leaner and stronger however it was NOT plain sailing...not at all!

The first month was really painful. After some years of being totally inactive (couch potato) I expected some pain (particularly in my legs) however the day after each training session I would barely be able to stand up on my legs. I knew that this would have been a really important checkpoint and I had to reach it if I wanted to continue training.

And so I did! Training nowadays is not THAT painful anymore but even if it was more painful than in the beginning, I would have kept going...and there is no way I will stop now! Training for the race and the race itself has something that will keep you going. Like a drug, sort of...

Off to training we go....MUST GET FITTER!! :)

Hello (blogging) world!

I am one of those guys who really love sports (all kind of sports). Since when I was just a kid, I played soccer every morning with my school mates, always had an excellent performance during sports days and when I got a little older I decided to start Volleyball. One of my aims was to take part in the National Volleyball Marathon (held on a yearly basis), thus I started training hard so that I could achieve my goal.

My volleyball team was Fleur-de-lys and I used to play in the Under-19's and 2nd division. After 3 years of hard training I finally qualified to perform the Volleyball Marathon (242 hrs).

WIII!! GOAL ACHIEVED!!!

Since I managed to achieve my goal, I sat back thinking what's next. 1st division was going to be my next stepping stone. Trained everyday to try to reach my goal however (sadly enough) I was not able to continue performing me daily training due to work, and other personal issues.

Instead of quitting, I decided to decrease my training from Monday to Friday, to Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Again, I couldn't manage to stick to my plan so I decided to make 1 last step before quitting from volleyball. Started training every Monday and Wednesday but apparently 24 hrs a day aren't enough for me so I decided to quit. In all honesty, It was already making no sense in training 2 times a week with such a high goal to reach.

6 years passed by like a split second and I gained some weight (as expected). That meant only 1 thing...DIET TIME!!!

Bought a mountain bike from a local shop and started cycling every Saturday. I really loved watching the "Tour de France" and "Giro d'Italia" on TV but I never had enough money to buy a road bike. I started to lose some weight and I also managed to increase the trip distance and it really felt good. :)

SUDDENLY.....(drum roll) one of my colleagues asked if I wanted his road bike (Full Carbon with Ultegra group set) and the answer was "let me sell my mountain bike first....." after a few days I had my own road bike.

And the adventure starts here....

Since I also had Racing (could not practice it due to lack of funds and resources) and photography as a hobby I decided to go speak with someone in the Malta Triathlon Association group (on Facebook). Agreed with him that I would go and see an event and also snap some photos.

Woke up early, went to the Starting line and was (and still am) amazed by the friendly environment, the triathletes, the equipment, the friendly competition between them etc.... 

*thinking*
....I cannot afford a racing car...but I have a racing bike...bike + racing = my kind of sports...hmmm...I also like swimming and running....what do I have to lose?! Win-Win situation!
*thinking*

BULL'S EYE!! BING! BING! BING!

NEW GOAL: DO TRIATHLON NEXT YEAR!!! :)