A Woman's Primer to Triathlons

Before triathlon, I had never done a sport in my life. My hand-eye coordination is incredibly lacking, to put it nicely. K-12 gym classes aside, and 3 years of recreational gymnastics where, already 5'7" at age 11, I was told I was "too tall," I've spent the majority of my life as a dancer.

I traded in this "glamour"....

....for hideous race photos. Awesome.

By way of burn-out, I "retired" from competitive ballroom dancing at the ripe age of 25, after deciding that I was tired of pouring all of my free time, money, and resources towards becoming a professional ballroom dancer. It wasn't fun anymore.

I'd always secretly admired triathletes - how cool is it that they kick ass at not one but THREE sports?! AND...there is no hand-eye coordination involved! ;-)

Zach and I began to train for triathlons around the same time, but I didn't have any females to turn to for more lady-centered questions & advice.

Thus, I am sharing some lady-focused triathlon wisdom, as well as some all-inclusive notes for the general triathlete population of things I have learned in my first two years racing.

Ladies, in particular:

• Being strong is more important than being skinny. You'll get farther and faster with muscles.
• Women cannot bulk up. We don't have the amount of testosterone needed for this. We'll tone, but not bulk. If you're on steroids, well, I can't really help you there...
• Invest in good, supportive sports bras.
• Go barefaced. If you're working hard, you're going to sweat off that mascara anyway. If you want to feel feminine, choose colors and clothes that make you feel that way. I always paint my nails before a race. It makes me feel girly - amongst all the sweat and grime.
• Take care of your hair. Condition, condition, condition! Between chlorine and salt water (during summer open water swims in The Sound), my hair has taken a huge beating. I always use leave-in conditioner, but that only does so much.
• Women have it just as bad as men when it comes to sitting in the saddle. Body glide is going to be your best friend. Keep your lady parts comfortable. Enough said.
• When I hung up my rhinestoned ballgowns and dancing shoes, and traded in for running sneakers and a bike, I quickly discovered: this is not a glamorous sport. This is a sport where you get out what you put in.
• There is no judging, no politics. It's not a matter of who-is-coached-by-who, or who has the more impressive bike. It's a matter of who crosses the finish line with the fastest time. Did you do your homework? Have you put in the time and quality workouts?
• Quickly discovered within my first few races: women are the minority in this sport. Outnumbered by men roughly 4:1.

For all y'all:

• Check your excuses at the start line. We all get the same course, same conditions, same weather.
• Don't underestimate an athlete's speed by their body size. You could be horribly wrong. Ditto for age. I've been passed by 60 year-olds.
• Better equipment doesn't necessarily mean a better/faster athlete. Some think they can "buy" their time with a $8,000 bike. That ain't worth crap if you haven't done your due diligence and built your "aerobic engine."
• Mental strength is just as important - if not, moreso - than physical strength. It's gonna hurt. But, it's temporary. The finish line is worth it.
• Be welcoming and accepting of new teammates. There is something to be learned from everyone! I had a very bad experience after my second triathlon, where I overheard a teammate make a degrading comment about my performance. It left a bad taste in my mouth, and has fueled my desire to be welcoming and friendly with all my teammates – old & new.
• In a similar vein: get over yourself. Be humble. Be a good sports(wo)man.
• And, lastly: race photos are rarely attractive. You've been warned...

I'll step off my soapbox now and ask you: what are key things you learned in your first few years of racing? Anything you wish you'd been forewarned about?