TriAptitude Coaching

 

Bethany hitting the finish line of the Broncos 7K with her two daughters cheering her on.  Olivia taking a moment for yoga and stretching post run in the mountains of Colorado.

Hi, friends.  Well, it been several weeks since I’ve had the chance to write an update on Bethany Balderrama and Olivia Seng’s progress in training for their first triathlon at Loveland Lake to Lake which is coming up on June 23rd!  They will both be racing at Loveland Lake to Lake triathlon in Loveland, Colorado.  If you missed my first post on these two amazing ladies, you can find it right here.

What does it take to become a triathlete?  Well, I asked them both some thought provoking questions about how they feel both physically and mentally as they approach race day.  Here is what they said:

Bethany and Olivia are closing in on their goal to become triathletes. How are they doing? Let’s check in. Bethany’s answers are recorded in yellow. Olivia’s answers are recorded in pink.

What is your favorite part of training and why?
Seeing what my body is capable and feeling strong! 

My favorite part of training is the purpose that it gives me in my workouts. Before, my fitness was geared towards volleyball training. When I stopped playing competitively this last year (Which was a super tough decision) I sometimes felt a little lost. This has given me a purpose to set goals for and strive for.

What has gone smoothly for you and what has been more challenging as you have increased your workout duration and intensity?
The actual workouts have gone smoothly, finding time to fit them all in the last couple of weeks has been challenging. The end of year craziness and commitments has made it hard.

Running specifically has been the easiest and smoothest part of training. I naturally am a runner and it is something that I deeply enjoy. The most difficult part is finding a pool to practice swimming in. Colorado lakes and rivers are horribly freezing in the spring, and the gym I belong to doesn’t have a pool. So, I have had to be creative. I have more access to bikes (indoor and out) but have found that I don’t necessarily enjoy biking as much or in the same way I enjoy running.

Has your experience training for your first triathlon been different than you expected?
I am surprised how much I like swimming when that was what made me the most nervous at the beginning. Now I am excited when it is a swimming day!

Yes, definitely. I think this is because I expected to be swimming more and sticking to the schedule I made better. Since I can’t get to a pool or bike every day I need, I have switched up days. I have also sort of over-trained in running and just overall fitness. I hope that even if I am not proficient in swimming or biking, that my athleticism/ being in good shape will help me.

How do you balance training load and work/school and family?
I have an amazing husband who is always willing to do whatever is needed for me to be able to get my workout in. When I know I have something going on in the evening I try to get up early to work out and if I am able to incorporate my workout in my normal daily activities I like to do that, like riding my bike to work or the store for example.

Since I was a college athlete, this is something that comes easily. I naturally plan a workout in each of my days, depending on what other obligations I have. Occasionally, this means waking up before the sun, but I have found that I thrive in the early hours of the day.

Have you found a training partner or group with which you can do workouts and support? If so, how did you meet them and how often do you get together?
I was swimming with the Windsor Masters team until March – I stopped because the time of day just wasn’t working for me, I was dreading waking up early three days a week and it was making me not like swimming! So I decided to train on my own. I have kept in contact with many of the Masters team and the coach, and see some of them when I go swim on my own at the recreation center. For the most part I train on my own, which I am okay with 🙂

I haven’t found anyone who is training for a triathlon as well. Although, I do have a network of friends and family who I enjoy working out with. My parents and brothers go to the gym or run regularly, so sometimes we team up and do it together. I also have a couple running buddies who will meet me at the gym or on a trail to run together!

What are you most looking forward to on race day?
The excitement and adrenaline before the race, seeing my husband and daughters as I cross the finish line.

I’ve never been to a triathlon and I am excited to just see how it all works. With every sport, marathons/ volleyball/ soccer/ etc., there is a kind of community around the sport or group that the sport draws. It can be a really fun environment and I am looking forward to being a part of the community that triathlons form.

Describe yourself in three words. Have these words changed since you started training for your first triathlon? How have you grown and changed physically and emotionally?
Strong, capable, determined. Yes, they have changed, I think I have always been determined, but I don’t know that I believed I was strong or capable before I started training. I have grown in my emotional resiliency. I do not let a missed workout or “bad” workout sideline me. I just try to focus on today and what I can do today, and try to give myself some grace and know I am improving and learning every day. I always tell my daughter when she is trying something new that it is ok if she doesn’t get it right away, but to just keep trying and learning and she will get it eventually. I am trying to remind myself of that too 🙂

Thoughtful, Motivated, Intentional
I think the second two have changed for sure, since my intentions and motivation is geared towards preparing for a triathlon. But I am still just as motivated and thoughtful.
I don’t know that I have really changed physically or emotionally. I think I am in the same shape or maybe better shape physically. Emotionally, I have remained pretty consistent. Maybe a new goal has kept my prospects high and attitude focused, but definitely not negative changes.

I am looking forward to cheering both of these women on at Loveland Lake to Lake triathlon in three weeks.  There is nothing like the feeling of accomplishment you get when you cross the finish line of your first triathlon.  And, it is always inspirational to watch athletes set goals and reach these milestones for themselves.  More updates coming your way as we get closer to race day for these ladies.