Enduring a downpour or wet weather scenario
On a drizzly Sunday evening, I faced my fear. Time for me to tackle a crucial part of my upcoming triathlon project, and that's running. I ain't got no love for the exercise, but I've gotta do it. My first race, the Fehmarn Triathlon, kicks off on September 14th. That's 1500m swimming, 43km cycling, and a choke-inducing 10km running spree.
Now, I reckon I mighta overestimated myself with my new AI pal, ChatGPT. It suggested a pace of 6:00 minutes per kilometer for me, which means running 10k in just an hour. Holy moly! That might be a breeze for trained runners, but I'm no sprinter. Still, I ain't one to back down, so I laced up my runners and trotted out.
Something about the elderberry-infused air and the peaceful quiet called to me. So, off I went, splashing through the puddles. The first lap took me through my Rosenthaler allotment colony. How fast could I go, I wondered.
The AI had doled out some advice on a smart training plan. They reckoned I'd make it, and I wanted to try it right from the get-go - stable shoulders, plenty of steps, full-sole contact, and arms in the runner's triangle. Seems simple enough, right?
I stuck to the wet tar, feeling right as rain. The first strides were easy, but my breath began to fall short. Cars whizzing by drenched me with spray, but I danced around 'em with a grin on my face. A minute into it, I'd already clocked 6:03 minutes. Not too shabby!
But the celebration was short-lived. Just 300 meters later, I hit a wall. My breath turned shallow, my heart thundered in my ears. I was gasping for air, forced to slow to a walk. Standing still for a moment, I coulda sworn I heard Daniel Unger's voice in my head. You see, I'd chatted with him before about my triathlon endeavor (read the interview). Unger's a world champ on the Olympic distance from 2007, and soon he'll be training Australia's triathletes. Quite the expert!
In our chat, Unger had offered a golden rule for beginners: "Frequency before volume before intensity." Translation: Train often, not extensive, and sparingly delve into high-intensity workouts. And what did I do? Broke the rules, I reckon.
I picked myself back up, determined to finish what I'd started. My run-walk combo paid off, and I reached 3.96 km in 26:26 minutes. My initial burst of energy barely lasted half an hour. But the conclusion was clear: It ain't gonna be a walk in the park.
Despite my newfound enthusiasm for running, I realized that I needed to focus on frequency, not just intensity, as suggested by triathlon expert Daniel Unger. So, I decided to rethink my training strategy and incorporate more frequent runs in my schedule. Moreover, I decided to watch a game of hockey tomorrow evening to distract myself from the running challenges ahead.
