A)  How to get kicked in the chin and not stopping
B)  Attempting to swim while boxed in by two swimmers, each close enough to know if I am wearing deodorant
C)  How to take a breath while simultaneously not swallowing all the water being churned up by 20+ swimmers
D)  Not colliding

If these were the goals of this drill, I think I did pretty well.  I managed to actually get a lot of practice on item A in particular.  And to that unknown person out there who seemed to nail me repeatedly in the schnoz with their foot…time for a pedicure.

However, if the goal was to simulate the chaos of a swim start in the safety of a pool, mission accomplished.  I knew I could stand up, reach a wall or, worst case, that the lifeguard and several workout leaders stood nearby to help out.

The oddest part, as we did this drill, I found myself laughing.  Since there aren’t a lot of pool-based comedy clubs, I can assume you haven’t had this experience, so let me assure you that laughing underwater and swimming are a bad combination.  Swimming en masses was so crazy, so chaotic so devoid of any rules or organization that it was absurd.  And so I found myself laughing.  

Since I decided to undertake a triathlon this year, I’ve had some conversations with people where they tell me, “oh, I could never do that.  It’s too scary.”  And you know, they might be right.  But, one of the things that I was most scared about was getting hit in the water.  And, while not something I hope to do on a regular basis, getting kicked, hit, swam over and splashed wasn’t as bad as I thought.  Chalk one up for the training.

Now, the fact that my feet are very ticklish…that’s going to be a problem.

*My apologies to Mr. John, I realize the song was titled “Someone saved my life tonight,” but that didn’t work in the context of this entry.

After some quick pointers, we began warming up and then started running around the track.  Sometimes we stopped to do some form of calisthenics, pushups, situps, burpees (an aptly named exercise if there ever were one).

Running around a track is sort of like running on a hamster wheel, but a lot flatter and without the benfit of the wheel part.  Four laps to a mile.  It seemed like a long four laps.  Four long, lonely laps.  These are the sort of running laps that usually very quickly become walking laps for me.

But today was different.

Normally, when I run, I’m alone with my thoughts.  This is not always a good thing.  My thoughts sound like this:  ”Why am I running?”  ”Is that a stitch in my side or do I have appendicitis?”  ”Is my foot really on fire?”  ”This would go much faster if wolves were chasing me?”  ”I think jogging is really Yiddish for ‘runs like a turtle’ ”  These thoughts, in case you couldn’t tell, are not conducive to a long run.

But, instead of being alone with my thoughts on Saturday, I had the luck to have two different workout leaders accompany me on my jog.  I’ve changed their names to protect their identities and created a composite character I’ll call Maya Ellen.

Our group features workout leaders, former Team Training New England athletes who come back to help during the group workouts.  They offer tips, encouragement and space themselves out amongst the athletes to keep them company (and from getting lost).

During my “I think I can” moments around the track Maya Ellen and I talked about, well I’m not sure what we talked about, but it kept me going.  Lap after lap, chatting away, I didn’t stop.  Instead, I kept going.

Now, this isn’t rocket science.  The idea of doing things as a group has long been a keystone of successful programs for weight loss, learning, building pyramids and exercise.  I just haven’t had a workout buddy for many years.  Now I had Maya Ellen to jog away the hours.

One hour later, I had run…actually I’m not sure how far I ran, since being on a track, I didn’t get very far.  But, it didn’t matter, because I didn’t stop and that was a nice little victory to put in my pocket at 8:00 a.m.

We hope you like these cool new TTNE products!

Here’s how to order…
Click on this image to enlarge it, or go to Splashwear Aquatics.com.
Click on the words: Team Login.  This will take you to our team login page.  Our code is: ttne

Once you enter the code, you will now be on our Team Page.  Below is a screen shot of our Team Page.
We have 3 styles of female suits and 1 jammer style for men. If you want all three items, a swim suit, a tech-tee and a towel, you can click on the Team Kit of the suit style you prefer and save a few dollars.

Our first team order will close on May 15.  Please place your orders before that date.

If you have any questions, feel free to email us.

So, after dropping the kids off at school, Lynne had invited me to ride along with her, indoors, for one of her workouts.  Instead of saying, “I’m planning on donating a kidney in an Albanian youth hostel, so I’ll be taking it easy today” I said, “ok.”

I got home, skipped my usual bout of procrastination, and hopped on the bike.  Now, I didn’t set any land speed records, but I did get through just about an hour’s worth of cycling without my usual complaints.  It did help that we had an episode of The Good Wife to keep us occupied (they have TV during the triathlons, right?), but I kept spinning my wheels.

When I hopped off, I had gone just over 12 miles, the distance I would need to cover for the race.  That felt like a good accomplishment, though I hear they might have these things called “hills” in our race.  However, I have to admit, my tush wasn’t the happiest camper.

Then Lynne said, “I’m going to run 2 miles now.”  At this point, I’m usually ready to call it quits, but instead said, “you know, I’ll join you.”  to be clear, what I meant was that the concept of running seemed acceptable, however the 2 mile part seemed daunting.

Oh, did I mention it was chilly out?  It was April, but still felt like early March.  And, I hate to run in the cold weather…it seems like the sort of thing that they’d make you do at a Gulag or on Paris Island for military training.  But, I thought if I hurried, I might beat my procrastination out the door.

I bundled up as best I could and headed out…just as it started to lightly rain.  Not enough to get me to turn back immediately, but enough to dampen my enthusiasm.  I figured I should at least go for a few minutes, get used to running right after biking.  Plus, there was no guarantee that my race would feature ideal weather.

After ten minutes, I felt that unpleasant sort of cold, where your fingertips are just numb enough, and all your layers no longer warm you, but seem to be trapping the cold air against your skin.  I utterered some choice words and headed back home.

I wasn’t discouraged completely.  I’d cross-trained.  I’d done a brick (Bike + Run + Ick = Brick).  Not a big brick.  But, my first brick.  Hopefully, a few more bricks and I’ll have built a nice little foundation for my triathlon.  Now, if I could just get a nice home theater out on the course….

We know that everyone’s inbox can get full very fast.  We do send the occasional long, detailed email.  However, it could get lost in your email glut or simply stuck in your spam folder.  We don’t take it personally.

This page will be your reference page for all relevant and important information you will need to know.  The only thing you need to do is bookmark this page.  When we have posted something new, you will get a short email prompting you to check this page at your convenience.

You can also post questions here for the group to see, and we will answer them as soon as possible.  The private facebook page is also a great place to post questions or suggestions (see link below).

Basic Triathlon Gear List

How to add the TTNE website to your smartphone’s home screen (i.e. adding a shortcut)
We strongly recommend doing this because it is a great way to easily check the TTNE calendar for upcoming training sessions, locations, and any session details.
For an iPhone, here is a video that shows you what to do:

For an Android phone, here is a video that shows you what to do:

To get TTNE text messages:
We are using Remind101, which provides a one-way communication tool that we are using to help us send important and immediate notices out to the whole team.  For instance, if there is a weather-related location change, parking update on the day of the race, or just an inspiration note, we will communicate to you with this system.

You are NOT able to respond to these messages, instead you should contact the TTNE coaches directly.  If you have lost our cell phone numbers, please email us or call the main business number.
To sign up please do the following:
1)  Text this message: @ttne to this number (475) 529-2274
2)  You will get a response asking for your first and last name.  Enter that, hit send and that’s it!
OR if you prefer getting the updates via email (though that may not get your attention the way a text message will), send a blank email to: ttne@mail.remind101.com.  Put your name in the Subject Line.

*If you ever want to stop getting these messages, all you need to do is simply reply with the word “stop”.

Communication:
If you want to send an email to the whole group, please use the following email address:
theteam@teamtrainingne.com (this email will not be available for use until April 22)

Join our private TTNE facebook group

http://www.facebook.com/groups/TTNE2011/

This is a place where you can build your community to plan workouts together, post questions and encourage each other throughout the training season and beyond.  If you’d like to be in this group, please click on the above link and request membership.

Become a FAN and LIKE our Team Training New England facebook page. It’s not critical to the communication, but it’s a tool that can be used to build community and get to know each other better.

Workout buddies:  For those of you that did not register with a friend, we would strongly recommend that you find someone on the team that lives or works close to you so you can workout together whenever possible.  If you are not able to identify a workout buddy, please let us know and we’ll find you a buddy or two.

Race Information
Sprint Distance:
July 14, 2013, Mossman Sprint Triathlon at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk, CT
Before you sign up, contact us for the registration code.

Hotel Information
A block of rooms has been secured for us, Team Training New England,  at the Hilton Garden Inn Norwalk (560 Main Avenue, Norwalk CT) for July 13th, 2013 at the special rate of $109 per night.  Reservations may be made by calling the hotel directly at 203-523-4000 or the hotel toll free number at 1-877-STAY-HGI (1-877-782-9444) and mentioning the group code “TTNE”  Reservations may also be made online by clicking on the Team Training New England Reservation Link below:
http://hiltongardeninn.hilton.com/en/gi/groups/personalized/O/ORQNWGI-TTNE-20130713/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG

Team Dinner: At the Hilton Garden Inn in Norwalk. Pricing and details TBD

Recommended Olympic Races*:
July 28, 2013, Lowell YMCA Triathlon
August 25, 2013, Park City Mossman in Bridgeport, CT

*TTNE coaches and Workout Leaders may not be present at these races.  Please let us know if we can help you identify another race and/or location that may better fit your schedule.

SWIM SUITS, TOWELS and TECH TEES
This year, we are trying something new and exciting!  We have brand new customized TTNE gear. All of this can be ordered from our customized TEAM STORE through Splashwear Aquatics.
http://www.swimmerstuff.com/team-login.aspx
Password: ttne
Order deadline: May 15, 2013
There are 4 different swim suit styles, a technical t-shirt and a cool team towel.  You pay for this directly and all of the gear is shipped to Coach Lynne.  We will distribute them at the workouts.  You can purchase individual items or check out the bundle of 3 items for some savings.

If you need to get in touch with us, coach@ttne.us, our contact information is below.  Please email or text us if you have any questions, cannot make it to a workout, or will be late, etc.

Lynne Tapper, 860-463-8224

Janice Cohen, 860-978-0241

TTNE Core Workouts
Click on this link to see the videos for Core Level I-III workouts.
http://teamtrainingne.com/ttne-core-workouts/
Password: core

Nutrition Talk:
TBD

Physical Therapy Talk:
TBD
ProEx Physical Therapy
860-284-9780
3 Farm Glen Boulevard
Farmington, CT

Race Day Checklist

Swimming Anxiety Articles, Links and Resources (Organized by Laurie Silverman)
www.AGTri.com: click on Training Tips then scroll down to Triathlon Swimming. Excellent article on swim technique, relaxation, hyperventilation and anxiety.
www.trifuel.com/triathlon/sports-psychology: scroll to “Managing Pre-Race Anxiety” article
www.triathlon.competitor.com/2009/11/training: scroll to “Five Ways to Calm Pre-Race Nerves”
www.ultramaxtri.com/trainingbible/TBArticle5.html: “Reducing Anxiety Associated with Open Water Swimming”

Short Term Pool Options:
Several of you have expressed interest in having access to a pool for the next two months (or maybe even longer if you start to LOVE TO SWIM).  Here are some short-term pool options in the Greater Hartford area:

Mandell Jewish Community Center:  reduced registration fee for TTNE members ($50) plus $66/month membership.  This gives you access to all fitness facilities, including the pool.

Cornerstone Aquatics Center:  here’s the link for Limited Duration Membership options.  Four week membership for an individual is $131.

Other options would include town pools. Please check your local town for opening dates.

Track workouts:
We are encouraging everyone to join Fleet Feet on Thursday evenings @6:30pm for their complimentary track workouts — appropriate for all levels of runners.  Please email Schuyler Shuster (schuyler@fleetfeet.com) directly to get in his weekly email list.  This email will give you a detailed description of the track workout, which can be done on your own (or with a workout buddy) if you can’t make it to the Saint Joseph College track.

TTNE Store:
Visit the TTNE on-line store  for some great gear!  If there’s something special that you’re interested in purchasing, please let us know and we will make sure to have it on hand at an upcoming workout session so you can take a look.

Or at least, I think I was, since I don’t have a lot of experience with drowning, but it sure seemed like I was drowning.

Under the water when I didn’t want to be?  Check.
Flailing like an upside down turtle.  Check.
Water going into places where it shouldn’t?  Check.
Yup, I was drowning.
This was a major bummer.

Where was the help? They said there’d be spotters. Didn’t they spot the guy with the complexion of 2% milk out there in the water?  My skin should’ve been reflecting the sun like a solar array.  And yet, no one paddled over with even the most casual of a, “so, are you drowning or are you just a terrible swimmer?”
Maybe it was all the bodies around me, chopping the water with their fists and feet, churning the already murky lake into a frothy, wet fog.  Maybe I was too slow and far behind.  Maybe I was off-course?

I started to think that this was a rather lonely way to go.  No drama.  Just the muffled beats of fluttering feet above me as I sank.

I’d always wanted one of those dramatic “Die Hard” kind of deaths.  This is mostly because I’m not terribly dramatic in my day-to-day life, I thought I could be in death.  You know, the witty one-liner as I fell off the side of a building, crashing onto the roof of a Checker cab (Look it up. I’m a New Yorker at heart).  This would be while saving the day, of course.  Your basic, glorious passing.

Instead, here I was drowning and not even in the syrupy sweet way that Jack did in “Titanic.” Just a long, slow downward float. Have I mentioned that this is a major bummer?

Yes, I’d panicked. Or, I think I did.  For that matter, I couldn’t even remember how I got into this predicament.  I’m sure that on some level it’s my wife’s fault.  But, since I was on an express trip to Davey Jones’ locker, I figure that I should take the high road and not try to assess blame.  But, it really is her fault.  Somehow.  Heck, I’m drowning, and if there is ever a time to be petty, it’s now.

And then my head snapped up. I sucked in the cool, sweet air of my bedroom and looked around.  2:33 a.m. I’m alive.  Dry and in bed. Oh great.  My first open water nightmare.

And it’s only February.

“Because someone was there for me when I needed help getting back to exercising”

Workout Leader Responsibilities and Benefits

Why Be A Workout Leader?

• Mentor beginner triathletes
• Give back to a program that changed and/or enhanced your life
• Share your love and enthusiasm for triathlon with other women and men
• Make a difference in other people’s lives

Workout Leader Qualities

• A supportive personality capable of relating to other athletes (regardless of their skill level)
• An enthusiasm for the training programs and goals
• Basic comfort level with all three triathlon disciplines (expertise in one specific sport is a bonus)
• An above average level of personal fitness

“I love it when a new triathlete shows up for the first day and talks about how scared she is and how she doesn’t know anything about anything yet.  I enjoy being a part of seeing [these] women grow as athletes.”

Workout Leader Responsibilities

• Provide a positive and supportive encouragement to athletes
• Assist in maintaining a safe environment for athletes during team workouts
• Serve as a mentor to less experienced athletes
• Reinforce the skills presented by the coaches

Workout Leader Time Commitment
Our workout sessions are as follows:
Wednesday, 6:30-8:00 p.m — about 2 hour time commitment, not including travel time
Saturday, 7:00-9:00 a.m. — about 2.5 hours, not including travel time
We would love it if you could arrive about 20-30 minutes before the workout begins. 
Depending on the workout and your time availability, oftentimes the coaches and workout leaders will go for a bike ride or run after the workout is over.  It’s always a fun time to bond and go at our own pace!

Workout Leaders Receive

• Sprint or Olympic Training Program delivered through Training Peaks.
• Discounts with preferred vendors vendors (local and national) that may include wetsuits, goggles, bicycles, equipment and more.
• Anything sold in our store will be available at a 20% discount. This does not include custom tri suits, cycling jerseys or swim suits.

“I like being able to share…what I’ve learned along the way. I don’t have the body of an elite triathlete…I feel that if [people] can see that someone like me with an average body shape can do a triathlon, they can too!”

FAQs for WOLs

Can I do the training program AND be a workout leader (WOL)?
It is our policy that you can either participate in the group training as a WORKOUT LEADER or a TEAM MEMBER.  You cannot do both.  It is up to you to decide what works best for you.  We are happy to discuss this with you and help you make an informed decision.  If you decide that you need or want to participate in the Sprint training or the Olympic Club training, please know that in a future year we will always consider you for a WOL.

What is the Olympic Club training program like?
This training program is geared towards athletes who have trained with TTNE in the past.  This motivated triathlete has participated in at least 2-3 sprint triathlons in the past 12-24 months.  This athlete is looking for the experience of training with a group, meeting like-minded athletes but is comfortable enough to train the longer distances on his or her own.  All group workout sessions will be geared for the Sprint training groups.  When you need to make your workout longer, you can start with the group and continue with another “Olympic distance” athlete or on your own.  The following races are recommended for first time Olympic-distance triathletes.

Recommended Races*:
July 28, 2013, Lowell YMCA Triathlon in Lowell, MA
August 25, 2013, Park City Mossman in Bridgeport, CT
*TTNE coaches and Workout Leaders may not be present at these races.  Please let us know if we can help you identify another race and/or location that may better fit your schedule.

When are the workouts?
Most workouts will take place on Wednesdays (6:30-8:00 p.m) and Saturdays (7:00-9:00 a.m.) from April 24-July 24, unless noted.  You can download the calendar document of workout types and locations, at-a-glance.  Please do not distribute this document and always check ttne.us or Volunteer Spot for any updated locations or times.
2013 TTNE Schedule

How many workouts should I choose?
There are over 25 workouts during our training season.  We hope that you will choose a minimum of five.  Based on past experience, we know that the more you’re at the trainings, the more you get to know the athletes.  While we know it’s fun for you to socialize with the athletes you already know, it’s important for the success of the program that you “bond” with the new team.  We know it can be very rewarding, we hope you think so too!

Do I need to do the race?
No.  You are not required to do the race.  Many WOLs do not do the race or attend race weekend.  However, participating in the race is the frosting on the cake!  We do not expect you to have any WOL responsibilities. We want you to race and have fun! We encourage you to consider doing the race and joining us for the team dinner. Make a weekend out of it, you won’t regret it!

GOAL RACE
July 14, 2013: Mossman Sprint Triathlon.  When signing up, use the code: TTNE

LODGING
We have secured a group rate of $109 at the Hilton Garden Inn Norwalk, 560 Main Street, Norwalk, CT for Saturday, July 13, 2013.
You can call the hotel directly at 203-523-4000 to reserve your room.  Please mention the group code: TTNE
Reservations may also be made online by clicking on the Team Training New England Reservation Link below:
http://hiltongardeninn.hilton.com/en/gi/groups/personalized/O/ORQNWGI-TTNE-20130713/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG

Team Dinner will be at the Hilton Garden Inn.  Time and cost will be available in early June.

What if I cannot make a workout session last minute?
Life happens and we understand. We just ask that you call, email or text us as soon as you know of your conflict. We will try to get someone to fill your spot.  It’s more important that we know you’re not coming or else we’ll worry something happened to you on your way.  We’re worriers…who isn’t?

I’ve read everything. I understand and accept my responsibilities.  In short…I’m in! What do I need to do?

1. Sign up and let us know what dates you can attend.

Our Volunteer Sign Up is ready.  We’re using VolunteerSpot (an online sign up and reminder tool) as an efficient simple way to pick which workouts you can attend.  Please sign up -  here’s how it works in 3 easy steps:

a) Click the button below to go to our invitation page on VolunteerSpot.

b) Enter your email address. VolunteerSpot will then send you a PERSONAL signup invitation coded to your email address. (no registration required) Please note: VolunteerSpot does not share your email address with anyone or send spam emails.

c) Go to your email inbox and open the invitation from VolunteerSpot – click “Sign Up Now/Learn More” to choose your spots.

Note:  If you have trouble accessing the site or prefer not to enter your email address – please email Lynne [coach@teamtrainingne.com] directly and I can sign you up manually.

* Please don’t share your personal sign up invitation, the link is unique to your email address . If you delete your personal email invitation, please go to www.VolunteerSpot.com and click “Find My Activity Links” to get a new email with links to all your activities.

2. Sign up for our text message communication system.

We are using Remind101, which provides a one-way communication tool that we are using to help us send important and immediate notices out to the whole team or just to you, the workout leaders.  For instance, if there is a weather-related location change, parking update on the day of the race, a last-minute need for another person to help out or just an inspirational note, we will communicate to you with this system.

You are NOT able to respond to these messages, instead you should contact the TTNE coaches directly.  If you have lost our cell phone numbers, please email us or call the main business number to get it from us.
To sign up please do the following:
1)  Text this message: @ttnewol to this number (475) 529-2274
2)  You will get a response asking for your first and last name.  Enter that, hit send and that’s it!

*If you ever want to stop getting these messages, all you need to do is simply reply with the word “stop”.

If you prefer getting the updates via email (though that may not get your attention the way a text message will), send a blank email to: ttnewol@mail.remind101.com.  Put your name in the Subject Line.

Use the email: wol@teamtrainingne.com if you want to communicate with the whole WOL Group.
I don’t want to post the WOL contact info here, as it is “searchable” despite this page being private. Please email Lynne if you need a specific WOL’s contact info.

I’d like to say that this is part of a life-long goal.  It’s not.  There was little that appealed to me about this sport.  The hours are atrocious (who needs to get up that early?).  I didn’t learn to swim until I was 13 (long story), my bike sends me “I miss you” cards, and running is a civil war between my body and my brain.  But, as 2012 was ending, I decided that at my ripe old age (42) it was time to be a little less comfortable.  I christened 2013 “The year of saying “Yes” to things that don’t quite scare me, but certainly make me uncomfortable.”  However, that’s a mouthful, and frankly, too much to contemplate.  So, I’m using the shorthand of “The Year of Living Uncomfortably.”

Part of this movement has prompted me to start attending networking functions, because I’m more “business shy” than I’d like to admit.  Having to get up in front of strangers and describe my marketing business would normally make me reach for a bottle of Tums.  But, with the encouragement of a good friend, I’ve begun to tackle that hurdle.

The other part was to do a triathlon.  I imagine the irony isn’t lost on those who know me.  I’m married to a life-long endurance athlete.  Where I’m ready to stop, she’s just breaking a sweat.  But, Lynne has never pushed me to join her on her athletic escapades.  She’s secretly hoped possibly, but never pushed.  How have I been able to avoid it until now?  I imagine many of her friends have wondered the same thing.

Leland (and Eli) finishing The Blue Back Square Mitten Run, December 2012.

So, I finished off 2012 by running a 5k with my 7-year old son.  This was the first road race I’d run in over 12 years.  It was cold and crowded.  My son ran out of gas just after mile 2 (I’m not criticizing, just passing along information), so the last mile was made up of 90% coaxing and 10% jogging.  But, we finished.

Then, in January of 2013, my 11-year old daughter and I did an indoor triathlon.  She did the swim portion (brilliantly) and I did the 20-minute bike and run.  I don’t think any Kenyans would be scared by my pace, but it was several steps in the right direction.

So, when Lynne asked me this week if I would be doing the Super Bowl Swim Clinic, I surprised myself and said, “yes.”  I’m not in the best swim shape (yet), but did enjoy the experience.  Swimming without lane lines and all the normal niceties of personal space was eye-opening.  The drills exposed me to having feet in my face, churning water all around me, and a sense of chaos and claustrophobia that made me glad my first experience with a race start was in a pool.  The negatives were that I did feel a moment or two of panic and that I probably need to do more work in the pool.  The positives were that I didn’t have an actual panic attack and that when I exited the pool, I did so with a smile on my face.

This is the first of many installments of my first-time tri diary (hence “The Triaries” title).  I hope that it helps other first-timers or potential first-timers get a sense of what training for a race like this might look like.

Any item with a * by it requires that you fill it out in order to complete this form. Five minutes, tops!

If you came to this form too soon and still need to review the programming options, go to our programming details page.

Please review our refund policy below.

REFUND POLICY
TRAINING PROGRAMS
We will refund your money at any time for any reason upon written request.  Our policy is to pro-rate your training program minus a 10% administrative fee. You may also transfer your registration to another TTNE program with coach approval.

A LA CARTE SESSIONS (Available for PRE, POST and DURING SEASON)
Single or multiple workout sessions are NON-REFUNDABLE.  However, if you get injured or no longer have any interest or need, you may transfer the remaining sessions to another person with written advance notice. We ask that you please not take advantage and purchase a multi-pack and share it with another person. These drop in sessions are priced very fairly. All drop-in sessions will expire at the end of the year in which they were purchased.

Coach Lynne & Coach Janice

Of course you can post my email (or any part of it) on your website and share it with anyone you wish! I meant every word….It was such a powerful source of strength, motivation and joy for me I am happy to tell anyone who will listen!  

I’m sitting here smiling as I use my lunch hour to peruse race calendars for 2013 and try to figure out how to sneak in more training this year! …and if anything I said can help someone else decide to join TTNE on their triathlon journey then all the better!

Lynne and Janice,

You are so right – not someday, but TODAY – is the time! You’ve inspired me to finally write to you about my experience with my first full year of training with TTNE. I SHOULD have done it right after our goal race – the Amica Ocean Beach Sprint… or when I missed the TTNE ReUNion in December …or at the end of the year as I reflected on my year of training…and on the life circumstances that took me away from training for a few months…but I didn’t – and once again, you inspire me, as you have so many times in past two years…to action!

And you are so right about how unique the TTNE program is! I have participated in other triathlon training programs, and while they were good, they didn’t hold a candle to TTNE. You and your wonderful group of volunteer leaders always manage to hit upon exactly the right mix of inspiration, technical knowledge, motivation and nurturing that would take any aspiring triathlete on a the best possible journey to their first race.

The training plan, workouts and events are all extremely well planned and organized.  Right from the beginning your carefully designed plans allow us to also plan to fit the training into our busy lives. Your technical expertise is always evident – and it seems like I no sooner read an article on the cutting edge of triathlon technology than you guys are talking about it or incorporating it into our training.

Finally, I truly underestimated the power of taking a journey like this with a group.  The atmosphere of camaraderie and support that is evident at every training session helps to make the experience as joyful as it is tough – and really leaves you wanting to come back to each and every training session not only for yourself, but for your new friends and teammates. And yes, you truly do develop a TEAM who, even with all of our individual challenges and triumphs, are all there for each other every step of the way.

As you know, by the time I joined TTNE for a full year of training, I had competed five triathlons. I can truly say that my most fun, most joyful experience of all was the goal race I completed after training with TTNE. To have such support at both the start and finish lines was amazing – to be able to share the nerves, the struggles, the smiles, the fabulous feeling of accomplishment as I crossed the finish line with our TEAM was incredible.

I could go on (and you KNOW that I can!) but I’ll close by saying how grateful I am to have been a part of the TTNE experience.  God willing I will be training with you again this year and I am really looking forward to some new challenges (maybe Olympic???) and some of the old challenges along the way as well!  After a two month hiatus I’m finally back in the gym, in the pool and on the trainer next week and starting Fleet Feet’s running group next Saturday.  I’m excited to get back and get ready for April with TTNE!

Thanks again to both of you and I’ll see you in April if not before!
Kerry, Suffield, CT (Age 55)