Editor's Note: Since the beginning of the year dozens of athletes have taken on the B-Fit B-Day Challenge.
These are a just few of their stories:
Dave:
This was a blast! The BFit BDay Challenge pushed me to tackle distances
I’d never even approached before – a four-mile swim!!! Whoa!
First, the details:
Age: 42
Swim: 4 Miles in 2h 25m 49s (62 seconds per 50 yard lap)
Bike: 42 Miles in 2h 26m 51s (17 mph)
Run: 2 Miles in 16m 56s (8:28 minute miles)
Total Time: 5 hours 9 minutes 36 seconds
The swim was the real challenge for me. Swimming has always been my
toughest discipline and this year a respiratory infection wiped out my
training for the entire month of June! I came into the BDay Challenge
sorely under-trained and I turned the race into three training
sessions. I made great strides during the weekend. My mile split times
fell steadily. I was happy to finish without drowning and thrilled with
my progress!
The Bike portion I split into two stages: a 17 mile ride on Friday
morning followed by a 25 mile ride to historic Walden Pond on Saturday.
Unlike Thoreau, I didn’t stay … my quest was the ride!
I completed the 2 mile run Sunday morning. The overcast skies left the
air warm and heavy. My two mile loop starts with a short decline and
ends with the same meaningful rise while the rest of the course is
fairly flat. Given my limited training, I was right on pace with my
expectations.
So with the BFit BDay Challenge under my belt, I plan to tri it again
in three months on my quarter birthday to see if I am getting better
with age!
RunnerGirl:
I have lost 35 lbs, found happiness and health in this challenge. Who
would have thought that one little challenge would have such a huge
impact in someone's life? Certainly not I. I went from fearing swimming
3 miles in a week to honestly considering swimming 3 miles in 24 hours.
I am not so sure I can do it - but you know what? I am going to tri! ;)
I feel stronger with each workout. I feel happiness pouring from me
after each minute spent moving forward. I have taken this challenge
personally. If not now, when? If nott his, what? My vices used to
control me... not any more. My new addiction is health. Living with a
purpose. True happiness in being me.
This challenge is not about a killer finishing time... it is about have a killer time finishing!
Syd Trefiak
Well, it was my wife's birthday, so I talked her into some training.
She turned 27, so that meant 2 miles, 7 miles, and 27 miles.
She couldn't make the ride so I still finished it for her!
My totals:
3miles' swimming, 1:10
10miles running 1:25
and a 3hr trainer ride (roughly 50miles)
A little bit of an overachiever, but the fear of Ironman looms large, so I guess that is what you do!
KT:
I have a confession. Sadly, I didn't take many pictures. I'll explain as I go.
My birthday is July 3rd, 1980. It fell on a Thursday this year and if
you do the math correctly, I turned 28. I have never taken my birthday
off work but this year was different. I took Thursday off, had Friday
off for the holiday and then of course Saturday and Sunday. It was a
whole birthday weekend. Mr KT was on mission trip with the youth from
our church and our "boarder" went home for the long weekend and so I
had the house to myself.
Swim: 2 miles
I woke up bright and early on Thursday and headed out to do a double
masters workout. 2 swimming miles is apparently 3300 yds. Perfect. I
had wanted to take my picture from the back putting on my goggles with
the pool ahead of me but about 50 or 60 swimmers who were in town for
the Olympic swim trials were there that morning and that just seemed
too weird. The masters set included
600 pks warm up
4x150 free getting faster within the 150 RI:10
16x25 IM order RI:05
4x200 (2 pull, 2 kick) RI:05
Then I was told to warm down. Um... I need at least 900 more yds coach.
She was a rookie (not my usual coach) and didn't have anything else
planned for me and just then two guys jumped in my lane for the next
practice. They started their 600 warm up and so I just added myself to
their circle swim and swam a 900. Why not? Felt good, did the first 700
at race pace and the last 200 as a warm down.
Total time for practice and the extra 900 - 1:20
T1: 4 hrs 10 min
I had a buddy coming in from out of town to ride and run with me. So I
took some time during T1 to have some breakfast, calibrate my ipod, run
to Target and the bookstore and play my guitar.
Bike: 28.05 miles
E and I rode south on the Keystone Trail with the wind. That meant that
at our self proclaimed turn around we had the wind in our faces. I ate
every 30 minutes, drank Gatorade every 15 and sipped on water from my
Camelbak throughout but my legs were still tired from Sunday's longish
brick and it was a somewhat challenging ride. I wore my local team's
sleeveless triathlon jersey and the pockets are minimal so no room for
the camera.
Bike time - 1:40
Pace: 16.3
T2: 10 minutes maybe?
Enough time to change into running clothes and grab a visor for me and a hat for E.
Run: 8.2 hot, sweaty, thirsty miles
We headed out with no water bottles or fuel belts. I tried to pick a
fairly shaded route but its hot and humid in Nebraska in the summer no
matter where you run. We were about 3.5 miles in and I could tell E was
not feeling awesome. He is in great shape but hadn't had lunch. We ran
the back half of the loop and then came back around looking for a water
fountain. At this point I accidentally reset my Nike ipod+. Totally
annoying. We figured out how much further it was and headed out on the
sun baked Keystone trail for a mile and a half or so. We finally turned
around and headed back home. I never run in just a sports bra but I was
so hot and miserable I peeled off the tank top. I'm not proud of it but
it felt good to be free of that sweaty shirt. I had to walk for about
200 yds as we headed home due to cramps in my pelvis and low back, not
sure what that was all about. Ran the giant hill up to my house and it
was over.
Run time: 1:15
Pace: 9:08 min/mile
So no pics (may post some soon) but got the job done!
Happy birthday to me.
Note:
On Thursday I did this little event and then on the following Saturday
(2 days later) I did a 53 mile bike/12 mile run brick and felt great. 2
weeks from the day after that I will compete in my first ever HIM!
Perfect training. Couldn't have timed it better if I had tried.
