Should I TRI?

For the past two weeks, I have been toying with the idea of joining the Animo Triathlon on Sept. 14. I get stressed just thinking about the mini-sprint…(Don’t laugh!)

3.4km run around roads I’ve ran a hundred times over…easy!

11km bike at the only place I’ve biked lately…no problem!

350m swim at La Salle Zobel’s pool…I feel like I’m drowning already. Choke choke.

Since the swim leg is first, I wonder if I’ll even reach the bike and run portions. 7 laps in an olympic-sized pool is a big number for a newbie swimmer like me. It takes 30-seconds to catch my breath and rest (and maybe indulge in a Hizon’s halohalo) after each lap!

I took a TI course last Feb with my good friend Nonoy, but with the lack of practice lately, I’m not sure if I’ll survive without having one of those tall, burly triathletes resuscitate me after the swim. (Hey that doesn’t sound too bad, you know. To the hubby, I’m kidding!)

Aside from my swimming concerns, there are a whole lot of trivial (and embarassingly silly) questions that a wannabe triathlete has to deal with:

1. Do I have to wear a tri-suit? Marga says it will make me feel as svelte as Angelina Jolie, but I seriously doubt it. If it’s true though, I’m considering making it my daily attire.
2. Can I use my mountain bike? I heard I can for the mini-sprint. But how about when I join the Ironman…in like 20 years? Haha!
3. What if I get a flat tire?  Will a tall, burly triathlete help me fix it? (Oops, there I go again.)
4. Do you wait till all your ten toes are dry before you wear your socks? If you don’t, won’t that make you prone to getting athlete’s foot?
5. What if your obsessive-compulsive about shoelaces being equally tight before a run?  Will I look dumb retying my shoelaces twice or thrice?
6. Do you really have to stay until 10am?