So this is it. After years of mentally dressing myself up, paper doll-style, in triathlon suits and those bike helmets with the long tail bit at the back, then LOL-ing and swiftly extinguishing the idea of myself ever trying a tri, I’ve finally gone and signed up for my very first.

When I was offered the opportunity to join up with Vitality and Equinox to take part in the London World Triathlon there was no way I was turning it down. So now begins my foray into learning just what training for a triathlon entails, finding out what bricks are, working out how to negotiate a speedily moving bike (eek) and tackling open water swimming.

My, slightly intimidating, Giant Defy 4 road bike is leaned up against the wall, waiting to get acquainted with the great open road, but as yet I don’t even know how to attach the pedals… Suffice to say, this will be a huge learning curve, and I can’t wait! I am ‘only’ attempting the Tri It distance for my first race, but there is still a lot to consider as a mere runner and group fitness junkie when it comes to transitioning to triathlon training. As an avid road runner I’m already well aware of the importance of fueling, preparation, trialing kit, stretching and the like, but how on earth am I supposed to apply these principals across three totally different disciplines?  It’s a whole new beast, and that is exactly why I’m so stupidly excited to get involved. When it comes to exercise, I’ve tried pretty much everything. From heavy lifting, to sessions on the running track, to marathons, to Body Pump, to yoga, but I’ve always been a little intimidated by the technical side to the triathlon, which is what has deferred me from signing up until now. There just seems to be so much equipment involved, and timings to content with, and I don’t even want to think about those infamous ‘wobbly legs’. How on EARTH does one repair a flat tyre? And cycling while wet, isn’t that a recipe for chafing? I’m about to find out!

This year’s World Triathlon London sees the introduction of the first women’s only waves in the Tri It distance. So if, like me, you have been toying with the idea of dabbling in triathlon now is the perfect opportunity to enter your first event and join recreational and professional triathletes from around the world in swimming, biking and running London’s Hyde Park.

Over the next posts in this series I will be documenting my journey in training for the Vitality World Triathlon and sharing my success’, failures, and hopefully lots of tips on how I will be fumbling through training for my very first triathlon. Let’s do this!

Words Rachel Bednarski