Brian Williams is a 38-year-old beginner triathlete. He is both a Clemson graduate and resident. He does engineering in the daytime and video gaming (and sometimes training) in the night. (Editor’s Note: Some creative editing was necessary because Brian is at times a bit of a smart app.)
What prompted you to do your first triathlon?
I signed up on a whim. Actually I’d signed up for the previous year’s Clemson Triathlon, but got sick and had to defer until this year. That sickness turned out to be my saving grace, as my training last year was abysmal.
How did you train for it?
For swimming I did pool swims even though the race was in open water. Historically I’m already very comfortable in open water. I know many people aren’t. I did laps at the Clemson University pool and kept a little mechanical lap counter at one end to track my progress on workouts. I alternated strokes regularly between freestyle, breaststroke, and this weird abomination of a backstroke/breaststroke combo. I trained most heavily with the breaststroke because freestyle always winded me quickly.
Almost all of my bike training was on a stationary bike, because I’m afraid of cars. I only did one ride on the “road”, and that was on the paved Doodle Trail between Pickens and Easley (two local towns). I’ve learned that I prefer to do trail running because it’s easier on my joints. Also it forces your cadence to change throughout, as you are constantly trying to not trip on rocks and roots. That regular cadence change can make the run more difficult, but I figure that pays off in the end. I find it easy to go from trail running to road running.
Where did you find a training plan? How did it go?
I used a Hal Higdon training plan. It was good. Definitely challenging. Time-consuming. There were many days where I didn’t want to work out. Near the end my brain was getting fuzzy and had to throw in some extra rest days. And I never really worked up to the full workouts in the latter part of the schedule, no 60 minute runs, etc. Near the end I stopped recording my workouts, giving a shitake mushroom, etc.
Hal Higdon Triathlon Training Plan 2
I deviated fairly often. I like playing racquetball. Had some minor ankle issues, Achilles tendon issues, etc. that caused me to switch some stuff up too. About a third into the training program, I realized, “I can do this!” That was a surprise. Probably like most beginners I was intimidated by the concept of a triathlon. What I found is that it’s like most things – if you approach it incrementally, you’ll get there. Hey, these old pants fit me again. That’s pretty cool!
What aspect of the race was the most daunting?
I was most concerned about the bike, due to both unfamiliarity with road riding, and unfamiliarity with my bike. I ended up using a bike borrowed (and subsequently purchased) from the editor. Would you believe that, including my initial test drive of the bike, the race was only the 4th time I’d ridden the darn thing? Under no circumstances does that qualify for any definition of “preparation.”
Tell me about your race day.
I felt really good on the swim – that was a surprise. I was super energized, and ended up swimming much more freestyle than I expected. I started in the last wave, so I didn’t really have to deal with people swimming over me. I passed several people, even some in different colored swim caps from earlier waves. That was a real confidence booster. All of a sudden my focus began shifting from “I’m going to finish this thing!” to “I’m going to beat some of these Bassmasters!”
When I got out of the water to jog to transition, my legs were dead. I thought, “Oh no, what have I done!” Another surprise. T1 wasn’t too bad but getting my socks on was a real hose beast. I had rolled them up, thinking all I had to do was roll them back onto my feet. It was good in theory but I was just super tired. My hands were shaking slightly, so I’m glad I’d put those elastic laces on my running shoes. I think having a little stool or something to sit on would be a really good idea.
I wasn’t planning on worrying about transition times, but in the heat of the moment you find yourself rushing. Maybe I’ll consider practicing them for my next race. Maybe. Though my legs hurt running to T1, they came back at the beginning of the bike. I felt really good again – another surprise. Passed probably 15 people on the bike course because – by the power of Greyskull, this is a race, and it’s going to be over before I know it! No pain, no gain, right?
Really enjoyed the bike and wasn’t afraid of traffic since all the cars were very aware of all the bikers. I passed a guy with sledgehammer calves near the airport. Hindsight analysis: I didn’t drink one drop of water during the bike, and this most certainly hurt me later.
Got off my bike, grabbed my race belt and threw it on, began the run. “Okay, now my legs are ACTUALLY dead.” All of the energy I had during the first two events were gone. My body was in a state where … usually if I manage to reach that state, I stop working out. My tank was basically empty, all my motivation was sucked out.
The run was an out-and-back, so I met racers as I went out for the run. Many of them were kind enough to offer encouragement. “You got this!” “Looking good!” “Good job!” My mental and physical states had darkened and I really just wanted to tell them to speak less stout fellows. I was not happy. I had to walk a couple parts of the run. On the last mile (slight uphill grade), my quads began cramping and I had to stretch some.
As I approached the finish, my small team of friends cheered me on, and I managed a smile, but it was certainly not genuine. When I crossed the finish, someone came for my ankle chip. I handed it to them and withdrew to the side for a couple of minutes. My body was screaming for me to stop. Hunching over was my way of saying, “I’m sorry I put you through this – I’m done now.” I wasn’t too far from vomiting. Overall, a great time!
What did you notice about the other race participants?
My initial reaction is to say, “all walks of life.” But I think that isn’t true. I think it is a privilege to have the time and money necessary for training and competing in something like this. There were almost as many women as men. Different body shapes but no one was grossly out of “shape.” I suppose that’s to be expected. Definitely some expected stereotypes of the super lean people. Age spanned from late teens to retired.
I clearly wasn’t the only person with an “I have no idea what I’m doing” look on their face. Those were easy to spot, and we all knew who each other were. There is a camaraderie amongst beginners that was pleasant to experience. I was internally cheering for all of them. We are the humble blue caps, we are the little people.
Do you plan to do more triathlons?
Yes. At least one more triathlon this summer. May eventually do a half marathon run, and perhaps an Olympic distance Tri next year.
(Editor’s Note: I met Brian early this year and offered to help him train for Clemson. Really he didn’t need much help. I looked at his swim in the pool. Went on a couple trail runs with him. Loaned him a bike and showed him how it worked. He is a mountain biker so it was mostly a matter of showing him how to shift. And I threw him in the lake so his first open-water swim wouldn’t be on race day. I’ve done that. It’s a really bad idea. And I answered a lot of questions.)
