The goal: An Olympic distance triathlon

The date: July 13, 2025

The athlete: Ms. Montes

Ok, that was a bit dramatic, but you get the gist, I will be competing in an Olympic distance triathlon at Elk Lake this July. Now, I wouldn’t usually consider myself an athlete, but as they say, in order to change your habits you also have to change your identity.

What is an Olympic triathlon? It’s a race where you first swim 1500 m, then run 10 km and, finally bike 40 km.

When I was a teenager I did Synchronized Swimming (now named Artistic Swimming) competitively I feel fairly confident in the swimming aspect of the triathlon. In the past six years living on the island I have used my bike for commuting, but I have not however, biked more than 25 km, so in my training journey I will work towards building the distances I can bike. In terms of running, I used to run sometimes in 2020 and 2021, and did at most 5 km, so this is the part where I will have to put the most effort in, as I am the most out of practice in running. I hope that as I develop my habits, my strength and cardiovascular fitness increase and make it easier to do all of the disciplines.

The purpose of this blog is to record my training journey and compile resources. so far this is what I have planned for my weeks:

Monday: swim and soccer

Tuesday: rest

Wednesday: run and lift

Thursday: rest

Friday: run

Saturday: bike

Sunday: rest

This might change as I see how my body is feeling and join others in these sports, as exercising is always more fun when done with friends. So far, my first week of training was mostly just focused on getting moving again, I went for a long walk, a run, and a bike ride. I need to remind myself that progress is slow, to rest as much as my body needs, and that consistency is key.

I decided to sign up mostly because I needed a goal to keep me accountable to stay active, because I know physical activity is a great road for wellbeing. I also signed up because there are lots of people around me that inspire me in their consistency and athleticism.

Write ya soon,

Ms. Montes