This year’s primary fitness goal is the Fifteenth Annual Watauga Lake Triathlon on Saturday, August 17, 2019. The race features a 1000 meter swim, 35 km bike and a 8 km run. This puts it right in between the standard distances for a sprint and an olympic distance triathlon. This will be my 1st time to compete in this event.
Until this week, I haven’t worked out in about a year and a half. Unless you want to include walking my dogs 3-4 times a day as working out. I don’t. So this gives me 25 weeks or approximately 5 months to get ready. I wish I had 3 more months, but it is what it is.
I’ll be using a 16 week olympic distance training plan. This will leave me with 9 weeks to get in shape for the 9-10 workouts a week the plan calls for. It’s going to be tough, but if I keep my goals realistic; I’ve got this.
Meniere’s Disease is the wild card. But as long as I don’t get injured training or during the event, I can deal with it.
The 2019 Lake Hickory Triathlon
My training plan calls for a “tune up” sprint triathlon at the end of week 12. As luck would have it, the Lake Hickory Triathlon falls on this weekend. It features a short 400 yard swim, a 16 mile bike and a 5K run. I love this race!
The 2015 event was my 1st triathlon. And you know how us humans are about our firsts. We get all sentimental. At least I do. This will be my 3rd time to compete in this race.
Swimming and Cycling with Meniere’s Disease
How safe is it to swim and bike with Meniere’s Disease? Swimming isn’t too bad. I’ve never had a vertigo attack swimming in open water before, but I’ve had a few at the local swim complex. I’ve always been able to breast stroke my way to the side of the pool.
Crashed twice during cycling events, but never during training. Once was pretty nasty. I was just getting ready to top 50 mph, flying down the side of a mountain, when I felt an attack coming on. Hit my breaks scrubbing off as much speed as possible before going end over end. Put a major hurting on my right side ribs.
Both crashes happened during a period when I was having frequent vertical vertigo attacks. These type of attacks are impossible to stay upright during. Fortunately, I haven’t had this type of attack in more than two years. I believe I could bring the bike to a stop during a rotational attack.
Meniere’s Disease Drop Attack
The real monkey wrench in the works would be a drop attack on the bike at high speed. I try not to go there. In addition, I try to remind myself that there’s no guarantee I’ll have another one.
Yesterday was 5 months since my drop attack. I’m not sure what the future has in store for me. I just don’t want to miss out on the present trying to avoid what may or may not happen.
The Hardest Part is Getting Started
When it comes to training, no matter what the event the hardest part is always getting started. Got it covered. Started this past Monday. So now it just comes down to keep showing up and putting in work.
Peace… Ed
