A tri with a twist

The next challenge for the Adventure Beyond team is Tre-X.

This race will be a little different for us, because it will be individual races, rather than a team event. But, I think we (being so bold as to speak for Mel and Candice) will find the variety a good challenge and will augment our adventure racing.

The off-road triathlons don't involve navigation, kayaking or challenges. Essentially, it's a tri with a twist. The swim legs are usually in dams or lakes, the bike legs are mtb courses and the runs are on trails.

(If you're interested in all the different sorts of racing available, check out the Phoenix Adventure newsletter, for an look at what's involved and upcoming events).

Tre-X prep

The first race of the Tre-X series is this weekend and some of our Intro2AR team mates are doing it. We're going to start with the second race, at the end of November, to give ourselves time to get injury-free and train.

I feel like I'll be up to the ride and considering the physio wants me to do the short course so I don't overdo it on the run, I feel like that will be fine too. That leaves the swim leg.

The swim leg is what I'm most concerned about at the moment. I haven't done any swimming since I lived in the UK, which is almost 9 years ago to the day. I think I've forgotten everything.

But, what I've learned the most over the last three months, is that you have to simply throw yourself in.

With that in mind, I set out today to get sorted with the right gear. The swimmers expedition turned out to be surprisingly quick and stress-free-although, Speedos and other brand names are made for people with no butt.

Even so, I now have a suitable costume, cap and goggles and will look the part walking toward the pool, though probably not once I'm in it.

t