7/16   Thu     ET Track. 5:45am, 9:30am, 6:30pm.  Locations

7/17   Fri       ET Youth Club.  Tri Training Camp. 8:30-11:00am. Register

 

Our 2009 ET Summer Training Camp in Madison, Wisconsin is almost full.  Don't miss your chance to benefit from this great weekend of training, education and fun with fellow athletes.

 

Click here for more information and registration. 

 

My journey started over one year ago.  Last year, around February or March 2008, I decided that I wanted to do a triathlon.  After all, I had watched the Ironman competitions on TV and recalled how all the athletes just looked like regular everyday people.  After being around all the triathletes at the run club, it sounded like fun and something I wanted to try.  I wanted to know what all the hype was about.  There was one problem though.  I didn't know how to swim.  Sure, I swam as a child, but I never had any formal swimming lessons.  As a child, I used a nose clip when I swam.  I asked Coach Joe for a swim lesson to explore this crazy idea I had about completing a tri.  I wasn't afraid of the water, I just didn't like getting my face wet.  I couldn't go under water without holding my nose.  Coach Joe was very patient and had me floating on my back for our first lesson.  I knew based on my fear and anxiety I had a lot of work ahead of me if I was to overcome my demons.

Read the rest of Michelle's story on the ET Blog

 

I had the brilliant opportunity to get my feet wet, both figuratively and literally, sooner than I expected by experiencing the 2009 Naperville Women's Tri as part of a relay team.  My relay partner, Agniezska, roped me into the challenge a mere week before the triathlon, under the guise that she would bike, I would run, and we would somehow find a swimmer.  (Or else she would swim...swimming was not/is not my forte!)  Things didn't quite work out that way, and I instead found myself prepping for my first (outdoor) triathlon as both swimmer and runner.  To put it in Agniezska's exact words, "You swim and run.  I do fun part."
 
The unfortunate complication to this was that I had never swum in open water before.  I'd had plenty of pool swimming under my belt to at least feel confident that I knew HOW to swim...I just didn't have any idea what to expect in open water!  And my one opportunity to partake of ET's Open Water swim clinic prior to the triathlon was thwarted by a babysitting snafu.

 

These half day training camps are designed to introduce youth to the fun and exciting sport of triathlon.  As one of the fastest growing sports in America, triathlon offers a great way to stay healthy and fit in a safe way.  The combination of various types of cardio training coupled with the strength built during swim, bike and run workouts is a scientifically proven method to build high levels of fitness.
 
All levels of participants from first timers to seasoned junior athletes are welcome.  Athletes will work on drills, games and workouts in all 3 sports (swim, bike, run) and the all important transitions from segment to segment. 
 
Nationally certified and experienced coaches from EXPERIENCETriathlon will share their expertise and mentor each child on their journey toward a healthy lifestyle. 

 

Jul 17     8:30-11:00am      Register

 

Aug 11   1:00-2:30pm       Register

 

 

EXPERIENCETriathlon, in partnership with the McGaw YMCA and Northwestern University, presents the first annual McGaw Youth Triathlon on July 26, 2009.