How to not drown in your first triathlon

Your first triathlon!

Welcome to the world of triathlon. I prefer to call myself a “try-to-be-triathlete” versus the standard “triathlete” nomenclature. I was never world class at standalone swimming, cycling, or running so I went for the combo meal of mediocrity in hopes it would impress my friends. Like most people before my first triathlon it was the swim that intimidated me. I opted for a pool triathlon to minimize the fear of open water. I was 17 at the first triathlon I did. It was the Tinsel Triathlon set in reverse format. It consisted of a 5k run, a 12 mile bike, and a 150 meter, 3 lengths in a pool swim. I was a decent high school runner at the time so I managed to come into transition in second place. I had heard that transitions win races so I kicked off my shoes and buckled my helmet, and strapped on my dad’s old bike shoes then rolled out. I managed to catch the leader during the first 100 meters of the bike with my fast transition. I put my head down and gave it full gas. I remember constantly looking over my shoulder during the bike expecting to see some super biker coming flying past me. I kept chasing the lead motorcycle leading me through the course and genuinely wished for a flat tire so that I would have an excuse to give my friends for how I got caught and gave up a perfectly good lead. Mile 10 of the bike came by on the borrowed road bike I was on and my rear tire started to feel a little soft. My wish had come true and by mile 11 my rear tire had gone flat. I began to recognize where I was and figured I was only a mile or so out. I didn’t have a spare tube and even if I did I wouldn’t know how to change a flat so I kept riding. Holding 20mph was a bit of a challenge but I remember thinking I had to be getting close. I came around the final bend nearly sliding out on the flat tire, and saw my dad light up in half bewilderment, have unadulterated joy to see me leading. I said to him “I’ve got a flat!” half surprised that the bike was still rolling, but mostly just amazed that I was still leading. As I dismounted and sprinted to the bike rack pushing the bike he jogged and met me at the fence next to the rack. He asked how I had managed to ride with a flat and while kicking off my shoes I told him I had finished the whole course and it was only the last mile it was flat. I sprinted off and could hear him over my shoulder yelling “Go Toth, swim like your life depends on it!” I took that to heart as I ran the nearly 100 meters barefoot to the pool and leaped as far as I could feet first into the pool. Only 150 meters consisting of 3 lengths, there, back, there, stood between me and my first triathlon finish and win! I doggy paddled, clawed, and drowned my way to the first wall before looking back over my shoulder to see clean water. Wondering how the heck nobody else had jumped in to chase me down stealing the win yet. I pushed hard off the wall to get as far as I could before I tagged my inner golden retriever in to paddle the final 100 meters. I struggle drown paddled my way to the second wall and looked over my left shoulder and had to do a double take to see if the human in second place had jumped in yet. I genuinely began to think that maybe everyone had gotten a flat tire or that I was in the wrong pool as I reached the far end of the pool and climbed out of the pool and walked across the finish line. My dad was so confused as to how I had not only won but had a good 3 minute lead over the next competitor. Just as I crossed the line second place jumped in the pool. If anything the crowd was just confused that someone could win a triathlon while being so entirely terrible at swimming. The lead motorcyclist leading me on the bike course was there and congratulated me while confirming that I had ridden the whole course. He said he got worried when I slowed down in the last mile and nearly lost it in a corner while riding the flat. After the podium I ended up meeting a personal trainer the next few minutes who asked me if I had heard of the Ironman triathlon and said that I could really be good if I figured out this whole swimming thing. His name was Dennis Durling, and he offered to teach me how to swim properly. It was that day after meeting Dennis and Bob Babbit the father of triathlon and one of the first people to ever do Ironman Hawaii back in the early 80’s that I decided I wanted to do an Ironman triathlon. Babbit gave me a book with all the Ironman legends over the decades to fire me up. I met Dennis at the community pool that next week after winning my first triathlon. It was pouring rain and felt like my Rocky Balboa moment. The next week Dennis picked me up and we went to the Oceanside beach pier and swam around that thing. First time in the ocean without a boogie board to float on, we zipped our wetsuits and swam a mile around the pier. It felt like we were in the middle of the ocean as you cannot see the shore when that far out. I would lose sight of Dennis in the tossing surf and it was in that moment I realized that this was either going to kill me or be one of the greatest life paths I could go down. We got back to shore, my confidence in the water solidified, and later that day I signed up for my first half Ironman (now 70.3). I had to lie about my age being 17 but I managed to go 4:46 and qualify for Kona. I didn’t have the money to go so I went on to do my first Ironman at 19 taking 8th overall at the Vineman Full (now Ironman Santa Rosa). I swam 1:04 biked 5:25 and ran 3:34 winning my age group going 10 hours 13 minutes. All that to say; you CAN do this. Yes I am a bit of a freak and probably pretty fast but you don’t need to win, just finishing is enough. Borrow a bike, race your mountain bike, just get active and the confidence will come. Once you realize you like it and can see yourself loving the sport of triathlon, then you can upgrade to a nicer bike. Get a road bike first, then add aerobars. I have been the overall winner of some 27 triathlons of the 110 I have toed the line. I did most of that on a road bike with aerobars and a seatpost that converts the geometry to time trial specific (profile designs fast forward post). You don’t need anything fancy. The hardest distance to cover is between the couch and the front door. You will be amazed at who you become. Get a used bike, some running shoes, and a pair of swim goggles and join me at the 33rd annual Tinsel Triathlon this December 9th. That 17 year old doggy paddler is now the race director and will steer you in the right direction. Next post we will address how to prepare and other important logistics.

Thrive we shall,

Ronnie Toth
Category 1 Pro cyclist, 4x Ironman, coma survivor, and all around rad/wacky dude