Race Coverage

Why Sprint Tris Are Awesome...

Saturday, 02 March 2019 23:10

By Reem Jishi (usatriathlon.org)

When I first entered the world of triathlon almost two decades ago, I followed the path of so many—I dove in head first, not knowing what I was taking on. My first race was an Olympic distance, followed quickly by a half IRONMAN, and then by an IRONMAN. Although I was an athlete growing up, more than 10 years had passed since my high school glory days. To say that I lived a sedentary lifestyle was an understatement. I was an attorney in New York City and all I did was work. As I approached 30, I became tired of being stressed and unfit. So in January of 2000, I hopped on the treadmill and did a two-mile run. It nearly killed me. But 18 months from that first run, I raced at the 2001 IRONMAN Lake Placid. It was an amazing experience, and to this day, one of my greatest athletic accomplishments.
 
But I haven't raced an ultra-distance event since. The process took a toll on me. At the time, I was working 80-hour weeks. I would wake up before work and do a short session, and then go to work for the day. My "evening" break would send me to the gym to run on the treadmill (I became part of the gym tour) or do a spin class. Then I would go back to work until into the night before crashing to begin it all over again the next day. For six months, I did nothing other than work and train. Somewhere in the process of the constant push, I also experienced a severe running injury, which kept me from running for the three months leading up to Ironman. But I was determined to race—and race I did....

 
As you might imagine, the run was less than stellar, and I cried several times that day. There are parts of the day that I don't remember, like my whole family cheering for me as I finished the second loop of the bike course. After the race, rather than celebrate, I was in the medical tent and then the hospital for dehydration. That was the last triathlon I did until 2009 when, after racing my bike for several years, I decided I was ready to re-enter the sport.  READ MORE