6.87 — That’s the mileage I totaled in last year’s indoor triathlon at the Worthington Community Center, and it’s the mileage I’ll try to exceed when I compete in the center’s 2020 indoor triathlon. The format is the same as last year: each competitor will try to cover as much distance as possible from a 15-minute swim, a 15-minute ride on a studio fitness bike, and a 15-minute run on a treadmill. Following the swim, the competitor has 10 minutes to change and arrive at the bike station, and 5 minutes to reach the treadmills after biking.

At this stage, it’s hard to say whether I’ll do better than I did last year. There are a number of factors working both for and against me. On the negative side, my recent bike rides haven’t been as long or as rigorous as those I took prior to the 2019 competition, so reaching the 5-mile mark on the studio fitness bike might be a struggle. It also doesn’t help that I came into 2020 five pounds above what I weighed a year earlier. On the plus side, I’ve been doing a lot more swimming, gradually extending my distance up to 1/2 mile, so there’s a good chance I’ll be able to complete more than the 18 laps I did in 2019. Better still, the knee problems that slowed my treadmill run last year appear to have receded, giving me hope that I can top last year’s 1.61-mile performance.

But the biggest advantage I have this year is the help of a young man named Alex Baker who I’ve hired as my fitness trainer. Alex’s credentials as a trainer are impressive. In addition to earning a bachelor of science degree in exercise science, he holds certification from USA Powerlifting and USA Weightlifting. Our first two training sessions have been instructive if a tad painful. Lunges and shoulder presses were emphasized this past Monday; on Friday. kettle weight lifts, bench presses, and rowing came into the picture. Some light jogging around the indoor track supplemented the exercises on both days.

With the exception of the kettle weight lifts, I’ve done all these exercises in the not-too-distant past. What is new, however, are the different body positions Alex has me assume while performing the exercises. For example, he had me take a kneeling, lunge position while alternately pressing dumbbells upward with each arm. Later, he put me on my back and had me lift my neck and tighten my abs while doing bench presses with dumbbells. I did other exercises while tightening my glutes and flexing my back muscles a little. These unusual positions left me feeling somewhat achy. Fortunately, I seem to be recovering and should be ready for our next session this coming Thursday.

Although the triathlon is still over a month away (February 16), I’m confident I’ll do at least a little better than last year, possibly even reaching 7 miles. All this assumes, of course, that some injury, illness, or emergency doesn’t sidetrack me before I have a chance to compete. Whatever happens, I’ll discuss the results in my March 1 blog.