My journey from zumba to triathlon

[12. September 2021 Rybnik] I don't feel any stress, just a little excitement. I take the bike to the transition zone, quickly check if I have everything - shoes, helmet, start number... I take my swimming stuff from the car and go back to the start. I’m one of the last ones to enter the water, we slowly start to swim…

I still can't believe it was over so quickly. I did it (750m swimming / 21km cycling / 5,7km running) and I am very proud of myself. I reached the finish line with the result 01:29:25h (79 open, 3 K40-49).

This year, for the first time in my life, I got on a road bike and I immediately fell in love. Do you know this feeling, when you suddenly discover something really cool? This is how I felt.

I don’t remember exactly when pools reopened, but that’s when I made my decision to complete my first triathlon. I chose the distance, place, date and signed up for the competition.

[Late Autumn 2020] There was the decision made to close swimming pools again. When one door closes, the other opens… Luckily, I have a friend who trains triathletes. I did the medical examination (I will never forget the doctor's face, when I told him that he saved my life, just after receiving the certification of being capable to train for triathlon), signed up for PZTri (Polish Triathlon Association) and joined the group of colleagues training for TRI. At the beginning, I didn't think about any specific goal. Most of swimming pools were still closed and I could swim only once a week, which was really very little.

[February 2020, one month before the lockdown] I decided to do the swimming video analyze with hope for receiving solid guidelines on how to improve my skills and the technique. A month later, the decision was made to close swimming pools for the next few months. They were not opened until the beginning of July. This summer I took every opportunity to go swimming and I worked hard on my technique.

I am crazy about running. I finished six marathons, three ultramarathons, three Spartan Race trifectas and “a few” others… Trail running is my weekend routine.

I have tried different sports for the last few years. I started with Zumba, which turned into dance aerobics, step aerobics, TBC, circuit trainings, body pump, race walking, spinning, TRX, running, obstacle races, weightlifting, CrossFit, pole dance, trail running and cycling. I was swimming from time to time, but never considered it as a form of a real training.

[Late Autumn 2013] That day, for no particular reason, I decided to learn swimming. So I went to the nearest swimming pool and signed up for lessons.

I am not good in writing. Our high school polish teacher used to tell us that we were much better in talking than in writing. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my story.

PS. Oh, I forgot to mention that I was drowning as a child and had to overcome my fear of water first 😉