I thought that today I would tackle the ever-present question of "do you stand a chance?" And basically, I don't really know yet. Most pentathletes begin as strong runners and swimmers, of which, I am neither. A concern of my coaches and some of the officials in the pentathlon world is they think that I may be too old to "pick up" 4 other sports, especially seeing as 2 of them require superior conditioning and muscle development typically achieved over a period of time.
But there are plenty of things working in my favor. For one, I've proven that I am a capable rider, meaning there is one sport that I don't have to learn from scratch. Also, in the short time that I've been fencing, I've held my own and demonstrated my ability to learn quickly and perform. As of right now, swimming is my biggest obstacle, but even in that, I've progressed quicker than expected. Fortunately, I have a good build for swimming (and fencing for that matter) and I should eventually be able to swim reasonably well. With running, only time will tell. I'm not as slender as the typical cross country runner, but with the new format and shorter distances, I might be able to use my build for short-distance power versus long-distance endurance.
In general, I've tried to keep a very positive and willing attitude and make sure that, if nothing else, my coaches see me as a willing and hard worker. In order to qualify for residence at the Olympic Training Center, I have to swim 200m in 2:30 and run a 3K in under 12 minutes. Once I can meet those times, I must then be re-tested every 6 months where I have to show improvement and maintain the potential to represent the U.S. in the Olympics.
I have a long road ahead of me, but so far, I'm staying optimistic and I feel confident that I can achieve my goals. After all, I would be the one person just crazy enough that the "rules of convention" don't apply to me... We will see!
Ciao,
Current 200m swim time: 3:00
Current mile run time: 6:50
Current aches and pains: Left ankle
Caitlin: I believe you can do it, and so do many others, because we know YOU. Keep at it, and remember that you are in Colorado for more reasons than to just train for the Olympics. Read Psalm 37, and especially verse 4.
ReplyDeleteLove, Dad F.