Triathlons scare me. Not the type of “there’s a crazy clown in the closet” scared, but more of a “your body is failing you in front of hundreds of people and all you can do is watch yourself collapse” scared. The very thought of 200 people flailing around in a lake like a school of salmon makes me hyperventilate. Then the nightmare gets worse. After somehow making it out of the water alive, I still have to force my cramped legs to bike and run a combined 17-plus miles. Yikes.

It’s time to put that bad dream to rest. I’m not the only one intimidated by triathlons, and there’s an entire subculture of people that attest to this type of thing as actually being fun. Since Maple Grove Magazine editorial advisory board member Lindsey Kurhajetz is organizing Maple Grove’s first triathlon, Dare to Tri, I figured I’d take that dare for the benefit of our tri-curious readers, the community event and—if I make it out alive—myself.

Dare to Tri is scheduled for August 28 at Weaver Lake Park. I officially took the dare in my January editorial note and started training in April for the shorter of the two courses—Dare to Sprint—which is a 0.4-mile swim, 14.35-mile cycle and 3.3-mile run. 

Knowing it would be foolish as a triathlon rookie to tackle this first race alone, I enlisted the help of professional fitness coach jonnyj, who teaches classes at Maple Grove’s Spine and Sports Institute, and Richard Kurhajetz (Lindsey’s husband), who tried his first triathlon last year and has been hooked ever since. I’ll share with you the wisdom they shared with me.