8th Annual Lipedema Triathlon

June 24 is the Lipedema Fitness 8th Annual #lipedematriathlon and the first part of this international virtual event is a 750M swim.

The reason the swim is first in a triathlon is due to safety.

It seems easier to have it last, especially if you wear as much compression as we do, but trust me, you become tired doing 3 back to back portions of the event, and the last place you want a cramp is in the water.

🏊‍♀️ How many laps is a 750M swim if swimming in a pool? 

That depends on the size of your pool - In the pool at the #srymca (which is a short course Olympic pool) I need to do 30 length of the pool.

🏊‍♀️ How long does it take to complete the swim?

That depends on the swimmer. For me it is around 30 minutes. The kicker is I have to then shower off the chemicals, dry off really well, so I can get into fresh compression, and get all my workout gear on - this takes me longer than the swim itself, and counts in my overall time - if I was being official.

The second part is the Bike…

The reason the bike is second in a triathlon is again due to safety.

Outside of potential injuries, traditional outside racers would be a nightmare to have all starting/ending at the same time for tracking purposes, too. Most of our local participants use stationary bikes, but we do have some that take off for outside rides. Coach plotted a course right from the YMCA. 

🚴🏻‍♀️ How many miles is a 20K? 

It is 12.4 miles.

🚴🏻‍♀️ How long does it take to complete the bike?

That depends on the cyclist. For me it is around an hour. I learned the stationary bikes at the YMCA turn off at 60 minutes. So my goal is always under an hour, as I learned that the hard way when the machine just stopped the first year. 🤦🏼‍♀️ I started bringing my iPad to the event and using the Peloton app, picking 2 30 minute rides seems the best for me. I love the artist series for motivation and been reviewing all our Friday Night rides to find my favorites. Two separate rides also gives me a chance to hop off the bike and stretch a bit, staying in the same position for too long can be extra challenging with Lipedema.

I also learned you can setup the bike for distance instead of time and then you don’t run into that issue. 

The third & final part is the Run/Walk…

The reason the Run/Walk is last in a triathlon is because it is the safest movement.

👟 How many miles is a 5K? 

It is 3.1 miles.

👟 How long does it take to complete the run/walk?

That depends on the participant. For me it is well over an hour now, since my walking took a hit after menopause. 

For me it is the hardest portion, and I use a treadmill so I have something to hold on to, others run outside or on the indoor track. I would rather do the first two portions twice than the walk. I might see about using my standup Walker (Helga) on the i door track or breaking up the walk if too painful this year.

I really wish I could find a pool that had lanes for swimming, an underwater bike for the 20K & an underwater treadmill for the 5K, and do it all at one go in the pool. No shower or changing until I was completely done.

Some participants get friends to help with number of laps/miles, or they take multiple days to build up to the full distances. 

Some MODs (modifications) we have used over the years are:

• A rowing machine, or stand up erg, for the swim
• Peloton or stationary bike with Peloton App, or a Cubii under desk elliptical, for the bike
• Mowing the lawn, or an underwater treadmill (someone is doing that this year), for the run/walk

All modifications count, we are an #allorsomething event!

We created this event to help spread #lipedemaawareness 

Signup for the 2023 event HERE. You can sign up for any part of the triathlon you would like to, you can sign up a team to each take on a portion, or combine your efforts in any way that works for you. The goal is spreading awareness and having fun with the #lipedemacommunity 

These amazing illustrations are by Olivia Kate and you can commission her to creat artwork for you, too! I wanted to express the vibe of the event, and she nailed it.

#lipedema #lipoedema #lipolymphedema #lipedemafitness