RYE Y STORY PROJECT: POLLY

I was at the White Plains Y and then I switched here because I was doing the [pre-endurance] swim classes with Cathy. Also, I’m a member of the Tri Club and most of my club mates train here. So I just thought it made sense to switch to this Y. I’m liking it so far.

I started doing triathlons back in the eighties. I’ve had some breaks here and there because life gets in the way. I stopped for quite a while and started up again in 2014. It had nothing to do with turning 60 but it happened to be when I turned 60. As a triathlete, I’ve always been bicycle heavy and neglected the swim and the run. This year I did my first half Ironman and I really wanted to work on improving my swim technique and bump up my running. I have seen some improvements in my swim time so I’m very happy with that.

I’ve also been using the weight room. Yesterday I did my first indoor cycling class. I need a workout schedule where I’m getting the heart rate up and I find that’s easier to do indoors. I enjoyed it and will probably do more, particularly as the weather gets colder. I’m also going to keep working on the swimming.

Since I turned 60 and entered the 60-64 age group, I’ve had several successes. I won the age group three years in a row at both the Sleepy Hollow Sprint Triathlon and the Westchester Triathlon. This year at the Westchester Triathlon, I competed in the Aquabike and came in second among the women in that division. Aquabike is swimming and biking only—in the Westchester triathlon the swim is 1.5K and a 40-kilometer bike ride. Also this summer, I competed in the Multi-Sport World Championships in British Columbia. In the Aqubike division it consisted of 3K swim and 120K bike. In less than 2 weeks, I’m going down to Florida to compete in the National Aquabike Championships and hope to qualify for the world championships again!

I like to think that this is keeping me young. I see people younger than me who can’t do half of what I’m doing. It’s helping me stay active. And the competition—I like challenging myself. I like to see how I stack up against other people my age. It gives me something to aim for. Sometimes if I don’t have a race or something that I’m shooting for, I think ‘do I really want to go to the pool? Do I really want to go to the weight room?’ I find it helps motivate me and I’ve made a lot of friends.

You all have a very helpful, friendly staff here. I really love the new locker room. I waited very patiently for it but it’s really quite nice. I feel a little bit like I’m going into a fancy health club.