Triathlon with lipedema: My 2nd triathlon as a flat knit heroine

Since 2020, I have gradually from couch potato to triathlete developed. Would I have ever thought that myself? Nope - never. Sport has now become an integral part of my life and so on July 14.7.2024, XNUMX, it was time again: I started my second triathlon with lipedema. This day was very special and, above all, emotional. In this blog post, I would like to share my challenges and successes. It is a mix of race report and general topics that concern me in this field of triathlon. Nowadays, it is not just a sport that I do, but much more.

Ready for some action? Let's go!

Discipline No. 1: Swimming

The triathlon always has a fixed sequence: swimming, cycling, running. This is exactly why I go to the start of the swim with my flat knit compression. Not because I need it for swimming, but because putting it on afterwards in the transition zone would take too much time and would be very difficult on wet skin. Cycling or running without flat knit is not an option for me.

Note: If neoprene is prohibited, the lower leg must not be covered, so I contacted the organizer in advance and again justified this from a medical point of view and got approval without any problems.

One challenge, to be honest, is that the Water pressure in combination with the flat knit creates enormous pressure on the stomach. So if you plan to get into the water with compression, you should definitely practice beforehand. This way it won’t surprise you and you can prepare for it.

My only goal in my second competition was to swim the entire course using the front crawl. I set myself this goal last year, even though I couldn't swim the front crawl at the time. I started doing it a few weeks ago, and now I'm taking private swimming lessons and finally managed to swim the entire course using the front crawl. I only swam breaststroke briefly at the two buoys for the sake of clarity and at the second buoy due to a lack of space. Result: almost 2 minutes faster than in 2023. My 2:30 pace was definitely better than expected. Let's see how the swimming goes, but I'm very willing to continue to optimize it, because I can still gain a lot of time here.

Already knew? Compression is not usually necessary when swimming because the hydrostatic pressure compresses. Swimming often even has the effect of lymphatic drainage, so I can highly recommend it for all lipies/lymphies! It is also easy on the joints, refreshing and I enjoy it the most of all the sports I do.

Discipline No. 2: Cycling

Because of the headwind, I "only" averaged 27 km/h this time, but otherwise it went really well and the route was relatively well distributed at the time, so I was hardly overtaken or had to overtake anyone. I think that makes it really relaxed. Once there was a bottleneck at a roundabout, which made me the second person to overtake from the left on the straight, but that went well too. My new water bottle holder is just so narrow that it was difficult to get the bottle in and out. That held me up a bit.

I am often asked whether compression restricts me on the bike and what tips I have in this regard. Since I only started cycling actively after I had already been wearing flat knits for years, I had no conscious comparison to what it was like without them. So I just got used to it and made it "easy". I've been making progress in many things bit by bit over the last few years. Start slowly, increase at your own pace and then expand.

Tips: It helps me that my belly part is almost below my chest, so everything is well packed. I also always ride with padded cycling shorts or a triathlon suit, so I am completely comfortable.

And always remember: We are all so different! For some, the sporting goal may be a marathon, for others it may be walking to the mailbox. Don't compare your journey to others, but rather what constitutes success for you. I didn't have the best time this time either, but I reached the finish line. End of story and that was my personal success.

Discipline No. 3: Running

Because of my flat knit compression, it is and will probably always remain my Achilles heel. Despite training, my legs are still relatively strained and I find it really difficult in these temperatures. But I didn't over-pace at the beginning, and looking back, I didn't even have wobbly calves when changing and was able to find my rhythm quickly. With 7:29 min/km you're more likely to win a prize, but in the end what counts is that you reach the finish line and I did that faster than last year! Running is still the biggest factor for me to grow and save time and I'm looking forward to seeing where my further training will take me. It's not about achieving particularly professional times, but about to see what else my body can do. And if in the end the maximum I can manage is only 7:00 min/km, then I'm fine with that too.

Absolute highlight: The runner in front of me, just before the finish, jogged backwards, waving his hands to me from below as if to say “let’s go, give it our all” and the people around me saw how difficult the last few meters were for me and cheered me on. So I was able to mobilize everything I could and sprint to the finish.

personal Worst-case scenario: As always, I am very open and therefore I also share an experience that probably almost cost me the finish. At about 2,2 kilometers I had just overtaken another participant when a few meters later an e-bike rider (!!!) passed us with the wordsthat we are too fat and therefore so stressed and slow. At first I was so perplexed that I didn't know what to say and then I decided to say "at least we are participating here". I am not sharing this situation with you because I want pity for it, but I am telling you about it because it is an example of how people judge others because of optical things. condemn without knowing their history. That threw me off so much that I completely forgot about my improvement in speed. Even after the competition, I was disappointed and angry about what he had done, but I've gotten over it now and (if there's a next time) I won't let it bother me anymore. I know where I came from and it's not for nothing that I'm called "round & athletic". Reminder: You can’t always tell how athletic a person is!

So crossing the finish line this year was of course extremely emotional for me. Knowing that you've achieved it in just a few moments after training for countless sessions is indescribable. In the end, everything is worth it for that moment, but the journey is the destination.

Personal highlights

The atmosphere there was so beautiful. Excitement, emotions, joy and so much more. There was a bit of everything and yet it was a great feeling. Especially when I was standing in line to start the swim I thought "It's finally starting".

I was particularly happy that the three rookies (a work colleague, my lymph therapist and a sports enthusiast who I only knew from Insta) who started with me all successfully reached the finish line and actually found it really great. I really enjoyed passing on my knowledge to the three of them. By the way: I can only recommend it if you want to try it out. For the coming year I would like to set up a triathlon rookie project, more information about this will follow.

Special thanks go to everyone who supported me on site.

I also thought the atmosphere on the course was fantastic. The spectators and my personal motivators were so helpful, it was really spectacular. Thanks to everyone. I tried to enjoy what I was doing throughout the whole competition, because the times on the clock are of course a motivator, but not the decisive factor for me.

Dear Britta said it beautifully: You don't have to be on the podium to be a winner. That is exactly what I feel and for me every finish is like a first place. Because I will probably be the only one in flat knit in almost every competition that is coming up in the future and so I am automatically always first. It is not about whether I can keep up with the others or who is better or worse, but about that I do all this for myself. My way, my pace.

People often tell me that I can be so proud of myself. Do you know how I feel about that? I'm really just grateful that I can do triathlons despite the lipedema and it has nothing to do with pride. That might sound crazy to a lot of people, but that's how it is for me.

Why a triathlon with lipedema?

Well, in general, I kind of slipped into it... My neighbor is a multiple (Hawaii) Ironman and somehow encouraged me to do it. In addition, a dear friend had the power of persuasion to convince me to sign up for my first competition at the end of 2022. After I successfully completed it on July 9.7.23, XNUMX, I actually thought that was it. Then the organizer came up with the idea to put my finisher photo on the cover of this year's flyer with the words "This is Vanessa Reins and her story really touched me. That's why she's getting all the attention this time and is alone on the cover." Well, you can't just ignore that and that's how I signed up for the second time. And since I've got my trainer, I've been keen to see what else is "going on".

Triathlon is more than just sport.

Now I would like to finally go into the statement I made at the beginning. Yes, it is really true. It is a constant challenge to yourself and also to your inner demons. Endurance sports do not forgive long breaks. The lazy bastard has to be transformed into a pig friend in the long run, otherwise things will get really hairy. I'm completely honest about that, and it's not uncommon for me to not have the energy or the desire to train. Running sessions with intervals up to my personal heart rate limit are my ultimate challenge. But all in all, sport is and will always be a way to balance out my stressful everyday life. My body thanks me for it, because my cardiovascular system continues to be brought into shape.

The biggest challenge in triathlon is, to a large extent, your own mindset. I experience this again and again in many of my sessions. You are constantly stepping out of your comfort zone, exploring new horizons (in the truest sense of the word) and surpassing yourself. From the question of why you are doing it all to the greatest feelings of happiness, everything is there. I have my biggest challenges when it comes to running, but I will not give up on getting better and faster.

My process over the last few years was only possible because I constantly stepped out of my comfort zone.

In preparation for this competition I had one of my biggest mental lows of my “sports career”: The first crawl open water training at 13 degrees outside and rainy weather. You can find the reel here. – and a little spoiler in advance: This unit absolutely brought me forward mentally, because on this day I faced the following fears all at once:

• The first time in a wetsuit
• The first time crawling in open water
• Swimming for the first time in flat knit, wetsuit and tri-suit
• …and more

Do it anyway, even though everything just screamed NO, These are the moments that really make you grow and move forward. It's still hard every time, but it's worth it. I promise.

If you want to read more about #triathlonwithlipedema, you can read more here.

Whispers of the future: my 3rd triathlon with lipedema

After my second finish, I spontaneously signed up for the next competition on September 2st, 1.9.24. It will be a sprint distance again and I can hardly wait.

For 2025, I have decided to Olympic distance to address. In other words: 1,5 km swimming, 40 km cycling and 10 km running. Until then, I will continue to expand my training and, above all, increase it. I definitely feel that I am in good hands with my trainer and I trust her. She knows about my lipedema, is affected herself and together we have managed really well so far. It is certainly not always easy for her to find the balance between intense enough but not overwhelming. The fact is that my illness often limits me a bit, but that doesn't mean that I can continue to rock the whole thing at my own pace!

I don't know what the future will bring. Maybe I'll do a (70.3) Ironman at some point, maybe not. But no matter what, I will continue give it your all, except up!

---

Photos/Videos: Sports photography carriage and private