Learning New Things

I have been asked to clarify the #12 from the Lessons Learned post . . . so I thought the best way to do that was to go back to the archive and repost the explanation.


I have decided to make an attempt at a triathlon (no, not the ironman, but much shorter one). A
triathlon is three sports in one, swimming (1500 metres), cycling (40K), and running (10K), one after another. I have to be challenged, so this seems like a good one to try (I am getting too old for the marathons). My weak event will be the swimming (of course, most would probably say all three are my weaknesses). So, I asked a veteran triathlon athlete for any suggestions, so he recommended that I get a wet suit, which he had an extra one that was slightly too big (needless to say, the veteran is at least 10cm shorter and 20cm less around the waist than I am). But nice gesture and brought the wet suite home.

Well, we have a swimming pool in the back yard (you know the one that is still leaking and no one can find the leak to fix it). The water is still fairly chilly here. So I decided to try on the wet suite this weekend and jump into the pool. Well, the first thing was getting the damn thing on, has anyone tried to get into a wet suit before? my goodness . . . so I am trying to figure out if it is too small, or I am not the “sharpest tool in the tool chest” if you know what I mean. So, I finally get the thing on (of course it is so tight I am talking at a much higher pitch than normal), my boys were calling me “rubber man” and “penquin man” because I could barely walk in the thing.

Anyway, I roll (yes, roll) myself over the edge of the pool and get in the walk, little did I know why they call this thing a WET SUIT! I about froze for the first few minutes. For those that dont know, the wet suit allows water (i.e., the cold water) penetrate into the wet suite against your body, and the theory is that the water warms up from your body and then keeps you warm against the cold water.

So, this was my adventure, who thinks this is funny. Which brings me to the work related thing about this. We need to do more with our clients on education, because if we just hand something over to them, will they end up really using it in the right way or making assumptions that are totally wrong or misinterpreted. In other words, providing a complete turnkey (not turkey) solution which optimizes the experience for the “client” is important and not have them try it by themselves alone without true context of what is right or not. Don’t make assumption that the user knows what to do, put yourself in their shoes! To my veteran triathlete, thanks but no thanks!

Oh, and by the way, it took approximately 56 minutes and 32 seconds to get the damn thing off of me. Not sure this wet suit will help my time unless I also ride the bike and run (or roll) with it on . . . do you think it might be a little too small?

Since this blog is open source, I can tell you the person who provided me the wet suite (if you did not know) was Sean Luitjens (Mr. Triathlete himself). I have not tried the wet suite on again, nor plan to . . . but hangs in my closet as a reminder that sometimes when you try new things, it does not always work out . . . gosh, I hope this was not an omen for what I am now embarking on . . .