How does she find the time?
In the midst of participating in a trio of varsity girls sports during the 2021-22 high-school campaign in three different seasons, Lydia Mikhin somehow also is able to train for, then compete in, triathlons.
The 15-year-old Madison High School freshman recently finished third out of 62 entries in the 13-15 girls age group at the East Coast Triathlon Festival at the Innsbrook property in Glen Allen near Richmond. Her time was 32 minutes, 19 seconds, qualifying Mikhin for the Youth National Championships in Ohio in August. The winning time was 32:12, and second was 32:14.
The triathlon consisted of a 375-meter open-water lake swim, a 10K bike portion, then the final 2.5K run. Mikhin’s strongest part of the triathlon was the run, when she passed at least a half dozen athletes to finish third, covering the 2.5K in 9:06. Wearing a wet suit, she finished the swim in 5:04 and the bike in 16:21, plus there were transition times. If the run portion had been a few yards longer, Mikhin believes she could have won.
“I finished strong and I was happy with how I did,” Mikhin said.
Mikhin started competing in triathlons when she was 9, and now trains with Endorphin Fitness in Fairfax under Coach Kevin Mallon. She began swimming at age 5, where she still also competes during the summer season for Vienna Woods of the Northern Virginia Swimming League.
“I have a lot of energy, and I wanted to try something more extreme and challenging and combine the sports. So I gave triathlons a try,” Mikhin said. “Running is still my favorite and best part. But I have gotten better over the years by learning the many different components of a triathlon.”
Mikhin finds time to train for triathlons by combining regular workouts with her three high-school sports, then she bikes separately on the weekends.
At Madison during the current school year, Mikhin ran for the girls cross country team during the fall, was on the swim and dive team during the winter, and this spring runs for the Warhawks’ track and field squad.
She had a strong cross country season, highlighted by finishing second in the Concorde District meet in 18:34 on the Burke Lake Park course. Next, she placed 11th in the 6D North Region championships on the same course, then finally 26th in the Virginia High School League’s Class 6 state meet.
“I surprised myself with how well I did in cross country,” Mikhin said. “It was my first high-school season, so I didn’t really know what the competition would be like.”
For Madison’s swim and dive team during the winter at the district meet, Mikhin was 18th in the 50 freestyle and 20th in the 100 free. This spring for Madison, she competes in various distance races for the outdoor track and field team from the 800 to the 3,200 meters.
Mikhin’s next triathlon is scheduled for June in Pennsylvania, followed by the national meet in August. She competes in some five triathlons each year, often in the warmer months.
Looking ahead a few years, Mikhin would be interested in participating in college triathlons, if by then the event is included as part of the NCAA’s track and field program.