Hello Ladies and Gentlemen:
"Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! You're Far Too Kind"- Jay Z
Well all, thanks for joining me on my quest to become a not so Fat Athlete. The funny thing is, I will always be a PHAT Athlete depending on what each letter in PHAT stands for. Hee hee. This is my first BLOG so just work with me as we go along. I will not apologize going forward for ranting and raving so here is your BLANKET APOLOGY!
Today, I want to talk about excitement. As most of you know, in 2009 I decided to take on the challenge of riding my bike 100 miles around Lake Tahoe. Well, despite my wanting to do it, my pushing myself to just get on the bike the morning of the event (mind you after 4 months of training and preparation) with a fever of 100, high on Tylenol, sudafed, and cough syrup (Not the kind being sold to FOOTBALL PLAYERS at $800 a quart... madness) and nearly having an asthma attack only 20 miles into the ride, I did what I could. And despite my injuring my foot, getting lost on the course, and wanting to curse out the wonderful lady walking with me the last two miles of a 13.1 (really completed 15.1) mile marathon, I did what I could and completed it (Hey C-Moe!). And after the previous years experience on the bike ride, I signed up again! I trained and worked hard at getting faster, stronger, and mentally ready for the 72 mile ride (Metric 100) around Lake Tahoe, to only not sleep the night before the event and wake up with a stomach ache so bad I could keep nothing down the whole ride. But you know what, I DID WHAT I COULD and went much further than I did the year before. And now, after much fight, meditation, giving up, meditation, prayer, meditation, screaming, meditation... I am now working slowing on completing my FIRST Triathlon, ever!
Three months ago you could not tell me I could train to be a Triathlete. Damn it, I have watched the Iron Man competition on TV and thought to myself, "Those people are CRAZY!" But after some convincing from my cycle coach about the benefits of training for three sports at one time, the reasons why we join Team In Training, my opportunity to get a TRIPLE CROWN (we will discuss later), and learning more about Triathlons (I am doing an entry level event... NOT IRON MAN YOU CRAZIES!), I signed up! I SIGNED UP to do the Triathlon at Pacific Grove (http://www.tricalifornia.com/index.cfm/PG2010-main.htm).
Now I am not going to lie and say "Oh the training is sooooo easy!" Well it is not! But I will say, "If I can do it, you can do it!" I had to learn how to do things all over again. I had to learn how to swim efficiently again instead of splashing in the pool and running out of breath in 30 seconds. I had to learn how to bike again; heck I was used to going and preparing for long distances; we don't go that far now! And, I had to learn how to run/walk. Now I can walk/walk real good! (hee hee) But run/walk is something new for me so I changed it to walk/run (more walking than running) until I get good at the other one.
I have been training since June 7th, the day after the Tahoe ride. Swimming 3 to 4 hours a week, walk/running 3 to 4 hours a week, and biking... well... I just get on the bike when I can or need to go somewhere that does not involve the freeway. And then there is the weekend... three to four hours Saturday and Sunday starting at 7 AM! DO YOU HEAR ME? 7 AM! I finally got it down to a science to get the most sleep in.
It wasn't until last week, Sunday, when the team was out testing their wetsuits (Let's not go there with mine), did this all start to feel real. I AM DOING AN ENTRY LEVEL TRIATHLON! Can you believe it? I was so excited on Sunday that my walk/run actually turned into a jog/run. FAT or NOT, damn it, I am going to be a Triathlete! When I want to give up... I just say... I am going to be a Triathlete!
Now, we are half way through the training and this has been a tough week for me because it feels like my body is changing, for the good. I was able to run three-fourths of each lap at track practice last week and after I did my swim drills on Tuesday, I ended a 1.25 hour swim workout with a 30 lap swim (750m... Nice). I have muscles that I never knew I had and I hurt in places I never knew I could hurt! But I am going to be a Triathlete! Say it with me....
(Next post... PHAT Athlete Gear... what the heck are you thinking?)
Until tomorrow...
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