Blog Virgin

As the title suggests...this is my very first official blog. So I may have posted some random thoughts before...but nothing official. But here goes.

I'm kind of starting this on a whim because I'm traveling for work right now...and to be honest...I'm a little bored...and need somewhere to channel my brain function for a while that isn't related to work.

As the title to my blog suggests...many people do, in fact, think that I am crazy. One of the main reasons that this is...is that I'm a triathlete. Unofficially. That will change as of this weekend. My first sprint triathlon is this weekend. I have (quite literally) been training my ass off for the past 2 and a half months...and have enjoyed every second of it. Ok...so when I slid on the pavement...not so enjoyable...but I was laughing within 5 minutes of picking myself off the ground. I just can't help it...I've been bitten by the racing bug.

Don't get me wrong...the past few months have been challenging...there have been growing pains. I have been frustrated to the point of hyperventilation and tears. But I have also felt amazing. I have a sense of pride and confidence that I never in my wildest imagination thought I would have. Growing up...you might say that I was the anti-athlete. I was overweight and lazy...and the last person that anyone probably ever thought would ever willingly put my body through such torture.

Last fall/winter when I moved to DC, one of my roommates started talking about this running plan that helps non-runners start to run...and not go overboard. If any non-athletes are interested...it's the Couch to 5k program. I highly recommend it. I played around with it for a couple of months, but had a hard time starting because of the crazy holiday season. Well...starting in January I decided that I was going to get serious about the whole running thing. I started off slow (aka...restarted the entire program) and actually stuck with it. By February, my boss, who is a marathoner, kept urging me to bring my running clothes with me to work so we could go running together. I resisted for a long time because I didn't think that I could keep up with her.

And then, the night I became a runner happened. I remember so many things so clearly about this night. It was a life changing night. Yet it was so simple. One tip changed everything for me. You should be able to talk while you run. Preposterous...right? No. Absolutely not. It was a Monday night. I remember I was wearing my UnderArmour pants, a white fleece zip up. I headed out the door...and started running. Anyone that passed me on The Mall that night probably thought I was crazy because I kept talking to myself...making sure I was able to speak. And I was able to do it. By the time I got done running that night...I had a huge smile on my face. It felt amazing. For the first time...I got it.

The next day, I told my boss that I'd go running with her. We made a date for the next evening after work. She and I, along with another co-worker who is a marathoner headed out. By the end of the run...I couldn't believe it. I just kept running with them, not really paying attention to how far we were running. When we got done, she told me what we had done. The result...5 miles. No joke. I ran 5 miles.

I called my parents that night and left them a message. They were thrilled to hear how excited I was...and how happy I sounded.

Something in my life was starting to make sense. Give me a purpose. I actually enjoyed doing this.

Over the next couple of months...I kept running...and had signed up for a 10K race that was in May. I also met someone who was a triathlete...and he started talking to me about it. He showed me race pictures...forwarded emails to me from his tri team (Team Z!). And my only response was...it looks...fun. I had always thought triathlons looked like fun...and would have loved to do one...but I never thought that I would be able to do something like that. Besides...I wanted to start training for a marathon. Well...he kept talking to me...and finally I decided...I would train for a triathlon.

I requested info from Coach Ed...went to the info session...and then started swimming and bike shopping.

For a little background in the other disciplines of triathlon...I had grown up taking swimming lessons, but never overly serious. And I enjoyed biking...but didn't own a bike. In fact, I had always said that as long as I lived in DC...I wouldn't own a bike because I was terrified of the traffic.

So...I started swimming again...and it wasn't going very well. And I kept bike shopping...and finally found one that when I showed the post to Jeff...his immediate response was "YES!" We made plans to take a look at it that weekend...and when we got there...found exactly what we were looking for. A guy that had done 1 triathlon, had more money than brains, and never wanted to do another triathlon ever again. So I bought the bike...and named him Alejandro.

I have been told that the progression that I've made in the past couple of months in swimming and running has been intense and perhaps almost too fast. Perhaps I'm pushing it a little bit. But that's just me. When I set my mind to do something...I'm all in. Cycling is still proving to be a challenge...and I've definitely paid for the risks that I've taken...remember the sliding on the pavement comment. Yeah...road rash...not so much fun. But you know what? I fell...but I got up...and I survived...and I'm fine. It could have been a lot worse. Plus...the facial bruising only added to my bad ass persona.

I've ran in a couple of races...the 10K in May...which my only goal was to finish. And then I relayed the run leg of an Olympic distance triathlon in June. I completely got hooked. After the race in May, I called Jeff afterward...and was talking a million miles a minute without giving him the opportunity to say anything. When I finally took a breathe, he told me that next race I should probably drink less coffee before. I told him I didn't know what he was talking about...I had only had 1 cup that morning...which at the time was 1 less than I normally drink. His response? "Oh shit." Classic :)

There are many stories...and probably many more reasons that people think I'm crazy. So I hope over the course of our journey you enjoy them. You may laugh...it's possible you may cry...although I hope not too much because I hate to cry. Maybe you'll learn something. And maybe you'll just end up agreeing with the fact that I probably am crazy...