I am a TRIATHLETE!

As you know I have been doing a 10 week triathlon training program. Today's indoor triathlon is the goal that we working towards. I made it here and now I can't wait to share the experience of my first indoor triathlon with my groupies.

An indoor triathlon consist of a 10 min. swim, a 20 min bike and 20 min run. Of course your on a stationary bike and a treadmill (aka dreadmill). This morning we get up and go to the Spears Y in Greensboro and get ready to participate in an event that to some may seem like a breeze but to me was a test of what I could push my body to do. Granted the time is not that long and your probably thinking well it is only a 10 min swim , a 20 min bike and a 20 min run. Well KUDOS to you for thinking how simple it is,you should of joined us. John and I had separate times so that I didn't feel the need to compete with him. He went at 10 and I was at 10:30. We volunteer up until time to go and warm up in the pool. I am in the pool ready to warm up and I am trying to relax and find my inner peace with the water. I thought I had it. I felt good. I slept good last night and I ate good this morning. Everything I thought I was supposed to do. I feel well trained! Then I look down at a guy that goes to our Y and he and his wife are talking and she nods toward me and he says to her "don't worry I have seen her swim"! Can you believe the nerve! I can't and me being me, I let it get to me! So time to start and I get my first 50 meters in and then I don't know what happened. Well I do, I forgot to breath and then I went a couple more strokes and my heart rate was so high, I just panicked! If you know anything about panicking in the water it is not a nice feeling at all. I flipped over to back stroke so that I could catch my breath and well I never caught it. I never found that inner peace with the water. So to say the least I backed stroked 250 meters.... I wanted to cry. I was humiliated at the fact that I forgot all that I learned and that I couldn't swim! Oh well. Thank God Suzanne was there to remind me that the swim part was over and that I was moving on to two sports that I am stronger at. "Turn that frown upside down", she says "and go ride that bike!" I go and ride that bike! I get off the bike, my legs feeling like limp noodles, change my shoes and I go to the treadmill. I run! I am running at a good pace for me and here comes you know who that says "this is your last 90 seconds, is that as fast as you can go"? Well no it isn't... So I push it up to 7.9 on the treadmill and I run for 90 seconds.... Ok beside the fact that my lungs felt like they would explode, I was finished with my first triathlon. I am a triathlete! That just sounds so weird to say but I am darn proud of it. Out of 24 women I came in 16th.

Of course most of my training group was there and the support you get from everyone is priceless. Biggest Kudos goes out to my friends John and Pam who raced today and they both have been sick. They did great and I am proud of them. I am proud of everyone but the three of us, just learned to swim together, were the rest of the group already knew how and just needed to get faster. Which they did. Great job Triad Tri Team and thanks to everyone for your support and encouragement.

In two weeks, I turn around and do this again!