Why a Tri?

So, the 2011 Wildflower Triathlon is JUST over a week away. I kind of want to throw up when I think about it, but that's okay, there's nothing like a nice case of nerves to motivate in one way or another. This will be my first and could possibly be my last triathlon. Not to be negative about it before the race even happens, but injuries have plagued my training. I am officially getting old, and my body likes to remind me of that fact!

However, while I have not enjoyed every moment of the training (like the flat tire yesterday afternoon), it has been a cool experience to FEEL myself gain strength, some power, and maybe a bit of confidence in the water and on the bike. As I consider whether I should continue running in the long term, I do hope to continue to swim and bike, even when I am not training for anything.

As for the question of 'WHY'... Since moving to the west coast years ago, I saw many friends and colleagues compete in triathlons. I experienced varying degrees of fascination and also envy when they recounted their exploits, believing that because of a bum knee I would never be capable of the swim/bike/run experience, never part of that exclusive club. Post-knee surgery, I didn't think "Oh, I now want to compete in a triathlon", but the idea slowly formed as one of those bucket-list items, a life experience that would offer a great mental and physical challenge and an opportunity to suffer plenty and learn something about myself. Oh, I could quell the envy that was directed towards other people and maybe win some bragging rights! So, full of hope and gusto, I signed up for the Wildflower Tri - Olympic Distance - waaaaay back in December.

These days, the bragging rights hope rarely comes into play. At this point in the game, or training, I just hope that I don't lose a tooth when a person kicks me in the face in the swim. I would also REALLY REALLY like to finish the swim, to not have a flat on the bike and to survive the wicked hills that everyone talks about it. If I can complete the run, that will be the icing on the cake, the cherry on top of the sundae, the bbq sauce on the meat. I find myself frequently wishing that I had trained better, smarter, harder, but this is where I am now. Also, realistically, I am not sure how I would have trained that much better.

Also, I'm quite certain that I would not have wanted to train that much more. So much for being hard-core! While I've increased strength and endurance (I think and hope) and have enjoyed the challenge of training, I've missed more walks with the dogs than I would have liked, have often left a warm bed and another warm bodyon a weekend morning, and we have yet to enjoy our first spring hike of 2011 because of my egotistical training schedule! I'm splitting hairs here, because I do believe that the pay-off will be - and already has been - worth it.

Still, there will be perks when I back off the swim, bike, run schedule. I might, however, miss my wicked metabolism...

Is it all worth it? Yes, at this point, but we'll see how next weekend goes!

As for this weekend, I do have swim, bike, run on the docket, but a massage is thrown in the mix. I can't wait!