I have been off the blogging circuit for way too long. I always think I've got to have the time to sit down and really think it through- ya know make it a stunner. But, in the end I always end up throwing something together when guilt kicks in. So here goes... Some memorable moments since my last blog.First- on March 29th I did my 3rd triathlon "The Icebreaker" right here in good ol' American Fork Utah. This year, as compared to last- the name was a perfect description- 40-something degrees, high winds and everything in reverse. I was so stoked when I found out it would be run,bike, swim. I thought,"Hey, I will get the worst over with first and everything will improve from there. Well, let's just say that the run was the easiest thing and from there things went downhill,but only in the figurative sense. The bike portion (11.3 miles) consisted of a double loop with approximately 5 miles uphill in high chilling winds. It took me an eternity to finish- it was a bit like being on a stationary bike in Siberia. The swim was my worst EVER- longer than my second worst swim by about double. Someone described the sensation of doing a swim last like getting into pudding- a very correct idea. I was also kind of stuck behind several people who appeared to have gotten lost at sea. And I was lost right along with them.. Now that I have described the day, I have to add that I am very pleased to have done it at all.I understand there were quite a few people who opted out because of the weather. So theres something to be pleased about. I am looking forward to a similar race in warmer temperatures, provided Mother Nature gets it done around here. My brother asked me to describe why I "Tri" My inspiration, as is often the case, started with Scott. He spent a month in bed recovering from surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back. He spent a good deal of time watching The Tour De France and made up his mind that he would compete in some physically challenging sport within the year. A year to the date he competed in the Blue Lake Triathlon in Troutdale Oregon. I was crying and cheering when he crossed the finish line and ofcourse thought, "WOW, this is so cool, I think I might like to do this." It took several years and one very clever gift to get me on the way. Last year for Christmas, he signed me up for a triathlon training class. I spent 12 weeks being trained by a professional triathlete, overcoming my inability to swim and breathe at the same time, strenghtened my run and learned to bike with endurance. On the 17th of May, Amy and I will compete in the Women of Steel race right here in A.F.. I am looking forward to it, but a bit apprehensive as it has not been as good of a year for training. It is very rewarding and I love to see how hard I can push and sometimes punish my body. Most of all it has changed my mind about limitation- which I believe is almost exclusively in my head. So John, if you are thinking about it, just sign up for one and will cheer you on or even race by your side.
2 comments:
What a sweet treat. I was so excited to see a post, and with such great pictures. That picture of Zion is almost as breathtaking as the one of Ellie! THanks for the update (not like I don't talk to you or something), but it's so fun to read.
That blog was good enough to make up for all the time you've had off. Thank you for remembering to write about how you got involved in the "Tri" sport. It was a good story of getting back up and becoming better than you were. Good for Scott and you. Felicia and I have been talking about getting bikes this summer, I've been trying to talk her into swimming, and we both want to take up running in between our gym days, so when it all comes together I think we'd both like to compete.
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