Triathlon only has one A in it

Sometimes I think I'm pretty crafty, smart, enthusiastic, athletic, etc etc on the positive attributes. And sometimes I go against all that wisdom and do stupid stuff just to see what happens. Two point five minutes ago I did such a thing and signed up for the Ice Breakers Dash, a triathlon sponsored by a local triathlon team here in the greater Sacramento area. Now I have successfully completed four point five triathlons in the past including the prestigious New York City Triathlon which was an Olympic distance race that involved swimming in the Hudson River. At one point you needed to get shots just to participate in the race but thanks to environmental freaks like Lisa, I was lucky to swim in a safer (read: no dead bodies) Hudson River. Anyway, long story short, triathlons are not new to me. The point five was because although I finished the fifth triathlon here in Granite Bay I was DQed for not one, not two, but three bike tire explosions. More later... possibly.

SO yay for me... triathlete me is on her way back into the world. The dumb part of all this is that the triathlon is on Sunday, like in three days. Only I would do this to myself. I have officially been back to the gym three times since getting off of bed rest and in the same number of days I will be swimming, biking and running. I did this for several reasons that are actually pretty logical, despite what you may think. Reasons are as follows:

1. Once you have participated in a multi sport event, you know what to expect. Once you have participated in several events and participated on several training teams, one of which I even coached, I really know what to expect, how to behave, how to act, etc. Therefore Ill be fine.

2. Once you spend three months being really excited about working out and improving your life and are then cut short and down to nothing, you need something to remind yourself that you can return. Will power is great but want power is better. I want to do this. Will has nothing on the amount of want, so I need will to know she can do it too.

3. I'm doing the race alone (unless you want to join me). I need things to do by myself. This is a battle that wages in my own head and body and to be able to get myself out of bed in the dark, drive to Folsom, set up my crap, and wait at the starting line....alone, is a huge accomplishment and celebration in my eyes. No one can tell me this is dumb if no one is there. Therefore if you are a nutcase too and want to sign up, go ahead, Ill teach you everything you need to know about triathlon in the next three days, just don't be a lame-o once its time to go or Ill kick your goggles off just to get away from you while you put them back on. :)

4. Its a super sprint so 200 meters of swimming, 6.5 miles of biking, and a 2 mile run is easy for me. Easy is a nice way to start the triathlon/running season. I know this is not easy for most people so please don't take those words wrong, but I encourage you to see how easy it can be.

5. I have loyal readers that have expressed to me that they love this blog. I feel I need/want to tell people how possible the impossible is. Triathlon is a sport that seems scary to most and its not scary at all. Getting back into shape is a concept that most find scary and its not scary at all. Doing something because you know it is just right despite its logic is a scary notion that is not scary at all. I will do a triathlon in three days so that you and I both know that life's setbacks are just that, they are setbacks and if you want to or need to move on by doing something crazy then do it. I know I can do this and I will do this in three days. I have only swam once in the last two years but that's OK, that day was magic and I left the pool so heart happy. I am going to drive home on Sunday, heart happy again. I encourage you to do something, whether it be trying low-fat ranch or running a 5K, that you think is silly, stupid, impossible, crazy, or just plain dumb. You will surprise yourself.