Ambitious, But Worth A Tri

I love Shape magazine and always learn something valuable from them.  They inspire me a great deal!

This month there is a little free “How-to Guide” booklet in every copy, which covers how to:

• Run 10 K in 12 weeks
• Mountain bike 20 K
• Swim 1 K in 8 weeks
• Surfski 10 K in 3 months
• Complete a triathlon in 12 weeks

They give advice on equipment, avoiding injury and even list some upcoming events around South Africa for 2009.

I read this fascinating booklet from cover to cover and found out that not all triathlons are created equal.  They range from short ones, called Sprint Triathlons, all the way to Iron Man triathlons, with a whole lot in between.

Then I found out about this lady and her books.

And I started thinking… 

As long as you’re going to be thinking anyway, think big.  - Donald Trump

Maybe, just maybe, I could train for a Sprint-triathlon!  It encompasses the following:

• 0.75 K open water swim
• 20 K cycle
• 5 K run

My hubby thinks I can do it!  Pamela from Ordinarylife, who is training for Iron Man, thinks it’s possible.  But more importantly, I think I can do it!  And I have the time…

Of course I don’t intend to compete twelve weeks from now.  I have to develop some skills, drop some weight and get fitter first.  In order to start the program I have to be able to:

• swim for 20 minutes
• bike for 30 minutes
• run for 20 minutes at a leisurely pace (whatever that means)

Believe me, it will take a while before I get there!   I have plenty of challenges ahead of me…

For instance, I can’t really swim.  I could when I was a kid, but that was in the previous millenium.  I was watching the kiddies learn today and tomorrow I’m going to grab a board and kick up and down the length of the pool.  Once I’ve gained some endurance I’ll call the coach for some lessons (I already have his number).  I plan to swim three times a week, starting tomorrow.

Open water swimming will come much later and that will be another challenge for me.  I’m terrified of the ocean!  It’s got currents and waves and don’t forget that people come to Cape Town from all over the world to see these guys:

Yup, that’s a Great White! I really don’t want to become another headline in the newspaper because of one of them!

The other reason why ocean swimming will have to wait is that the water around here is very cold and I don’t suppose they make wetsuits in 5XL…

You do remember that I weigh over 300 pounds, right?  Needless to say, that will have to change rather quickly.  Setting this goal is a good way of keeping me honest when it comes to my eating plan.  I’m going to try and have at least 5 days where I’m 100% on plan, and the other 2 days will have to be at least 80%.  High days, holidays, birthdays and gala events will just have to fit into my schedule, not the other way around.  Every extra pound makes my job harder and slower…

Of course, I don’t own a bicycle, or any cycling kit for that matter.  That’s not a problem right now, since I can cycle in the gym (I started today – 2 x 10 mins).  This is much safer, because our roads are full of these:

And they’re infinitely more dangerous than the Great White!  Tangling with one of them wouldn’t even rate me a newspaper headline…

Instead of a power kite for my birthday in September, we’ll have to get me a bicycle. 

As far as the running is concerned, for now I’m just going to continue walking my 5 K’s three times per week around Rondebosch Common and do interval training on the treadmill twice a week.  Then I’ll start Couch to 5K in May.

Craig was saying this morning that training will be harder during the winter, when there’s less daylight and it’s cold and rainy.  I’ll just have to grin and bear it!

I think one of the biggest challenges facing me is not letting the nay-sayers get to me.  The best strategy is to prove them wrong!

So when do I think I’ll be ready to compete?  I’m hoping by November or December.  There’s an event early in October in my area, but I suspect that may be too soon.   Who knows?  My focus right now is not on finding an event, but rather in building my fitness, getting proficient in all three disciplines and dropping pounds!

You, my friends, have ringside seats for the training and the event!  Your support, encouragement and cheering will definitely get me there…  And sometimes I’m going to need you to bully me a bit, okay?

Consult not your fears, but your hopes and your dreams.  Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential.  Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.  ~ Pope John XXIII