Monday 5 September 2011

Let's try this again... Once More With Feeling!!! (Part 1)

Well, here we are! An inaugural blog post! At the end of the season! This is the first chance I've found to get started :-)  And hence, the name of this blog: Tri to Balance. This has been the theme of my triathlon adventures to date.  I work full-time, my husband works more than full-time at a business he started last year, and we have two young girls, Sarah (7) and Allie (almost 5). Blah, blah, blah, most of you are probably in the same boat.  I have wanted to start a blog for a long time, inspired by many of you fellow bloggers and my pal Tri Like Mary, and I am finally taking the time to get down to business...so here goes!

A little backstory: In 2007 following the birth of my second baby, my husband Andy and I realized we were F.A.T (technical term - obese - no lie), and were not setting a good example for our kids.  We made a commitment to lose weight, and long story short, I lost 65 lbs, and he lost about 40.  If you care to read it, the long story can be found here, as we were featured in our local paper at the time.  Well, I am happy to report that over 3 years later, I have kept off the weight I lost all due to the magic of triathlon! Ok, I guess most of you know it's not magic. The "magic" is an ongoing regimen of 3-4 runs a week, 3 bike rides, and a couple of swims for good measure.

For the past couple of years, I have participated in "try-a-tri" and Sprint distance events, with a few running races sprinkled in.  But then I started hanging with a "bad crowd". And by bad crowd I mean people who are really, really fit, really, really dedicated, and really, really fun!  These people are triathletes, the kind who I used to think were crazy - you know, competing in 1/2 Iron and Full Ironman distance events!  Last November (2010), after probably a few too many drinks, a few of us newbies (and more experienced folks too), got talked into signing up for the Steelhead 70.3 in Michigan....the closest 70.3 to my homestead of Windsor, Ontario.  And 2011 henceforth became the year I would do my "first 1/2 Ironman"! (after a slight hiccup... story still to come)

My buddy Mary and I, we had been running etc together for a few years (and taking ourselves quite seriously LOL), and decided to hire a coach so that we A) wouldn't over-train and injure ourselves, and B) would cross the finish line (with a smile on our faces as a bonus!) Enter: Coach Mary.  CM runs Tri Moxie Coaching with her partner Angela. They are both super-duper athletes, Kona-qualifiers, and busy moms. Check out their web-site!  I LOVE having a coach.  I am nothing if not a rule-follower, and when my coach says do something, I do it.  Run 40 minutes? I wouldn't dream of stopping at 39:50 even if I am right back at my house! I need to keep going till the allotted time is complete :-) Something LM (Little Mary) teases me about quite frequently.  So, I might be slow, but I am a diligent and studious athlete who does what they're told.

Since it has taken me about 6 hours to complete this post by working on it on and off (the kids only seem to fight when I look at the computer... and in fact I just got interrupted as I wrote that sentence by one reporting that the other cut some hair off their Barbie), and it has gone on waaayyy too long, I will tell the Story of Steelhead another day.  But I won't keep you waiting for long.  I have 10 months of sharing saved up :-)

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