Most of racing is actually training rides with friends. My favorite rides were always those really long epic rides that we're also some of the hardest ones. It seems that the more you have to struggle to accomplish something, the more rewarding it is in the end. That was definitely the case in terms of bike riding. It gave me the physical outlet and challenge that I needed. All those endorphins kept me happy as well. :D
Then in March of '07 I blew a disc in my back and that really just 'effed up' my whole outlet. I can still ride, but not for long and not at the intensity that I'm used to. I feel slow and uncomfortable on my bike most of the time. Blah. I love bicycles and I will always love them and plan to ride them until I die, but will probably never be able to do those real long training rides that I miss so much. But maybe I can, you never can tell.
So in the meantime, while I slooooowly recover from an injury that happened 18 months ago, I've been doing some light running for a cardio workout. I'm easing into like an 80 year old would, but it's coming along pretty well. And it feels so great to feel my heart pounding and my lungs huffing. I need to be active to be happy.
So, I decided I need some kind of goal for myself to keep me on track with my athletic endeavors. Since I can't really run very far and can't ride very far either, but can do both fairly well for short spurts, I've decided a short-distance triathlon is just what the doctor ordered. Luckily for me, they have a series every summer in Shreveport intended for beginner triathletes. They do one short race in May (that's a swim, followed by a bike, then ending with a run), then another race that's a little longer in June, and then one a bit longer than that in July...kind of like easing you into a more traditional triathlon distance. Cool!
They don't have the dates posted for '09 yet, but here's what the one from this year looked like, and the distances should all be the same for '09.
The bike distances are just plain cute. Awwww, a 15 mile ride. Even with my effed up back, a 15-miler is a breeze, unless it was up a mountain, and it's Shreveport so no worries there. That 4 mile run is what scares me! Well, 4 miles doesn't scare me, but people will be watching....I won't be able to walk any of it! :P At least I have plenty of time to train. The real trick is the swim. I'm very into water sports of all kinds, but have never done much in terms of swimming laps. We do have a rec center here though with a nice big pool. It's ALL the way out on Industrial Drive, so that would be a perfect distance to ride the bike out there, swim some laps, then ride back. Course, that will be in the Spring. For now, I'll just work on the run and try to do a few short rides every week.
I'll be doing this to see how well I do, to see the improvement over the 3 events, to have some fun and meet some people, and hopefully to BEAT SOME PEOPLE LIKE RENTED MULES!
Stoked to have a goal!
