Week one, down!

Happy Memorial Day!  Please take a moment to thank a veteran.  Chances are, you know one (or at least know where to find one).  I happen to have one in my house so... Thank you Ray!
Training has been going well.  I knew I would have a tough time with the bike, and that is oh, so very true.  I warned my coach that she was going to have her work cut out for her with me on the bike.  She laughed, and asked me to get serious - everyone can ride a bike!  Yes, that is true.  I can ride a bike, but I am still incredibly wobbly and spastic on it!  We set off on our first ride last Sunday at a leisurely 10-11 mph pace.  I still don't own a "road bike."  You know, the light as air, finely tuned, aerodynamic bicycle with the impossibly skinny tires (think Lance Armstrong).  No, I was going to get my miles in on my own bike, thank you very much.  It's called a "hybrid" which basically means it's not tough enough to be a mountain bike, but not fast enough to be a racing bike.  It has a nice wide comfy seat, medium knobby tires, sturdy handlebars...  Good thing I love it so much because everyone else on their road bikes left me in the dust!!   Oh well.  I got my 10 miles in (slowly), and decided I probably needed an upgrade.  Do you have any idea how expensive a racing bike (even a basic beginner bike) is?  Let's just say we spent that much money on our last weekend at DisneyWorld. 
So, on to plan B - Looking for a used bike!  A co-worker of mine (code name: Superwoman) happened to have an old road bike she was keeping as a spare.  She is a super athlete and has raced several triathlons on her trusty Schwinn - and she said I was welcome to use it!  Yay!  Let's hear it for the free bike!!
Well, much like free lunches or free kittens... a free bike doesn't exist.  A quick trip to my local bike shop resulted in a new seat, handlebar tape (I picked the holstein cow print), spare tube and tire changing kit, fancy light, and a quick lesson on how to change my new gears.  Free?  No.  But much better than dropping $1000 on a new bike. 
Guess what?  I'm not much faster on the road bike. 
Why, you might ask?  Well, it might have something to do with me wobbling back and forth all over the road on the impossibly skinny tires like my daughter without training wheels.  Sigh...
Oh-well, I'll catch them on the run.
Maybe.

When you get the chance, please visit my Team in Training donation page.  Here you'll see why I'm scaring myself half to death on the bicycle with the teeny-tiny wheels.  Thanks!

You're doing what?!?

I know, I know...

Why did I agree to this?

An olympic distance triathlon in September, in Washington, DC is probably not the best choice for my first one.

(Just so you know... that's a 1-mile swim, a 25-mile bike, and a 6.2-mile run)

Yes, all on the same day.

And, I have to raise money for charity in order to participate.

I'm probably insane.

I don't have time for this.

I can't possibly raise that much money.

Like I don't have enough on my plate already?

Oh yeah? Watch me!

I am going to do it! I have already signed on the dotted line and started training.
By my calculations, I have almost 4 months to get ready. Piece of cake. Why am I doing this, you ask?
Well, it's simple, really. I'm doing it because I can. I have my health, which is so much more than so many others can say. I am lucky enough to have the support of my Mom and my husband who tolerate my obsessive need to take every spare moment I have and fill them with running and swimming and biking (let's not forget cleaning, and cooking and homework and laundry - okay, forget the last one). I'm also doing it because it is the right thing to do. Raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through Team in Training is something that I have always thought about, but never quite imagined I would have the nerve to do. And then a few years ago, my dad had his final heart attack, and less than a year later, my aunt lost her battle with ovarian cancer. I have watched several friends fight breast cancer and leukemia, and I have decided that Enough is Enough! Life is too short to wait for the right moment.

I'm doing this.

I invite you on my journey.