No, there isn't a typo in the title, I spelled it that way as a foreshadowing of the subject matter for this article. I love puns, you see, and since my job is about words and the stories they create when woven together, why not toss in a pun or two?
Anyway, I said "tri" and not "try" because I just signed up for the La Porte County Family YMCA triathlon in August and I thought it would be neat to chronicle my experience. For those of you who know me, I'm in OKAY shape (See the photo on the right? That's me in OKAY shape...the nachos in my hand don't help my case). I like to run and I try to get to the gym as much as I can, but I'm not where I want to be with my health and body.
So the triathlon (it's actually a sprint triathlon which is why I wanted to do it because I thought I might live to cross the finish line) became a personal goal of mine. Not only will it finishing give me a sense of accomplishment because I'm going to feel like a B.A. afterward, but I have no choice but to train for it if I want to make it through the race without suffering the side effects of living a sedentary lifestyle.
With the thought of training on my mind, I know myself and I know that I sometimes need a little push to hit it hard during workouts. So I enlisted the help of my people at the La Porte County Family YMCA. There is so much to do at the Y so I have all sorts of options at my fingertips. As my company Ideas in Motion Media is a proud partner of theirs I felt that this was perfect for all parties involved.
So my plan is to get cut and kill it at the triathlon. Simple, right?
Not so much.
A triathlon, as some of you know, is three physical feats rolled into one. You have to swim, cycle, and run - in succession. There are different types of triathlons that differ by distance: sprint (please see paragraph three) -0.5 mile swim, 12.4 mile bike ride, 3.1 mile run; Olympic -0.93 mile swim, 24.8 mile bike ride, and a 6.2 mile run; ITU Long -1.86 mile swim, 49.6 mile bike ride, and a 12.4 mile run; a Half -1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run; a Full -2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run.
I though it was smart to start from the bottom and work my way up, wouldn't you agree?
Now that you are up to speed on my plans, please stick with me while I try to tackle the tri!
FYI: Comments, workout suggestions, positive vibes, and clever one-liners are acceptable in the comments section below. :)