Really?

Is it possible to have second thoughts before I've even signed up for the race? It occurred to me today as I was struggling through a 3 mile run (I attribute that to my double workout yesterday, at least I hope that's it) that it will probably be 3 or 4 more weeks before I have a WEEKLY total equal to what I'll need in the race. Yikes!

So far I've done weeks of 12 and 13 and am on pace for 18-20 this week. I am trying to work up about 10% per week (thanks Josh for the tip) and I am sure there will be weeks where I actually do less. So, even under good conditions it will be a while before I hit 26. It's a good thing this race is over a year away.

Good news is I lost a little more weight. Soon I'll be under 200 pounds for the first time in about 3 years. I hope to race at about 180 which for me will feel light as a feather. That should help with my running.

In the beginning...

After talking about it for over three years I decided I'm going to man up and train for a full distance triathlon (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run = 140.6). This blog will serve as my training diary and will provide updates for the 3 or 4 people who want to follow my progress. Hi Mom!!

I am planning to do the Rev3 full distance triathlon at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio on September 12, 2010. Here is their web site http://www.rev3tri.com/. They can't call it an "Ironman" triathlon because that is a trademarked term, but it's the same distance. If (when) I cross the finish line I will consider myself to be an Ironman.

For me this is a huge step. It's not overly impressive to the thousands of people who have done the same thing before and I certainly don't expect to challenge for any medals, but I want to reach this goal. I did a half-Ironman distance tri a few years ago, almost on a whim, and didn't fare so well. I did quite well in the swim (the only person without a wet suit) and held my own in the bike but I bonked on the run. My half-marathon time was close to 3 hours. Ouch!

My biggest fear in this race, and all races, is the run. I am not a good runner and I am especially not a good runner after swimming and biking. So, I am going to spend the next several months building a running base and trying to lose weight. In fact, I started doing just that about 2 weeks ago. I started slow (both literally and figuratively) and will build distance and speed over time.

Check back often to see how things are going. I hope to update frequently.