How it all came to be...

OK. So anyone who knows me is probably wondering where I got this crazy idea to compete in a triathlon. I blame comic strips and books! I figure that they're great things to blame for most of societies ills, and my odd desire to torture myself can rightfully be traced to the web comic strip Unshelved. It's a hilarious look at what goes on in a public library. If you work in a library and you don't already read it, subscribe. Well, they did a couple of strips starting Sept 17, 2007 on a book called Short, Fat, Triathlete by Jayne Williams. Needless to say, it's a book about a woman who is out of shape and runs a sprint triathlon while still overweight and not in that great of shape.

I ordered the book through ILL (inter library loan) and liked it so much that I bought it. A year later after reading it three times and buying a couple of more books on triathlons, I've decided to start training and sign up for the US Women's Triathlon Series San Diego triathlon Oct 18, 2009. Everything I've read says to sign up to force yourself to train. I chose this triathlon because it has something shorter and less scary than the sprint!! Triathlons generally come in the following sizes:

1. Ironman: 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run
2. Olympic (standard length): .93 mile swim, 24.8mile bike ride, and a 6.2 mile run.
   
3. Sprint (normal beginning or short length) : .47 mile swim, 12.4 mile bike ride, and a 3.1  mile run.
   

So I thought I had to start with a sprint, which is still pretty intimidating if you hate running like I do. But when I was looking at the San Diego triathlon, I found a new size!!

1. SuperSprint (baby bear size): .25 mile swim, 6.2 mile bike ride, and a 1.5 mile run.

I saw that and the fear went away. I can do that now! OK, I'd have to walk part of the run and nothing would be fast, but I could finish. So, I'm going to start training. This blog will hopefully keep me honest, we'll have to see.

Tomorrow I'm going to hit the Exercycle. The goal is 30 minutes. Normally I'd like to be on my regular bike, but the seat sat in the sun and the comfy gel filling is oozing out like some sort of gangrenous wound. No way am I sitting on that!! I've ordered a new seat, so I'll start road biking as soon as I get it. Wish me luck!