My goal is to compete in an Iron Man.

At this point, I feel like it's a pretty lofty goal. I created this blog to share my journey. I have many blessings in my life, mainly my family, but overall I'm a pretty average gal with above average expectations for myself. I've been accused of being an "overachiever" but what this really means is that I am a jack of several trades but master of none.

I stumbled into the sport of triathlon. In the late 90's, early in my marriage, my husband, a swimmer in high school and college, decided he wanted to swim across the Chesapeake Bay. He joined a masters swim team, trained for it, and placed second on his first attempt. I was inspired by his determination and success so when he decided to do it a second year I decided I would do it to. (Don't know what I was thinking?!?!)

Let me note that other than swim lessons when I was five (during which the top of my head remained dry) and the time I logged as a lifeguard in college, I never had any formal swim training. It was grueling. And humbling. I was easily one of the slowest swimmers in the pool. But I dug in and kept going. I made it across the bay and my first thought was, "I will never do this again." My husband took first place that year.

So, of course, we did it one more time. The conditions were worse; the water was choppy, the current strong, the air thick with motor fumes. I stumbled across the finish line, vomited, and thought, "now I mean it!"

With the bay swim checked off my list, I was looking for a new aventure. Many of the swimmers on the masters team also competed in triathlons. With all the training I'd done to make it across the bay, I'd become a decent swimmer and thought it would be fun to give a triathlon a try.

And so the journey began.

Now the 2010 season looms. I'm coming off injured reserve with new shoes, a new bike, new challenges and new goals. I'm hoping I will have recovered enough to compete in my first Half Iron Man in September.

My training done for the day, I'm off to a St. Patty's Day party. Can't be all work and no play, right? I hope to share more of this journey later . . .