Last year at this time, I was getting ready to start an adventure. An adventure that I spent nearly 6 months training for...Morgan's Little Miami Triathlon! This isn't a typical triathlon. It's in between a Sprint triathlon and an Olympic triathlon as far as distance goes. Oh, and you canoe instead of swim.
Which is exactly why I decided to do it. I had heard of the LMT years ago, but always thought that it was above my level. You see, I hate to run. Biking is fun, but honestly it hurts my butt. I bruised my tail-bone sometime before my first child was born, and it still hurts nearly 4 years later! I was a lifeguard in high school, but my worst fear would be to die by drowning (yes, I've thought of the different ways I could/might die, and this is #1 on the list of ways I would hate to die. Followed closely by #2 of burning). And seriously, folks...the thought of combining all three activities scared me to death.
But I love a challenge, so when a couple ladies from my local MOMS Club said they were going to do it, I knew it was finally my time! I coerced asked my little sister to join me as my partner. Because after all, you canoe instead of swim so you have to have a partner. My sister had been my canoe partner in High School when we went on a 10-day canoe trip to Algonquin Provincial Park with our local church camp, so I knew she would be the best person to help with this portion. She claims that she initially signed up just to do the canoe portion and then drop out, but I told her no way!
Training was tough. My sister had a running partner who lived with her, but I did not. I had 2 little kids that I had to push most of the time in the jogging stroller and pull in the bike trailer to train. Plus, the triathlon is the second weekend in June, so you have to start training in the winter snow, spring rain and the beginning of the summer heat and humidity. Ugh. And did I mention that I hate to run?
But I found a couple of good training programs, apps for my iPod and a rockin' music playlist. And we did it! Our team name was, "We will Finish...Hopefully Not Last" and we lived up to that name!
I'm posting this today because it's been 1 year since that triathlon. A lot has changed since then. My sister and I both competed in a sprint triathlon in a series called "Girls Tri Too," now re-branded as the Ohio Women's Triathlon for the Cure. My sister also went on to complete 3 other triathlons last year! This year, I am pregnant and can't participate. My little sister joined the Peace Corps and is stationed in St. Lucia for the next 2 years.
But, one there is one thing I don't think will ever change. I still hate to run.