A step in the right direction

So, I want to run a triathlon.

Yep, you read that right, a triathlon. Not the Ultimate Super Ironman Triathlon of the Century (TM), mind you, but maybe an Olympic Triathlon (1.5 km [0.9 mile] swim / 40 km [24.9 mile] bike / 10 km [6.2 mile] run). There are many types of triathlons. Learn more about them here.

See, I've had a weight problem pretty much my whole life. There are contributing factors, like the fact that I am very sensitive to processed sugar, which I didn't find out until last year, and the fact that, well, until I joined the Army, I did very little exercise. Yeah, I was lean for a while in my 20s. But I always felt keeping up with my weight was a constant battle. I hated running. I never really swam, and I always thought biking went out once one becomes a teenager. During my 20s, I lifted weights a lot (which is why I have large arms now, even though I don't keep up with it) and I did aerobics for cardio. I enjoyed aerobics, but it just didn't do it for me. (Going to the same place everyday, hoping beyond hope that the "good" instructor is there, because otherwise the class is just going to blunder through the session, and, well, having to pay for it... it just doesn't make for a great experience in the long run.)

In addition to my weight problem, I also hate sports and I'm not really an outdoor person at all. (I kinda got lucky genetically because I'm built like a medium-sized football player, so folks are shocked that I didn't play in high school. Then I hit them with the 1-2 punch that I lettered in chess, but also have a black belt in Karate. Yeah, I'm a geek, but I can kick your tail pretty easily.) So, I'm not really that competitive, sports-wise, especially when it comes to team sports. But, my own best competition is myself, my own mind and body. That's why I think I would love to try a triathlon.

Like I said before, I hated running. But that was because I was bad at it. Well, I actually never even tried it. So, I was a... runnist, I guess. But when I joined the Army, I had to run. They don't give us much of a choice. So, I had to adapt. My first step was forcing myself to love running. You'll never understand it unless you've had to do it. I still don't really enjoy running like I would like to, but I tell you, I love getting out there and sweating like mad, running fast and finishing a long run is one of the best feelings I've ever had.

Where I was stationed in NY, Fort Drum has all these little backwoods trails that everyone would run on, and they were great. There was this one trail that ran right along a river bank. I hated Fort Drum, but I miss that trail. Five miles of the best and most challenging running I have ever done. I've never gotten the runner's high that I've heard so much about, but maybe that will eventually happen.

But, I think that I've been missing something in my life and that is competition. I am reasonably motivated, but I don't think I have the drive in my life that I need to succeed. I was never really taught about goal setting when I was a child, so it wasn't really part of the way I think, until few years ago. And I think running a triathlon will accomplish a lot for me.

Now, I'm not a great swimmer. I never took swimming lessons when I was a kid. The only experience I've ever had with water is at the beach and a couple of water survival classes in the Army. But, how hard can that be? I know that swimming even 50 meters is a challenge for me now, but that is just where I have to start. When I joined the Army, I couldn't even run half a mile without stopping to walk. Mr. Miyagi: "First learn walk, then learn fly."

I own a bike that I ride three or four times a week. I've really learned to enjoy that. I've found that riding a bike is very similar to running except it is not as high-impact. I've discovered that my running has greatly improved because of my bike riding. Plus, on days that I don't feel like running, which is more often than not, I have no problem riding my bike for 10 or 12 miles.

And running. My rose and thorns. I love running because it destroys fat. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that once I finish running, my workout is done. Whether I do a fartlek run or an LSR (Long Slow Run), I know that I've accomplished something physically, psychologically and mentally that day. If I do nothing else but sit on the couch and watch reruns of CSI on Spike TV, but I ran in the morning, my work is done.

Am I a great runner? Heck no. My form is terrible and I just don't run fast enough. I have a hard time estimating how fast I should keep my pace so that I can keep that pace through the length of the run, which boils down to I don't push myself like I should.

So a triathlon will be the best for me, I believe. It'll be challenging, and it's also a social sport, but not a competitive team sport. Plus, I've promised myself that I would run one before my 32nd birthday, which is in July of next year. I'm going to Kuwait in a couple of weeks, and I think I'll have a lot of time to practice while I'm there.

As I train, I'll post updates of what I did and what worked and didn't work.