There are so many reasons why I never thought I would even venture to do a triathlon.  I’ve never even done a 5K.  I’m not a runner.  I’m not a swimmer.  I love to ride my bike but even that is relatively new over the past 5 years.  But I knew I wanted to set a goal and just do it.  Really do it.  I get tired of having good ideas and never seeing them through.  It’s defeating.  And this goal, this triathlon goal, was completely up to me.

I didn’t plan for this 6 months ago.  I signed up for the Iron Girl triathlon on April 26th. That was the first I thought of doing this.  I just signed up.  I was wait-listed.  Until I got my spot on June 1st, I wasn’t even fully in.  I thought I had a way out cause I might not get a spot.  But sure enough, I got in.

I didn’t follow a training regimen strictly.  I had one.  I did my best to follow it.  But my day to day life doesn’t allow me to focus entirely on training for a race…or maybe I justed didn’t want to some days.  I did runs with Coltan in the stroller, rides with Coltan in the bike trailer.  He became quite the mascot of Team Amber.  It wasn’t until the week before the race that I accomplished the full distances.  I was very, very nervous.

There are so many reasons why I shouldn’t be able to call myself a triathlete.  I’ve battled with asthma my entire life.  I take meds daily to keep it under control.  I had a baby and major surgery less than 2 years ago.  I’m not particularly athletic or self-motivated.  But Sam pointed out a quality that my dad told me I had a long time ago that I am certain took me through to the finish line – TENACITY.  I am one tenacious girl and that worked to my advantage this time.

The race was awesome: There were teenagers, grandmothers, cancer survivers, amateurs, pros, olympiams.  You name it. One THOUSAND women gathered at Lake Lanier for a .33 mile swim along the beach, 18 mile bike ride around the hills and countryside, and a 5K with a brutal uphill in the first mile.

The swim was my biggest fear.  I was literally nauseous.  While I was in the water, I heard 3 women call for rescue.  It was a big mental challenge but one that meant so much to me because my lungs, the same lungs that have given me a battle my whole life, supported my efforts and I came out of the water smiling.

huffing and puffing to transition

I looked forward to the bike ride. I’ve come to love cycling thanks to Sam.  The ride was challenging, though.  My one goal for the ride was to stay on my bike…no wrecks and no walking it uphill.  But in the midst of a nasty rise I thought I would bail.  At that moment, a woman came alongside me on her bike fighting with that same hill and on the back of her calf, where we all had our age written, I saw the number 63.  She was 63 years old.  I just stared at that number and kept my fanny on my bike all the way up that beast of a hill!

I'm the first on the left in blue

As I started out on my run, I had a brief moment of doubt.  Was I going to make it?  I think I might need to walk this part? I wanted to…but I really wanted to be finished, too!  So, I just picked up the pace and went into autopilot.  The cheers along that 5K are so important.  I was fueled by strangers calling my name (it was on my shirt).  I even ran for awhile with a girl I met who was doing her 2nd triathlon in 3 weeks.  She has a 3 year old and her husband is in Iraq for the second time.  Mile 2 blew by as we talked…strangers, but instantly friends.  Then, the strangest thing happened,  I rounded the corner to the finish line and all out sprinted!  What in the world?  Where did that come from???

Crossing the finish line was so incredible–hearing Sam cheer for me, knowing I accomplished this audacious goal, feeling so grateful for a body that could do such a thing.

Poor Coltan, up since 5am, so tired and not about the paparazzi

I didn’t break any records. Many, many people finished before me.  I am no superstar.  I don’t write this for you to think how great I am.  I write for a few reasons: I don’t ever want to forget my first triathlon; I hope you’ll see that you can dream big and do it; and I’m not embarassed to say that I’m so proud of myself.  I’m a triathlete!!