Friday, September 21, 2012

Why did I do this blog?


 “SWIM BIKE RUN … ARE WE THERE YET?” is a blog that will follow my training getting ready for triathlons, specifically the 70.3, and weight loss.   So why am I doing this?  I wrote a 13 week blog recently for a local television station regarding my training.  I really enjoyed it and I decided I wanted to continue.  I also have to thank my friend MB who encouraged me to continue.  So Why the blog name?  Training for endurance events can be a very long and tiring process.  Often times in the middle of the workout I would ask myself … “Are we there yet” or “are we done yet”?  I just found the title to be fitting for the journey I am about to take. 

I hope this blog is honest, insightful and at times funny but most importantly I hope it motivates me to want to work harder and maybe encourage others to try it too!  Here is my story…

I grew up in Massachusetts and I am the youngest of four kids.  I never married (hint still single) and moved to Central New York in 1999.  My activity level, like my weight has been up and down.  In High School I ran Cross Country but in College didn’t do anything.  I have been a skier my entire life and try to do that as much as possible, when we have snow.  In Grad School (1996 – 1998) I participated in the Pan Mass Challenge.  It is a two day bike tour through Massachusetts to raise money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.  That bike tour was a great experience, but after I graduated college my life became a bit sedentary.  I moved a few times looking for a job after Grad School and landed in Syracuse, NY in 1999.

In the fall of 2000 I decided to make some changes I joined Weight Watchers and started training for my first triathlon.  I decided to train for the Ludlow Triathlon in Ludlow, Massachusetts.  I started training in September of 2000 and nine months later I completed my first sprint triathlon.  Later that summer I completed my second triathlon in Cazenovia and after that I took a break.  The next 10 years was a roller coaster ride of some training, some injuries, some ugly moments and finally seeing the light again.  In 2005 I completed a marathon in San Francisco and in 2008 I ended up having surgery on my ankle which sidelined me for a year.  Then after the year was up my emotions were in a funk and I didn’t want to get off the couch.  My weight climbed during that time and my self esteem dropped.

In January of 2010 I finally got off the couch and started running again.  My goal was a half marathon the end of April in Rochester, NY … I just wanted to cross the finish line.  Well I crossed the finish line in 3 hours and 26 minutes and I was the last person on the course.   I was ok with being the last person on the course because I was back and I was moving forward.   Later in 2010 I completed an open water swim and I was back. 

2011 included two half marathons, several road races, another open water swim and after a 10 year hiatus I did a sprint triathlon and I was back!!!  In 2012 I completed 5 triathlons included a 70.3 Half Ironman and I still have two half marathons on my schedule.  So what is next…?

For 2013 my goal is to do the 70.3 Half Ironman again but I want to finish stronger and faster than I did in 2012 and I need to lose some weight.  I know that if I lose the weight my goal of finishing faster and stronger will be a lot easier to attain.  So now the question is … are we there yet??

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