Triathlon

I haven't really mentioned this too much on here...probably because there hasn't been much mentioning going on, period *lowers head shamefully* - but this summer I have been on an exercise mission.  After school got out for the summer, my friend Norma and I got up early every morning and we for an hour's bike ride.  I was already participating in a beginner triathlon swim class at the gym so I continued to do that twice a week. Once in a blue moon I would also throw in a small jog for good measure. Eventually Norma and I started adding a longer bike ride on the weekends.

This was primarily prompted by my desire to get back in shape. Plus we had been talking about an Engen vs Prouty triathlon race.  You may recall that last year I was part of a relay team at last year's Giant Acorn Triathlon. I did the swim leg and pretty much sucked because I didn't really know how to swim. But my teammates were good sports about it and I actually had a good time despite the chagrin of not being a very speedy swimmer.  My awesome husband and father-in-law came down to support me so that's how the talk started.  *ahem* I may have possibly challenged their family in a head-to-head competition.

Initially we thought that my brother Danny could swim against Justin. And then Bruce and I could go head-to-head on the bike. And then Dwight and my dad would meet on the running course.  But then things got switched around. In the fall I took swim lessons.  After the triathlon, I realized that I wanted to learn how to swim correctly - with my head in the water. It was so cool when it finally clicked for me and I started swimming laps and kinda looked like a swimmer. And then my brother got a road bike for Christmas. In the Spring Justin confirmed that he wouldn't be able to make it.  So, it eventually morphed into this:

Swim: Heather vs Dwight
Bike: Danny vs Bruce
Run: Bob vs Mark

By the time I got our two teams signed up, I had decided to do the entire Sprint on my own.  (The relay is for the international distance and the sprint is the following day.) In August I started training in earnest. Since then, six days a week, I've been biking, I've been running, I've been swimming, and sometimes two of the above (known as bricks, in the triathlon world). Two weeks ago I bought a used road bike. And now it's here - the big weekend. I've already picked up our wet suit rentals. On Friday we'll drive down to the house where we're staying for the race. Very exciting!

For a while Dwight has been teasing us that a Team Prouty win would also be a Team Engen win since he's been paying for my swim lessons and Danny's bike was given to him by Engens as well.  So I designed some t-shirts, in that spirit.

By the way, I called our team TRI for 60 because my dad turned 60 this year and it's a special treat for my brother and I to get to spend some time with him.