Realization of a Goal.

As a moderately nerdy kid in my 20's and still relatively active, I had an ambition that I may one day complete a triathlon. Not compete, just complete, even if that meant dead last - at least I was crossing the finish line at some point with my head still attached.

The original goal was completing it prior to turning 30, which as you can see, materialized into something akin to promising tax breaks for the middle class by a political candidate. 30 came and went, and although I was still very active, I never had it in me to actually believe I could finish one. Who in their right mind would actually put themselves through the training required to complete one? They're absolutely nuts if you ask me. The disciplines are grueling, and to actually "compete" in any context of the word, you gotta be experienced, fast, and totally insane.

So forging ahead with the new goal, and keeping in mind that I fit the above insanity requirement: Complete a Sprint Tri before Summer 09'. Officially in print now so I can't back out or deny it.

And... that leaves us with the now. The harsh reality of the training requirement, which I still have yet to fully comprehend despite cautious ambition, the confidence and brashness of believing in oneself, are staring me in the face. And then there's actually going through with it. My swimming and running disciplines are absolutely and completely inadequate, and my cycling needs some serious improvement. My water stamina is horrible at best, and I sink like a rock with a 200-lb concrete slab attached, altho I do see noticeable improvement from week to week.

So here's the harsh stats as of October 22nd:

Weight: 205 LBS
Body Fat: Not sure but I'll have it checked. I'm sure it's like like 40% (sarcasm).
5K Run Time: 26:15.
400M Swim Time: 11:00.
20M Cycling: 1:12:00, give or take.

In order to "finish" the Sprint in a reasonable time (see 1:30:00 or less), I figure I need to come in at about 9:00 400M swim, 23:00 5K run, 35:00 13-mile bike and below-average transitions (15:00??). That puts me at about 82:00, or 1 hour 22 minutes. Individually I know I can drop my discipline times but the question is back-to-back-to-back.

Stay tuned.