Demon Conquered

...but first, a(nother) confession: My training has been awful lately. At one point it had been a full seven days since I last worked out. My eating habits haven't been as good, and I've gained a couple pounds. In a nutshell, I used a change in life/schedule as an excuse to sit on my behind and collect dust.

The good news: I'm back. I'm also terrified that I've squandered precious training time that I need to be ready for the triathlon I want to compete in come April. I think I'll be OK...I hope I will. But I'm feeling a serious fire being lit under me. It's go big or go home time.

Some key steps towards this happened over the weekend. I finally purchased a swimsuit with enough support to sustain me from pool to road in a triathlon. It's no tri suit, but it's sturdy enough to ride and run in, so that fulfills my requirement. I should be able to hop out of the pool, throw on a pair of shorts and shirt, hop on my bike and go. I'm aiming to get back in the pool tonight after a lengthy absence.

Second major hurdle cleared: I finally (FINALLY!) got my bike situation figured out. After several frustrating rides where I was convinced my gears were incapable of shifting, I at long last figured out how to use the darn things. My terribly supportive husband helped me look up some specifics and before long I was happily shifting my way around my neighborhood. Next hurdle: Biking is hard. No one told me that :) But I'm trying to fit in even just a little bit every day to get my legs up to speed. Ten miles suddenly seems a lot longer than it did originally...

So my goal for the next month is to run once per week (two if time permits), but otherwise focus on the biking and swimming aspects. I just hope I have enough time...

During my down weeks I also had major crises of confidence. Am I truly fit enough to do a triathlon, let alone one in a month? Time will tell, but I believe I am. I can't quit now just because things have become hard.