Exciting Things Are Happening!

Hello again 

I have a couple of really cool, exciting pieces of news to share!

First off, I’m happy to say I’ve become a Sweat Pink Ambassador. You’re probably wondering what the heck that is. The mission statement of Sweat Pink sums it up pretty nicely:

“We believe that kicking ass is best done in pretty shoes. We’ve learned that real women sweat, and sweat hard. We know that assertiveness, strength, and ambition are the ultimate feminine qualities. We concede that sometimes it takes hours to get ready, but we’re also no strangers to just rolling out of bed and going. We’re convinced that we run faster in pink shoelaces. We believe in pushing ourselves, and we believe in giving ourselves a break, too. We’re all about the rush of endorphins and the thrill of the challenge. We’re all for looking great and feeling even better. We’re committed to finding our best fit, and making it stick. We sweat pink.”

I’m super pumped to belong to a network of women who embody these values, and I can’t wait to start sweating pink myself.

So, remember that part of the mission statement about the “thrill of the challenge?”

I’m embarking on a new challenge- A TRIATHLON!!!!!! (in 1 and a half weeks. Eek!)

Have I lost my mind? Possibly. BUT, in my defense, it’s an itty-bitty sprint triathlon. It’s called the Wild Cat Sprint Triathlon, and it consists of a .25 mile swim, 11 mile bike ride, and 3 mile run. I think I should be able to manage that, right?!

I’m probably most nervous for the swim. I took lessons when I was 5, I think. So I know how to swim but not very well. I also don’t really want to get kicked/punched/wacked in the wild throng of swimmers at the beginning of the race. My plan is to hang back a bit, and let the crazy-competitive types do their thing. I’ll follow along at my own pace from the back. This triathlon is really just going to be a fun experiment for me- I want to finish and enjoy myself, and that’s it.

Since the turnaround from running the half-marathon is going to be pretty quick, the training’s already begun!

I tried out swimming in a local pond yesterday- wearing goggles and a swim cap for the first time ever! No offense to the professional swimmers out there, but I’m pretty sure I looked like an alien in that get-up. Oh well. The swimming went pretty well, I think? Not really sure how far I swam, but I think it was more than .25, so that’s encouraging!

Here I am trying to figure out the whole swimming-thing again!

Today, did just over a 10 mile bike ride with my mom! We did 2 loops of my mom’s favorite running route- it felt very different experiencing it from the bike! Gotta say, I love the downhills and cool breeze you get with a bike ride. You can’t get that on a run!

I ride a mountain bike- not perfect for a triathlon, but it should do the trick!

My blisters on my big toes are still healing, but once they’re better, I’ll start adding running back into the training plan!

I’m so excited (and nervous!) for this new challenge  Here we go again on a new adventure!