Triathlon Dreams...

I was 12 the first time I wanted to do a triathlon. My PE teacher Mr. Patrick was doing them and telling us about his big events as he was training and then when he completed them. My Dad did a design for someone for a local triathlon and I remember having the T-shirt. I kept it long past when it fit me.

Flash forward a few years... well, about 24 years...

After my miscarriage in January 2007 I began deliberately seeking God on what He wanted me to do with my time and my life. I knew I was to attend to and raise the amazing fellas He had already given me but I felt like there was more... so I asked. He reminded me of my dream to do a triathlon.

About a month later, on a walk with my friend Fay at Ross Point Camp, wandering through the spring green woods, I told her of the desire I had since I was 12 to complete a triathlon. She was quite supportive and agreed to keep my secret until I was ready to share (I didn't want to deal with people thinking I was nuts). I didn't even tell Erik until at least a few weeks after that.

I found out I was pregnant with Peter a few months later. So, dream on hold until the timing was right.

As my 40th birthday was beginning to loom in the distance I began to consider having that date be my goal to accomplish that dream. I began working out at the Kroc Center in October of 2009 after some of Erik's performance bonus at work was set aside to pay for membership and the Play Care place for the boys while I worked on my dream. Cardio has never been my favorite way to exercise so I opted for a minimal cardio (repetitious) workout in favor of a circuit training method I discovered in a book my friend Tarri sent me (she was so excited to help me drop the baby pounds and pursue fitness she hit Amazon.com the same day and fired off 2 great books - Mastering your Metabolism and The Female Body Breakthrough http://www.femalebodybreakthrough.com/ ). I dove into both of them!

Only recently have I begun sharing with those close to me about the triathlon dream. A few weeks ago my friend Leslie asked me when I was going to do one. Did I pick an event yet? Which one? When will I start my training? I was annoyed and told her (as politely as possible) I haven't even begun to think that far ahead. It's too overwhelming to think about right now. I took that attitude to the Lord. It was not in line with what He had been teaching me in His Word and certainly not in line with the challenges I had felt Him leading me to pursue regarding my physical health and fitness.

On June 1st I spent several hours looking online at the options available to me before my 40th birthday. The one closest to my birthday was in St Croix on May 1. While extremely appealing, that location did not seem terribly practical. So I kept looking. Then I found one in Lake Stevens, Washington. They bill it as a "RETRO Sprint Tri. They are actually doing a whole Tri that day too - Retro meaning no special equipment, no fancy bikes, no wetsuits, etc. Since I don't even have a bike right now, let alone a wetsuit, that really appealed to me. And it was far enough away I felt like I might just be ready by then. And hopefully I could find a great deal on a bike this summer. I talked with Erik and decided that with permission from my medical doc and chiropractor and wisdom from my friend Tarri on my training plan, that I should do it.

I found a great FREE training program online Trinewbies.com , received my Doc and Chiropractor's approval and sent my friend Tarri the training program to review. She has worked with me on my fitness from a distance for 9 months now so I was sure she would be able to evaluate if I could do it. She said yes!

So, here I am. My previous training schedule was approximately 4 hours per week. Now, it will be 6 or 7. I have been so encouraged and motivated by my friend Alicia who is training for Ironman Coeur d'Alene, who has been prompt and happy to respond to a zillion questions. My friend Leslie who lovingly pokes me (and fervently prays for me) when I am getting complacent, and many others have been so supportive in my pursuit of a more fit Jennifer, have been crucial to me getting this far.

I look forward to experiencing this dream all the way through. You see, it isn't just about race day for me. It is about the process I am in spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically. I don't ever want to go back to being complacent concerning my eating habits or my physical fitness. I have spent years enjoying spiritual health pursuits and seeing wonderful fruit result in my life... now for the "exterior" work to be done!

Thank You Lord!!