Subject: RE: My First 70.3 Yesterday.... Read your post and then looked at your website and sat hear crying. I made the decision to do a sprint triathlon for my 45th birthday this year after gaining 20 pounds in the last 6 months. I am the single mother of 9 (8 living) children and 4 grandchildren who has Ankylosing Spondilitis (an auto-immune back condition). I was to begin training at the begining of April but acquired whooping cough, then my daughter got it and became very ill. So, here it is May and my training has just begun. Everybody has been laughing at me because I didn't even have a bike until Mother's Day. As a single mother on a very limited income, I prayed to find the best deal (and by best deal..... I mean, I figured I would be embarrassed by my bike - lol) and I called on a bike for sale on craigslist. I went to look at it on Mother's Day and the lady who owned it (a complete stranger) handed me a card that said inside, "consider this your Mother's Day gift". So, that was a huge blessing and answer to prayer. It is not the kind of bike I need but it will get me through. I have not even ridden a bike in 28 years and have never worked on one but figured if I was going to do this.... I would have to do it myself or I couldn't afford it. It is a mountain bike without suspension, an aluminum frame. I stripped it down to the frame and replaced the pedals, seat, shifters, chain, put on mountain slicks and replaced all cables. Worked out pretty well and I hopped on and started riding like I rode yesterday. I am just at the begining of my training and still think to myself, "what in the world are you doing?" I have always hated running and still hate it and walk all the time when I am supposed to run but I just keep moving. I tell everyone that my goal is to do a sprint in August because I know me and I can't stand to admit defeat so, the more people I tell, the more determined I am to come through. I am sure many are looking at me and thinking, "yeah right". I have two of my oldest sons talked into doing it with me and possibly a third. We all have some kind of obstacle to overcome and none of us have the proper equipment. My oldest son has let himself become overweight and out of shape since he got married, my second son is in fantastic shape and already runs 10 miles per day but he is truly afraid of the swimming portion - says he can't swim, my third son is working his way back from a badly broken femur in March (he may not be able to do it as his leg gives out fairly often and he falls - but he is trying and hoping to). What a great birthday gift it will be for us all to finish. Thank you for sharing your story on your website, it is a great inspiration to this older, overweight, crazy mom of many. |