Okay, maybe I'm not a triathlete YET but I'm going to be one! Why? Because I believe in myself.
My story...
My name is Tory and in February of 2002 I weighed in at a whopping 222 pounds! I started Weightwatchers on February 2 and never looked back. I've gone from a true couch potato to an athlete. I exercise at least an hour a day, generally more. I'm a high school teacher
(who loves her job
) and it is my stress reliever, my morning cup of coffee, and my personal therapy. My husband, who has lost 80 pounds himself, is my workout partner.
I hit my goal of losing 92 pounds in December of 2002. Since then I've lost another 15 pounds. Right after hitting goal I had a MAJOR setback. A tumor was discovered
(during a CT scan for kidney stones...it was a real blessing
) in my pancreas. Long story short, after three surgeries between January and April 18 of 2003 my fitness level was shot. I was determined, though, to get back in the saddle. The day after I got out of the hospital the first time, I was in the gym walking .1 miles an hour for 10 minutes. I hobbled over to a chair, sat down, and cried. I had worked SO hard to get fit and it felt like it was gone! That made me even MORE determined to get it back. I was back working out 45 minutes a day before my second surgery. After my third I went in every day that I could, even if it was only for 10 minutes. I knew that just continuing the habit was important.
While I was in the hospital there was a point where I was so shot that I wasn't able to walk more than 25 feet. It was then that I decided I was going to do something that, for me, would be amazing. I decided to sign up for the Danskin sprint tri in August of this year.
(I was able to run a one mile around the Emerald Downs racetrack in August of last year...but there was no way I was going to be up for a tri by then.
)
It's been about a year since my Whipple procedure. I celebrated by running 4.6 miles, lifting weights, swimming
(a pathetic effort, but I did it
), and working on my abs
(which need a LOT of work after three surgeries
).
So here I am! I'm registered and I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. I've been running since I was cleared to in July and am up to about 14 miles a week. The race bug has bitten and I have a five miler on Sunday. I won't do any tris before the Danskin because there is something about that one that I need to do first.
I'm good with the running and biking
(and am considering a half marathon in November
). However there is the swimming...fortunately I have someone willing to help, our swim coach. I know my main issue is really just getting the timing down so I can stroke and breathe with some sort of reasonable timing. Hoping that soon I will look like I'm executing a stroke, not HAVING a stroke! Haha!
Now I must go read the board!!