Just Another Newbie

Hi everybody! I have been thinking of doing a tri for almost twenty years now. Yes, I know that seems like a rather long gestation period but I have so many excuses that it would take all day to list them. Suffice it to say that I have decided that, come hell or high water, I will do a triathlon this coming June; I had one in mind for May but I will be out of the country at that time. I am a part-time student at a university and thus can avail myself of the physical facilites, including an olympic size pool. I am well versed in all three disciplines, swimming, biking, and running but as you can tell by my "handle", cycling is my sport of choice. I have done an "unofficial" sprint tri at the school and find that my only weak link is swimming. Having done a sprint, I know that I can do an olympic tri, if not with ease, then at least without suffering a coronary. My ultimate aim is to complete a half marathon tri in September of 2004. I am not much for posting but I will be looking into this forum to see what information and tips I can pick up. Also, I know a good deal about road bikes so I will probably put in my five cents' worth every once in awhile.

Name: Michel
Age: 53
Residence: Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA
Education: 3rd year standing at Carleton University as a part-time student
Profession: Policy Analyst with the Canadian Public Service
Athletic Background: x-country skiing, cycling, running, boxing, and some swimming
Hobbies: yoga, chess, reading, learning
Goals: stay in shape, fiinish a tri
Long-range goal: do a 1/2 Ironman
Favourite Food: Thai, Italian, French
Favourite Drink: Wine, Port, Amaretto
Favourite Movie: The Maltese Falcon, Amadeus, Pane e Tulipani
Favourite Music: Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi, Haydn, Beetwhoven
Favourite Automobile: Jaguar S type
Favourite Quote: In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare,
terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da
Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they
had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo
clock. (Orson Wells in the role of Harry Lime - "The Third Man", 1949)
Who motivates me: my wife Agnes whom I adore