Boldly defying my genetic makeup

So what have I been doing with all my free time, you ask? Well, you didn't really ask but I have a lot of free time, so I'll tell you. I've been training for a triathlon that is too hard for me and I shouldn't be doing but I'm doing anyway. 

You see, I thought it would be a good time to do a triathlon, since I know how to swim, bike and run (although it's more like a slow shuffle when I do it), and because of the aforementioned free time. So I signed up for a triathlon. The Wildflower triathlon in Monterey County, because I heard it's a really fun one. Everyone camps there the whole weekend and there is lots of bonding and general merriment. And I was happy because my training schedule got me exercising regularly and trying new things like intervals which are painful but strangely satisfying. 

And so it came to be that in a post-run moment of endorphin-high and oxygen-deprived-brain that I had the BRILLIANT IDEA to "upgrade" to the half-ironman course.  Because I am a genius, and that's what geniuses do. Just for laughs, I will tell you what the half-ironman course entails:

1.25 mile swim

56 mile bike 

13 mile run 

...all in one morning. Oh, and it's apparently terribly hilly. 

If you know me, then you may be laughing hysterically at this point (or possibly worrying for my safety) because you know that I come from a long line of let's just call it "not athletically endowed" people. Sadly, genetics is not on my side here. So, in order to have a chance at finishing, I am forced to rely on good old fashioned work. Meaning that I am training 6 days a week and my legs are pretty much perma-sore. And I am hungry ALL THE TIME. Like, even more than usual. 

On the bright side, I am doing things that I never thought I could do. I have already survived a 30-minute swim in the bay (fighting off sharks the whole time, I assure you), and recently ran 8 miles (a lot, considering a "run" used to mean 3 miles around my neighborhood in the past). 

The event is May 2nd, so I have another 5 weeks to train. I will need every precious moment, since I still have to work my way up to the biking and running distances. Cross your fingers for me - I would love to cross that finish line! 

And now for some proof to substantiate my training claims:

Feeling good after my first 5 mile run. This is when the cursed BRILLIANT IDEA occurred. 

Let me tell you something - the bay is cold. I was happy to get out.  

Yeah! Check me out in my fancy running tights! I am legit. 

So there you have it. Now excuse me because I have to go and swim 2 miles. 

Oh, and if you want to donate so that I can actually participate in this race, go here.

I am raising $3000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, which funds cancer research and treatment. It's a good cause, and they train people for endurance events in exchange for fundraising.