In the beginning...

I decided to start this blog in addition to the several other failed blogging attempts I've started. This one seems a little different though. It's about about the stuff I really enjoy and it's for my journaling purposes, not for anyone else's necessarily.

So, this is my journey to the half Ironman in July in Sonoma, CA.

Right now I have completed 3 full marathons, a few halfs and only one spring triathlon. I'm nervous because of the obvious-- I haven't completed even an olympic distance tri. I have a long time to train and that's what I need to do. Even with the marathons, I can easily get off track or distracted. This will have to be different and I'm taking the first step in that different direction by trying to lose 15 pounds.

I wouldn't say that I've struggled my whole life with weight because that'd be overly dramatic. I've been heavier than I'd like to be since I put on the freshman 15 in 2003. Gradually weight has come and gone, but I don't recall the last time I was under 140 pounds. 7 weeks ago, I decided, after I registered for the Vineman 70.3 that i needed to lose some weight. I want to be 125 pounds, which will make me a stronger athlete and more confident in general. I joined weight watchers in the hopes that their system would help me through the challenges and because I have read a book by a triathlete that used weight watchers as her tool.

It's been a struggle so far especially because I decided to start the weight loss journey during the holiday season. I had lost 8 pounds pretty easily, but have gained nearly 4 pounds of it back in the same amount of time it took me to lose it. I am realizing the dramatic shift in my eating that will need to take place in order to really reach my goal before February 20th (official training start-date).

I also can't stop training... I need to remain as fit as possible going into the official training as i can.

I am extremely excited for this new journey! I think I will struggle, but also gain so much from the experiences. I know I've already gained so much from just my running... so many of my good friends are people I met while running.

Here's to a successful training journey!