Tri Training has begun

I said awhile back, either in blog form or in verbal form to some audience that my triathlon training for next year would begin when T finished her tri this year. I am very proud she accomplished a triathlon; now it's my turn to bust my ass and get it done.

My extremely basic plan right now is strength training and basic running, swimming, and cycling form throughout the rest of the year. January, February and March will see more focus on specific goals. April and May will be brick training and more goal achieving, and June = tri. So yes, crude, but nonetheless, it's a starting point.

On the flight up to Seattle, I had quite a bit of time to ponder why I actually want to do a tri. I've been reading that you should have a reason for doing it. I don't want to be like Theresa's friends who just do it for the sake of doing it, or 90% of the DH's out at the Tri for the Cure. I want to have purpose.

Some of my "reasons" are childish and stupid, like saying fuck you to all the bastards that said I would never achieve something like this or who called me fat back in the day. Part of me wants to really rub it in to my fat ex-girlfriend, who continues to go the wrong way in terms of weight. And then there's the mental part of it, the challenge, that appeals to me.

I think that's what my reason is. It's a form of discipline. It's not something that someone is just going to hand to me. To achieve a good time in this race, I'm going to have work hard. I'm going to have to overcome mental obstacles, and that stupid bastard of a critic that will always be at my side telling me I can't do it.

Anyway, now that I have a purpose for beating myself to utter hell, I went to the gym today with Theresa and got in some good upper body work before I left for Seattle. I clipped out a workout from Mens Health and followed it. Simple, but painful. Dumbbell quats with a jump, seated rows, dumbbell burpees, and this things where you laid down on your back and did a situp. 3 sets of each, then repeat, with minimal rest in between. I finished it off with a couple minutes of recumbent bike.

My arms felt tired, but good. I left for Seattle with a little pain which is what I was looking for.

After all, there's a large mental obstacle to climb here.