At mile ten I heard a noise like I had gotten paper in my spokes or something. I looked but saw nothing but a few seconds later my rear tire blows out.
I knew I needed to make a commitment to a lifestyle change. Encouraged by other weight-loss surgery runners, triathletes and even Ironmen, I set goals to become an active triathlete.
One slight problem. I don't know how to swim at all. When I say 'at all', I don't even dog paddle because I am scared to death of water. But I am going to do this.
I took up swimming to heal from a back injury. I’m a runner. I run marathons. How can I not swim 25 meters? So, in order to force myself to learn, I signed-up for an open water sprint triathlon.
At the end of last year I was about 240 lbs. Then I signed up for my first triathlon. A few months later and 50 lbs lighter, I finished 3rd out 98 male first timers.
I had been very fit until I turned the legal age for the two demons: drinking and smoking. Unfortunately, from my 18th birthday, my once fit swimmer's body went downhill and wide very fast.
Two years ago I weighed in at a hefty 280 lbs and was a mess. Now I'm a lean 180 lbs and train daily. What a difference healthy eating, exercise, and self discipline can make!
I got about a minute into it and, despite bracing myself against it for months, I panicked. I could not get my breath. I said, "I can't do this, I can't do this."
After doing duathlons for the last couple of years, I decided to go for a triathlon. Starting with an Olympic-distance race perhaps wasn't wise, but it was fun (of a sort).
I started out swimming only 50 yards at a time. In the beginning I would swim with training paddles and a float between my legs. I struggled to stay on top of the water.
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