New Triathlete!

Okay, maybe I'm not a triathlete YET but I'm going to be one! Why? Because I believe in myself.

My story...

My name is Tory and in February of 2002 I weighed in at a whopping 222 pounds! I started Weightwatchers on February 2 and never looked back. I've gone from a true couch potato to an athlete. I exercise at least an hour a day, generally more. I'm a high school teacher (who loves her job) and it is my stress reliever, my morning cup of coffee, and my personal therapy. My husband, who has lost 80 pounds himself, is my workout partner.

I hit my goal of losing 92 pounds in December of 2002. Since then I've lost another 15 pounds. Right after hitting goal I had a MAJOR setback. A tumor was discovered (during a CT scan for kidney stones...it was a real blessing) in my pancreas. Long story short, after three surgeries between January and April 18 of 2003 my fitness level was shot. I was determined, though, to get back in the saddle. The day after I got out of the hospital the first time, I was in the gym walking .1 miles an hour for 10 minutes. I hobbled over to a chair, sat down, and cried. I had worked SO hard to get fit and it felt like it was gone! That made me even MORE determined to get it back. I was back working out 45 minutes a day before my second surgery. After my third I went in every day that I could, even if it was only for 10 minutes. I knew that just continuing the habit was important.

While I was in the hospital there was a point where I was so shot that I wasn't able to walk more than 25 feet. It was then that I decided I was going to do something that, for me, would be amazing. I decided to sign up for the Danskin sprint tri in August of this year. (I was able to run a one mile around the Emerald Downs racetrack in August of last year...but there was no way I was going to be up for a tri by then.)

It's been about a year since my Whipple procedure. I celebrated by running 4.6 miles, lifting weights, swimming (a pathetic effort, but I did it), and working on my abs (which need a LOT of work after three surgeries).

So here I am! I'm registered and I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. I've been running since I was cleared to in July and am up to about 14 miles a week. The race bug has bitten and I have a five miler on Sunday. I won't do any tris before the Danskin because there is something about that one that I need to do first.

I'm good with the running and biking (and am considering a half marathon in November). However there is the swimming...fortunately I have someone willing to help, our swim coach. I know my main issue is really just getting the timing down so I can stroke and breathe with some sort of reasonable timing. Hoping that soon I will look like I'm executing a stroke, not HAVING a stroke! Haha!

Now I must go read the board!!