Firsts.

It's been awhile, but I feel that blogging will begin again. Today was a day of "firsts" in my beginner triathlete world...

*First ride outdoors for the spring season...we rode down to Creve Coeur Lake and back--about 30 miles...and took a little under 2 hours. Jesse is very strong and fast...I, apparently, didn't work hard enough on the trainer and am clearly a new cyclist--practically died on the road today due to weak legs and my mid back killing me. Jesse gave me this great mantra that I'm telling myself now "I'm getting stronger"...I told myself that over a hundred times today--like when Jesse was flying far ahead of me and it was all I could do to keep pedaling--"I'm getting stronger".

*First fall on the bike...on the road. So I do have this fear of clipping out...maybe I'll give the background story some other time because there is a good reason why I have this fear. Here we were stopped at a light, I clipped out, all was well. One foot clipped in, one foot clipped out and on the ground, talking with Jesse...somehow lost my balance towards my clipped in side (not something you should do) and I bit it. Bike seat nose in my pelvic bone. And a middle aged woman rolled her window down to ask if I was ok. I think I've conquered that fear--it happened, my worst fear, and I survived.

*First time I had a small glimpse at what it means to be a triathlete, as I did my first "brick" workout. So, after the ride we changed into our running shoes and went for a short run. I had no control of my legs. (Hence the name "brick" run...your legs feel like bricks...I get it now!) I felt completed wasted...but I did it. We ran about 10 minutes and it felt like a marathon. This is what it's about--pushing your body through these three totally different events, and completing it. Before I was like "yeah, I can swim...I can bike...I can run" now, I have a whole new perspective--this is a huge challenge, freakin hard...and I'm going to work my hardest to feel good on race day.

Side note, but important: I'm so glad that my wonderful husband is helping me with this and "by my side"--not always literally, because he's amazing and strong, but I love pushing ourselves/each other together and talking about muscles and training stuff together. He's great.

I'm scared for Steelhead...but I'm super excited.