I did it!

 Last year at our annual friend sleepover me and Annette decided that we would do the Duchesne triathlon next August.  We thought it would be a great goal to get in better shape.  I hate doing anything cardio.  I love to lift weights, but hate running.  The first time I went to swim, I could only do 2 laps freestyle and then had to switch to my side or back.  I thought I would never be able to swim a 1/2 mile freestyle.  I am nothing but determined and finally after 3 months I was able to swim 1/2 mile freestyle

 without stopping.  Soon I was swimming a mile without a problem.  Once on a really good day, I swam two miles.  That has never happened again, but on occasion I will do 1 1/2 miles.  Now I had to work on being able to run a 5k.  Me and Steve would park the ranger at Tom's cabin and then run to our cabin.  It is such a hard run for me.  It is only 4 1/2 miles, but one mile is all up hill and at the altitude it gets your heart and lungs going.  Biking is pretty easy and so enjoyable.  They opened up the Murdock

 Canal trail and I've loved going on bike rides.  The hard part is getting off your bike and making your legs work to then run.  My legs were always so weak and wobbly for the first mile.  I was training and feeling pretty confident that I could do the race when I did something to my right leg in July after a run.  For 2 weeks it hurt to walk and at the cabin after jumping from seeing a snake, I had to crawl for an hour because I couldn't walk on it.  I was worried and went into the Dr. and he could find nothing wrong and said

 play it by ear.  So I wasn't able to run all of July and August.  I didn't know if my leg would work the day of the race.  I just figured I would walk and complete the race.  Greg decided he wanted to do the race with us and after a vacation in California getting home at 11:30 and up by 5:30 started the race out exhausted.  The swim was terrible, I couldn't get my breathing on and I had a panic attack and backstroked the whole way.  I truly thought I was going to drown.  The bike ride was a tough one on dirt, sand and

gravel, but me and Annette just talked and enjoyed our ride.  Miracle of miracles when I got off the bike, my legs were not wobbly and I was able to run the whole way.  I still can't believe at 49 I did my first triathlon.  I'm proud that I set a goal and accomplished it.  I think I want to try again next year and see if I can do the swim without the panic.   Thanks Annette and Greg for helping do this.