First triathlon in my sights

As I mentioned over on HVYTK, I've set my sights on finishing (with a smile!) the ICE Breaker Triathlon in Granite Bay, CA on April 13, 2008.

It's a .5 mile (open water) swim – 13 mile bike – 4 mile run race. And while the bike and the run segments don't bother me too much, the swim is of greatest concern because my swimming skills consist of barely managing not to sink in the water. Lots of room to improve in my swimming skills if for no other reason than I must learn to swim again..

I'm using Joe Friel's Your First Triathlon to guide me through how I approach this challenge, and so far, I've found the advice to be quite useful in helping me set my expectations properly for my first tri. I'm also lucky to have a cube-mate at work who's now a three-time Ironman finisher, and more than a couple friends who've completed their share of triathlons shorter than the Ironman.

So then, what's this blog about? It's a way for me to share my progress, share the advice I've received (and whether or not I choose to follow it) and share stories about the tri toys I lust after and/or purchase.

If you've ever run a triathlon or aspired to, I invite you to follow along. Only 175 days until the race!