How I’ve been spending my time

I realize I’ve left this blog with nothing but crickets chirping for quite a while now, and I’m sorry. I’ve had plenty to share, but no time to do it.

One of the main things that has been taking up my time these last few months is training for this:

(picture source)

Yep, I went all crazy cakes and signed up for a triathlon! And it’s this Saturday!

If you’re not as familiar with LDS lingo, let me explain that the triathlon is put on by the women’s organization of the church (called the Relief Society). Therefore, the triathlon is only for women; it’s main goal is to promote women’s health. A stake is a group of several congregations in one area—just a way of keeping us organized.

Let me explain my journey a bit. For the past 2 years, a nearby stake has put on a similar triathlon. Many of my friends in that stake tried to encourage me to join in, but I had what I liked to call the “triathlon trifecta:”

1. No childcare
2. No bike
3. No gym membership to accomplish the swim training

And last year, I was pregnant, so that was a pretty easy out, also

It was announced early this year that our stake was going to be doing a triathlon of its own. I was tempted to give it a try (pun intended), but at first, I still couldn’t get past that triathlon trifecta (not to mention the fact that I was nursing an infant). It wasn’t until a pregnant friend of mine said she would sign up to walk the running portion that I decided I should at least sign up to do what I could. Certainly, I could walk 3 miles; no problem. And that got me thinking: maybe I would sign up for the run portion, planning to walk, but should I happen to find a chance to go jogging once in a while, I might be prepared to run it come triathlon day. That created a snowball effect in my mind, allowing for the possibility that maybe I’d have the time to train for some biking and swimming also. I liked thinking of it with a very non-committal, baby-steps approach.

I talked to the triathlon rep for our ward (congregation). I asked her if I could sign up for the running portion, and if I managed to train for another event, add that on later. She said that I might as well sign up for everything, because I could opt out of any event at the last minute, but I could not add on events after a certain point. So I did. Suddenly, I was signed up for a full triathlon. I thought I must be going crazy!

I’m just going to wrap things up here by saying it has been a long road, but I am indeed going to participate in each of the 3 events. I’d love to find the time to describe my journey through all of the training. Maybe no one is interested, but I want to document it for myself. If I get the time (ha ha), I’ll do another post or two telling about my training. For now, I’m just looking forward to this Saturday. I’m nervous, but I’m mostly SO excited. I actually think I might possibly be ready—something I thought I would never be.

So if you think of me this Saturday, send me all your prayers and energetic thoughts. I think I might be needing them!

On an unrelated note, I realized the last time I posted a picture of my sweet baby boy on this blog, he was just under 2 months old. If I didn’t have a separate family blog where I post pictures of him, this would be a criminal act for this doting mommy. Even still, it’s high time I share something on this blog, considering the fact that he’s now 10 months old. Man, that went fast. So I leave you with this—maybe another explanation why I have been so absent in blogging—I’m too busy loving this boy!