One unusually sunny January morning, while outside working in my garden, my neighbor Sonia walked over and casually asked, “Robin, do you have an interest in doing a triathlon with me this spring?” Sure, the thought of completing a triathlon sounded downright epic, however, the thought of training for a triathlon, well now, that just sounded downright insane. Still, Sonia’s seemingly innocent inquiry swirled in my head for days, countless legitimate questions percolating along with every thought… “Sure, I’d love to, but I don’t know how to swim.” “Sounds great Sonia, but I don’t have a bike, …

After picking up my Mom from the airport early Saturday, we headed north toward Lake Lanier to prepare for the Iron Girl triathlon Sunday morning. My eldest daughter (the one who taught me how to swim only several months ago) turned to me and said, with a worried look on her face, "Mommy, I don't know if you can do it." I quickly and confidently commented back to her, "Makena, I know I can do it," finding it bit odd that my daughter would question my ability to finish the race. Yet, it occurred to me that, at ages 8 and 5, they are not old enough to have experienced their Mommy looking down …

I'm not getting much sleep these days. Not because my work schedule has been grueling and not because my girls' activity schedule has been overwhelming. I find myself waking with the roosters, well before my alarm goes off and well before I need to even think about getting up.  Most days, the sun isn't even up yet.  Yet, I'm wide awake, and I hear from experienced triathletes that a touch of insomnia is typical the weeks leading up to an event. The Iron Girl triathlon is this weekend, and I'd be flat out lying if I didn't admit I'm nervous.  The event that I've been faithfully training for is…

The whole hot mess started on St. Patrick's Day. My triathlon training partner-in-crime (Donna) and I had just finished a 10-mile bike ride. We were within spitting distance of an Irish pub, and despite the fact that we were beyond sweaty disgusting in our bike shorts and tops, we stopped in for a post-ride beer in celebration. Even though it was only 2:00 in the afternoon, the place was already packed with party goers, wall to wall green. And of course, we looked terribly out of place. We managed to score a table, and noticed three ridiculously cute 20 something Guinness Girls strolling …

One month from now, I’ll be competing in my first triathlon, the Iron Girl. I’ve been training since January, and if you’ve been following my journey, you already know that my training suffered a major set-back after I was hit by a car four weeks ago while riding my bike.  I've been managing the pain with prescription medication and a positive outlook.  I've been faithfully visiting my physical therapist (Chris at Neurosport Physical Therapy, 10 min. from my house- love, love, love him) to rehab my separated shoulder (from hitting the windshield of the car), wrist and muscle issues in my …

  This past Saturday morning, my triathlon training partner Donna and I were on a 15 mile bike ride.  It was the first time we were to go that distance. We were heading north on the paved bike path on Peachtree Industrial, approaching South Berkely Lake Road.  There was a car sitting at the red light in front of me on S. Berkley Lake.  The bike path crossed in front of his car, and since he was at the red light, I clearly had the right-of-way.  I thought he saw me, and I did not realize he was planning to turn right on red.  I crossed in front of him on the crosswalk, and just as I was right …

  When I was 16 and a junior in high school, I was fortunate to own my first car (1980 blue POS Ford Thunderbird).  Even though it was a real clunker, that baby faithfully buzzed me around town, giving me my first real taste of freedom. That is, until the tire very unexpectedly blew early one evening, after school, on a lone, quiet country road. Now keep in mind, we’re talking the late 80s- the days before every teen, or really anyone for that matter, had their own cell phone.  So, I was in the middle of nowheresville with absolutely no way to contact anyone, the sun quickly setting, and I …

  So I don’t mean to brag (yes I do), but I just have to say, I’m totally rockin’ in the pool.  For a girl who learned how to swim freestyle less than a month ago (and from an 8 year old none-the-less), I’ve come quite a long way in a short time. I started the journey with a pair of goggles from the lost and found at the YMCA and a decaying relic of a one-piece bathing suit of my Mom’s.  On my first swimming attempt, I could barely make it across the pool, even once. Well folks, I’m hear to tell ya- it is possible to go from couch to pool in a month. Each time I hit the water (I’ve been going…

  Now that we’ve clearly established that I don’t swim, bike or run, please allow me to make one thing clear- I am learning and I do plan on completing my first-ever triathlon in May. I’ll willingly, albeit sheepishly, admit that these past several weeks of “training” (and I’ll use that word very loosely) has been a mixed bag of experiences.  After my first swim in the pool, you know, when I was all a flutter just to have barely made it the distance of the pool without stopping, I did go back for more. With my two young daughters in tow, (who in their short existence on this planet have much…

  When I was 6, my dream was to be a sprinter on the U.S. Olympic team. I was already on a junior track team and the fastest in my county in the 50 and 100 yard dash. I racked up ribbons and trophies and confidence. I continued running track into junior high, and my high level of success continued. When I was a freshman in high school, I enthusiastically joined the varsity track team, only to discover that I was a very tiny fish in a very large pond. And about that time, I started developing curves; my body composition completely changed. I was no longer sprinter material and no longer the …

  Everyone loves to ride a bike, just like everyone loves to eat pizza, right? Wrong. I don’t like either. While I realize this makes me somewhat un-American, I do have good reason for my serious aversion to any two-wheeled mode of transportation. Please indulge me in a brief review of my cycling history, and you’ll quickly see why some of my closest friends and family think I’ve completely lost my mind by signing up for a triathlon. Not because I don’t know how to swim. Not because I don’t run- but, because I’m intensely nervous when riding a bike. On my 5th birthday, as a gift from my …

Like many children in the Midwest, I grew up with a pool in my backyard.  Even though I spent hours upon hours coated in baby oil in an effort to achieve the perfect tan, I can't say I truly used the pool for its real intent — swimming. So, while I'm very comfortable in the water, I don't really know how to swim. When I told my girls (8 and 5, who are swimmers on the Jones Bridge River Station swim team) that I was training for an Iron Girl triathlon, they beamed with pride and even asked if they could join me. However, soon came the cautious comments, "But Mom, you don't swim.  You just walk…