Dilema

My name is Iris and I want to compete in a triathlon before I am 40.

My problem? I am 6'3" tall (not a typo). I weigh 230 pounds. According to the BMI I am on the verge of obese, which I do not feel I am. Chubby in places and gaining, perhaps, but not obese.

The thing is, I am a self professed foodie. Meaning: I really really like food! Tonight I made seared pork chops with a balsamic reduction, cheesy polenta, and collard greens. Followed by a nice chocolate filbert square, or three.

Yesterday I looked up triathlon training websites. First thing out of the box? Get started by loosing weight. For some reason this sort of freaked me out. I recognize that I do, indeed need to drop some weight. Hauling all of this up and down hills is more tiring than I care to admit. However, the thought of lessening my intake made me want to intake even more! So, I finished my day with a tub of buttered popcorn and a giant soda while watching Inception.

I'm not a dieter. I enjoy cooking. I enjoy eating out. I enjoy crispy fried things and chicken skin.

I am not a swimmer of laps. I would so much rather play dolphin or otter (yes, even at 38, though not as ardently as when I was 10). When was the last time I actually swam a lap? High school?

I am not a runner. I tire at the thought of running more that to pick up the phone before the machine--my feet hurt, my shins, my back.

I am a long distance cyclist. I can cycle for miles and miles. My strength is in the distance, not the speed. I am turtle slow. Turtle Power!!!

So I am almost starting from scratch. I have signed up for a Triathlon near my home this February. During the next 5 months I will prepare my body, mind and spirit to compete in a triathlon. This blog will be my record and keep me accountable.