I have just come over to this strand because as of yesterday I have decided to make doing a tri my next goal.

As I have been reading the posts I have learned there are a few of us newbies w/ a tri as a goal. I am starting this thread hoping to get other newbies on it so we can encourage each other, track our progress, and help each other - I am sure we all have different strengths.

to start: I am almost 50 (another 55 days), I already swim (but not in a lake) and I started cycling a year ago, I am not very fast but getting better. However as of today I can barely run 1/2 mile and even at that it is pretty slow (4 years ago I could run 3 agonizing 11 minute miles).

Medical dilemma - asthma but that is getting controlled better.

My strongest strength is swimming (too bad I read the race is never won on the swim portion - I was a lifeguard/instructor, I know good drills and workouts to help/fix/modify strokes. I have been swimming seriously (for a 45+ year old) under a coach for the past 5 years - but still - it has been in a pool not open water and my coach retired but I still have access to her expertise.

My goal is to do a tri by next July. The local one is 1k swim, 20k bike and 5 k run.

Join on in give your specs, strengths, weaknesses, goals, victories whatever else you can think of and let's try to help each other