After reading all the triathlon posts, especially in the "why I love triathlon" thread, I did it--I signed up for a women-only sprint triathlon at the end of August! http://www.tricolumbia.org/irongirl/info.html

I felt like I could have written what you all said--unathletic my whole life, never picked for teams as a kid, overweight, like the anticipation and the organization required, like the challenge, etc. I only started exercising regularly in January 2005, lost 50 pounds (still need to lose more), and now I'm going to do a triathlon! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it.

I went to the pool a couple nights ago and swam 0.6 miles without any difficulty, so I think I'll be ok as long as I keep swimming a couple of times a week.

Biking 17.5 miles shouldn't be a problem since I ride to work every day and do longer rides every weekend.

But running is a horse of a different color. I don't run. Ever in my life. But I went to a good running shoe store and got a good pair of shoes, and the nice man there told me how to ease into it so I'd be able to run 3.3 miles by the time the actual triathlon rolls around. He suggested walking 30 minutes 3x during the first week, then running 1 minute and walking 4 minutes, for a total of 30 minutes, the next week, then run 2 min/walk 3 min, etc until I'm running for 30 minutes. Right now that sounds impossible, but who knows? Maybe a miracle will happen, but if it doesn't I know I can walk fast.

Since I'm such a complete novice at running, I signed up for a chi running workshop on Saturday. Supposedly chi running is easier on the joints. A coworker who runs suggested it. (Apparently triathletes who like Total Immersion swimming also do chi running because both are supposed to save your legs for biking. We'll see...)

I ordered a couple of running books and Fat Slow Triathlete--the title just speaks to me for some reason :-) -- and I am really looking forward to learning more about transitions, clothing, strategy, etc. Please don't be annoyed if I ask stupid questions during the next 5 weeks as I prepare. All of you are such an inspiration to me!