Even a cheerleader needs a cheerleader

So I had another first last Sun :) The week before I had a bit of a down week...and it's funny I do get asked, " Is everyday awesome for you!?" and no not EVERY day. The kids were sick, I was sick and my mind just started to head into the gutter :( So when I heard that Coach Nancy was going to do a race simulation on Sun morning I knew that was JUST what I needed to get this head out of the funk a good swim/bike/run :)...."Ok I'll join you guys on Sunday" I say,"Great!" Says Nancy, " We will be swimming 1k, bike 30k and running 5k"........WTF!! Are you kidding me!? I haven't even done a race that long!!!!....but here's the thing about me now, this journey has changed not just my outsides but my insides too. I now stick to something when I say that I will do it....and CRAP! I just said that I would join them on Sunday morning at 8am for race simulation!!....what!....why!!....huh!?....why are they going so far you ask? It's because those people are training for Olympic distance and Half Iron man distance races! Well I have only done a Sprint distance.... So I was a little worried and I was dream/thinking about it all night. I taped the route of the bike ride on my bike and had my phone for GPS as I knew that I wasn't going to be able to keep up the group and would at one point be alone out there, which I am fine with, I just didn't want to get lost. So up I get a 7am (breaking my first rule of 'I don't do early') and packed up and ready to go. When I got there a was pleasantly surprised that I knew more then half the people there? And they were happy to see that I was joining them. I told them with a sigh and a bit of uncertainly that I'm not sure how I'll do as I haven't even done a race this far yet...."You're going to be awesome!" Says Morgan without a second to pause. " You're going to rock this!!" says Amanda right after her......my response was, "Well I don't think I will rock it, but I'll get it done"....however due to their warming welcoming and positive attitude I was already starting to feel like maybe this was doable for me :) Here is the picture we took before we started...I am in the middle and as you can see I don't have me big, 'this is going to be awesome' smile on...it's more like, 'oh crap! what have I gotten myself into?!'

So we get into the water....Lake Ontario, and you know then you have on the garden hose in your back yard and you're like, "WOW! That water is freezing!!" YUP! That was what the water felt like! (now breaking my 2nd rule, of 'I don't do cold'!!)..."Where is your wetsuit!?" everyone is asking me....I don't have one thank you very much. Even one of the men said to me, "You are braver then I am!"...all I could think was, "Buddy I don't have a choice!" So I was the first to start the swim...cause it was frigg'n cold and I just wanted to get it over with!!! As I started I could hear everyone cheering me on....it really made me feel great and I didn't know it....but I needed that! I don't know how to explain it without sounding snooty, but I seem to think that I don't need cheerleaders. Not because I am so good or anything but I think I just feel uncomfortable with it and feel that I have been out here doing it for awhile and I know what I am doing....so I'm good. Now I go and cheer on others and LOVE doing that. But I realized that morning that even a cheerleader needs a cheerleader :)....I am good to go out there on my own and I am able to do it on my own and get my butt up to go. But having others cheer you on and accepting it just makes the journey not so lonely and feel that much more awesome. (WOW! just got to say that I am getting all teary eyed typing this!) Now once I was done the swim the water was beautiful and even felt warm! Next was the bike and as we all hopped on our bikes they were all asking me why I didn't have clip ins!....I explained that I do the poor mans Triathlon!! LOL!! The bike ride was wicked and I never was alone out there I kept up to the big boys that day!!!No clip-in's and on my antique bike...boo-ya baby! This team that I trained with call themselves the Iron Canucks .... By the time we got back from the bike it was late morning and REALLY HOT!!! So the run kicked my ass....I was dying. I had to stop and walk a few times but I was in good company the whole way as I talked with one of the girls I had met for the first time that day. I told her a bit abut my story and she told me hers (she's a personal trainer too) So the training ended 3+hr later, 30+k moved, and over 1700 calories burned....and I felt AWESOME!!!!! just as I knew that I would and that is what motivated me to go out in the first place :)