Recent Developments.

Joe represented both of us at the first Team in Training meeting on Thursday (I had class). He talked to the trainers afterwards about my three time conflicts with the training program. The first, and the least problematic is Wednesday evening group runs. I have class on Wednesday nights till 8:30 so participating in the group run is not something that I can do. But while the group training is important, missing one group training session/week is not going to do me in. The second issue is that I'll be leaving for L.A. in mid-May (and flying back to Boston for the sprint triathlon in June), so I'll miss the last few weeks of group training. The trainers said that this wasn't an issue either, as they can hook me up with the Team in Training chapter in L.A. and I can spend my last three weeks training with them. The third issue is the biggest, and that's the 6 week interruption in my training because of my breast reduction surgery that I have scheduled for March 5. The trainers have promised to help me work around this, and, as the first race in June is sprint (shorter distance), it shouldn't take too much to get me up to race level, but I'll have to work really hard.

A note about the races: Joe and I were planning on doing an Olympic tri with Team in Training in August. Well, the MA Team in Training does not train for an Olympic tri in August. They train for one in June. But because of my surgery, it would be very difficult for me to get to the point physically where I would need to be to race in an Olympic tri by the 2nd weekend in June. So, Joe and I have decided to race in a sprint tri (1/4 mile swim, 10 mile bike, 3.5 mile run) in June and an Olympic tri in late summer (1 mile swim, 26 mile bike, 6.2 mile run). We will be raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for the sprint in June, but not the Olympic. The sprint we are racing will be in Hyannis, MA (Cape Cod) and the location of the Olympic is yet to be determined but we will most likely be racing with Sarah. (Whoo hoo!)

I start Fit Camp tomorrow. It's intense strength training at 6am three times/week. This, on top of my regular work outs, should whip me into a strong (albeit tired) puppy. I'll certainly let you know how that goes... I'm a little nervous. The instructor is this really energetic, super kind and INSANELY ripped woman named Jackie. She could probably tear my face off with her bare hands. I think that if the gym allowed her to bring a whip into her classes, she probably would. I'm really looking forward to working with her, in the same way that you look forward to riding a huge rollercoaster. I definitely have some serious butterflies, but I know it's going to be a great experience.

One last development:
Joe and I are getting married!!!! And I'm really pretty stoked about that. :)