I'm probably not built for this... But here goes.

I've been training for a triathlon for the past couple of months.

Like most stories, things didn't all happen at once... I sort of stepped my way into it without knowing what I was truly in for. It all began on the evening of December 31st, 2006. I was standing outside 15th Street Tavern on New Year's Eve. It had just turned midnight and I was sipping my plastic cup filled with Jameson and smoking a cigarette... I thought: "I really need to quit smoking." This was about the 3,079th time I'd said that to myself. (I have a near-constant internal dialogue going with myself.) Evidently, I meant what I said this time.

So I quit drinking first. Which is much easier for me to do, and very helpful to me not smoking. You see, every time I would drink, my mantras, manifestos and private promises would crumble... There are so many good reasons to smoke too... writing, playing music, being out, coffee, driving, on and on... trigger after trigger. Smoking would be SUCH A GREAT ADDICTION if it didn't kill you, ya know? And make your breath gross. And your clothes and hair smell gross. And stain your teeth. But I digress...

No drinking led to no smoking which led to going back to the gym which led to working out 4 or 5 times a week which led to my ultra-healthy, triathlete friend Eliza suggesting I email her "triathlon coach" (this uber fit veteran of umpteen ironmans) which led to me getting him as my coach which is leading to me getting up at 6AM tomorrow morning and going to Cherry Creek Reservoir to do my first DUATHLON (5K run + 30K mile bike + 5K run).

How did this happen? Truth is, I'm having a blast.

Wish me luck.

POST RACE UPDATE:
I did it! my goals were to a) have fun, b) not do anything stupid like crash or get in someone's way, c) try and finish as close to two hours as possible. I did all three! I had a really good time (that 2nd 5K involved a fair amount of suffering however), I didn't do anything stupid and my time was 2 hours and 20 seconds. Hot damn. This could get addicting. Good thing I don't have an addictive personality... er, um... right.