The Journey Begins...

So, here it is folks; my very first blog!

I call it Journey with a Song because that is the best way I can sum up where I am at this point in my life. I am on a very crazy journey right now that includes a bike, a pool, a VERY expensive pair of running shoes, a 45 pound black mutt named Guinness the Wonder Dog, and a microphone!

It's funny because when I decided to do this Triathlon I really thought I was just going to ride a bike a little, run/walk some and swim a few laps. But it has really become so much more. I have really begun to enjoy challenging myself beyond what I think I am capable of. Every time I think I have reached my limit I realize that the limit has been moved further up the mountain!

When I was growing up and through college I have always found new ways of challenging my body. Whether it was gymnastics, rollerblading or what became a passion of mine in college, weightlifting, I was always doing something active. Then in my twenties I began struggling with an injury that would soon keep me off my feet completely (I'll save that story for another time). However, as many of us do, I became pretty complacent in my sedentary life and I began REALLY feeling the effects of those years without challenging my body. I NEVER thought I would be someone who would become so winded after riding a bike up a hill that I would almost pass out. Yep, you can ask my sister about that, as she was there when it happened. I was at my parents' house in the Hill Country and was riding my bike and seriously became so winded and my heart was pounding so hard I actually had to stop in the dirt driveway and sit down for close to probably 10 minutes. This was a HUGE wake-up call.

So back to the Triathlon...I am finally beginning to feel like the "Deborah" I was back before the injury. It is a very slow process, as my legs STILL hurt after every run but at least now they only hurt for a day instead of 3 days. I am a VERY slow runner but I don't even care; I am simply happy that I'm doing it. This has been much more than a physical journey, it has been a mental and spiritual journey as well. I am constantly amazed at what the human body can achieve after it's been so abused for so long. And trust me I ABUSED the hell out of my body. Between smoking a pack of cigarettes a day (clearly not any more but at one time I did), gaining over 60 lbs (slowly losing now), and living a very inactive and sedentary life I can't believe I am even able to bike 1 mile much less 15-20!

If this process has taught me anything it's to enjoy the journey! Like most of us I wanted instant gratification. I never took time to enjoy the stepping stones that took me from one side of the creek to the other. I always tried to leap across it and inevitably fell in the stupid creek, got pissed off and turned around and never got to the other side. For the first time I am finally taking the steps. I am very carefully stepping on each rock and balancing myself so as not to fall in, and if I do fall in I will get back up on the rock I fell off of and keep going. This is what I call enjoying the Journey...and you know what; I think I'll sing a little along the way! :)