Challenge Extended ... and Accepted

Yesterday I sent an email to an old friend of mine asking him if he thought we could gather the old "gang" and run the Sulphur Spring 100 mile relay. I'm thinking of running the 25k, but I wouldn't mind doing this with a bunch of frinds I've had since I was 3 years old. What a weekend that would be. We'll see what happens, since they would have to travel great distances to get here. I'm the only one who now lives in Ontario.

BUT. My friend then told me that there's a triathlon in Jonquière, where he lives, every summer (triathlon Saguenay - warning: French content) and that quite a few of my friends intended to do it. I was then challenged. So now I have to somehow fit at least some swimming and cycling into my training schedule. I do the odd spinning class but I never swim. That will have to change. I'm now the owner of a new bathing suit, swimming goggles and a swimming cap. All I need is a pool.

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You understand, I don't really care how well I do in that triathlon ... as long as I beat my pals! Hopefully, we are looking at the Sprint (swim 750m, bike 20km, run 5km) and not the Olympic (swim 1.5km, bike 40km, run 10km).

Nothing like friendly competition to get the competitive juices going. This should be a weekend to remember.

I haven't quite decided how this is going to affect my running. I'm obviously going to have to run less. I guess we will see if cross training is all that is cracked up to be. I'm going to finish my current 16 weeks program (Jack Daniels' intermediate program) at the end of March, which is timed to culminate with a 10km race. After that, I had planned to jump into the advanced program but that will have to change.

One thing is for sure, by the end of August, I have to start on my marathon training for the Sedona marathon, on February 7th 2009.