First post ever! (a brief triathlon history, if you will)

Can you feel the excitement? You can, can't you? My first ever blog post. Yeah... we all have shivers. Of course, there's a good chance that no one other than me will ever read this... maybe that's why it kind of feels like I'm talking to myself or some imaginary friend. If you happen to find yourself reading this and are looking for triathlon advice or training tips and hints, this might not be your best bet... at least, not yet. I'm brand new to the blog game, and I'm relatively new to the tri game, having completed a handful of try-a-tri events in '05 & '06. This led to a couple of sprint distance events this past summer. I think it is safe to say I'm hooked and will continue to participate (notice the word used was "participate" and not "compete") in the future. My hope is a winter of solid work will bring me closer to a "compete" level. As it stands at the end of the 2007 season, I'm a consistent mid- to back-of-pack guy. This was expected, since I didn't exactly kill myself during training. In fact, I never really liked to use the word "training" because it seemed to be too serious of a word. I didn't want to take triathlon too seriously... it was supposed to be something fun to do on the occasional weekend, while keeping myself in relatively good shape. Some success was had there, as I managed to knock off somewhere between 10 and 15 pounds compared to last summer. I've kind of hit a plateau, likely because I continue to stuff junk food in my face like it's going out of style. I know it wouldn't have happened without the race preparation, though... jogging with the exclusive purpose of losing weight has never worked for me. I've never been able to stick with it. But triathlon race prep gives me multiple reasons to go for that run, bike, or swim after work, instead of just hitting the couch and watching PTI. For instance, I like the idea of a strong finish. Check that - I like the idea of seeing the finish. I know what it feels like to be in a race and not be physically prepared. One word: Pain. It hurts. It hurts me. Preparing for the race helps to alleviate this. If all else fails, I think in financial terms... ie - I paid for the damn race, I'm not missing it, therefore must train. However, I think the Serious Factor might have been moved up a notch. I am currently on a 12-week off-season training program... my first real attempt at using a pre-established program. This will bring me to mid-January, at which time I will begin a modified half-marathon training program - modified to fit swim and bike workouts in, without having to work out three times a day (as it stands, the longest I've ever run is 10k). That will take me to early May, at which time I will begin training in earnest for my main summer goal: an Olympic triathlon on the August long weekend. I really want to do well, and not just by my own prior-race standards, and I think I've finally set myself up to get closer to that goal. I know I'll never win a race... I mean, you should see how in-shape the winning dudes are at these races. I suppose it could be a possibility. But I'm just not ready or willing to a) work out three times a day, six days a week, and b) face the idea of attending a backyard BBQ next summer and not having the option of tossing a handful of party mix down the hatch to be chased with a beer. I don't mind training hard, but it is still supposed to be fun... not a job. I've already got one of those, and one is enough. It's really meant to enhance my life - it has and will hopefully continue to do so into the future.